The Sportsletter - MLB's Return & The Twisted 16s

BY JEFF YODER

MAR. 26, 2025 | SUBSCRIBE | OPTIMAL VIEW

Good Morning 👋

The sports schedule is eerily quiet today, but tomorrow hits send on a new season. It's the eve of MLB Opening Day and the Sweet 16s. Plus, two NFL teams made late splashes for veteran free agents (No, not Aaron Rodgers). Basketball injuries and the transfer portal are out of control, too.

Let's warm up the ballparks and set the stage for baseball's return...

Letter Rip!

< MLB >

The Eve of MLB Opening Day ⚾️

Photo: Brandon Sloter / Getty Images

The 2025 MLB Opening Day Preview: Baseball is Back With 14 Games Tomorrow Afternoon (March 27)

The wait is almost over, baseball fans. The 2025 MLB season is about to begin as teams throw out the first pitch in 14 ballparks across the country tomorrow afternoon (we're still on the M-W-F schedule, so today will serve as our Opening Day primer). Dust off your cap, grab some crackerjacks and rejoice. Let’s recap the biggest offseason moves and storylines to watch before this 162-game marathon begins.

Faces in New Places: Juan Soto is a Met, and a rich one at that (15 years, $765 million). Corbin Burnes is in Arizona. Alex Bregman is in Boston. Blake Snell makes his Dodgers debut this afternoon. Max Fried, Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt are all in the Bronx, now. With plenty more jersey swaps this offseason, the former-team rematches will be plentiful.

New Skippers on the Block: Only two managers are new in 2025 — Clayton McCullough (Marlins) and Will Venable (White Sox). Last year’s two openings were well below average, so we could be due for more mid-season firings and open positions in 2025.

Top Teams to Watch: The Dodgers and Yankees clashed in the Fall Classic last October. There’s no reason the Dodgers should face a big setback with Ohtani soon to pitch and other new additions, but the Yankees could struggle without Soto and Gerrit Cole. The Mets, Braves and Phillies hope to deliver year-long drama in the NL East. I like the Padres and Red Sox to play spoilers.

World Series Odds (Top-10)

Dodgers (+275), Braves (+800), Yankees (+850), Mets (+1000), Phillies (+1000), Orioles (+1200), Astros (+1400), Padres (+1600), Red Sox (+2000), Rangers (+2500)

A new season begins. Let’s play ball!

MLB 1st Pitch Storylines ⚾️

The Ultimate Guide to Every Opening Day Matchup (MLB)
MLB World Series Predictions: Who Will Wear the Crown? (CBS Sports)
Five MLB Teams Ready to Make Surprise Playoff Runs in 2025 (SI)
MLB 2025 Season Mega Preview: Power Rankings, Playoff Odds & Everything You Need to Know (ESPN)

Opening Day Schedule (Tomorrow)

Nationally Televised Games 📺

Brewers at Yankees (3:05 pm ET, ESPN)

*Freddy Peralta vs. Carlos Rodon

Tigers at Dodgers (7:10 pm ET, ESPN)

*Tarik Skubal vs. Blake Snell

🗓️ Full MLB Opening Day Schedule

< NCAA >

The Sweet 16s (With A Twist)

Photo: Robert Gauthier / Getty Images

USC’s Loss of Juju Watkins Shakes Up Women’s Bracket — Men’s Sweet 16 Prepares for a New Era (And a New Champion)

Much has changed in the last 48 hours across the college basketball landscape. Players who have been eliminated are flocking to the transfer portal in a wild goose chase (over 500 and counting), but the tournaments are far from over. The teams that are still playing will enter Week 2 with a twist. USC superstar Juju Watkins suffered a torn ACL during the second-round on Monday, and her season is over. That’s a devastating blow to the potential player of the year, a team with title aspirations, and the women's tournament as a whole.

Over in the men’s bracket, it’s the dawn of a new era after the two-time defending champions from UConn were sent packing. A new champ is coming, and we’ll find out soon. Both brackets will reach the Final Four by next Monday and set the stage for celebrations in San Antonio (men) and Tampa (women). Here's a look at the next stop on the road to the Final Four:

Men's NCAA Tournament (Sweet 16)

Thursday

#2 Alabama vs. #6 BYU (7:09 pm ET, CBS)

#1 Florida vs. #4 Maryland (7:39 pm ET, TBS)

#1 Duke vs. #4 Arizona (9:39 pm ET, CBS)

#3 Texas Tech vs. #10 Arkansas (10:09 pm ET, TBS)

Friday

#2 Michigan State vs. #6 Ole Miss (7:09 pm ET, CBS)

#2 Tennessee vs. #3 Kentucky (7:39 pm ET, TBS)

#1 Auburn vs. #5 Michigan (9:39 pm ET, CBS)

#1 Houston vs. #4 Purdue (10:09 pm ET, TBS)

🗓️ NCAAM Bracket

Women's Tournament (Sweet 16)

Friday

#2 Duke vs. #3 North Carolina (2:30 pm ET, ESPN)

#1 S. Carolina vs. #4 Maryland (5:00 pm ET, ESPN)

#2 NC State vs. #3 LSU (7:30 pm ET, ESPN)

#1 UCLA vs. #5 Ole Miss (10:00 pm ET, ESPN)

Saturday

#2 TCU vs. #3 Notre Dame (1:00 pm ET, ABC)

#1 Texas vs. #5 Tennessee (3:30 pm ET, ABC)

#2 UConn vs. #3 Oklahoma (5:30 pm ET, ESPN)

#1 USC vs. #5 Kansas State (8:00 pm ET, ESPN)

🗓️ NCAAW Bracket

NCAA Tournament Storylines

The Painful Ripple Effects of Juju Watkins’ Injury (The Ringer)
Men’s Sweet 16 Power Rankings (Bleacher Report)
UConn Women’s Standout Azzi Fudd Set to Return Next Season (FOX Sports)
Men’s Tournament Coverage Seeing Record-Breaking Viewership Despite Lack of Upsets (Sports Illustrated)

< NFL >

Late Free-Agent Splashes

Photo: Joe Sargent / Getty Images

Giants Sign QB Russell Wilson, Patriots Add WR Stefon Diggs in Late Veteran FA Signings

While the world waits for Aaron Rodgers, New York isn't. The Giants are signing QB Russell Wilson to a 1-year, $10.5 million contract. The 10-time pro bowler will aim to take New York back to the top of the NFC East for the first time since 2011. The Giants also signed QB Jameis Winston last week — that’s an ultra-positive QB room. Happy vibes! (for now)

Tuesday's NFL acquisitions didn’t stop there. The Patriots’ biggest offseason need was finding a true WR1 for QB Drake Maye, and they got him. WR Stefon Diggs signed a 3-year, $69 million deal with the Pats. Those AFC rivalry battles between Diggs and Buffalo should be spicy!

< ACTION >

The Highlight Reel 🎞️

🏀 NBA

Jimmy Butler Returns to Miami

Heat Smash Warriors (112-86)

Thunder 1st Team to 60 Wins

SGA (32 pts), Thunder def. Kings (121-105)

🏒 NHL

Jack Eichel Nets 5th NHL Hat Trick

Golden Knights def. Wild (5-1)

Alex Ovechkin Scores Goal No. 889

Capitals Fall to Jets (3-2, OT)

⛳️ TGL Playoffs (Finals)

🏆 Atlanta Drive Wins Inaugural TGL Title

Comes Back to Beat NY Golf Club (4-3)

Team: Billy Horschel, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay

< NARRATIVES >

The Storylines

🏀 The NCAA Portal Exodus

More than 750 men’s college basketball players entered the transfer portal when it opened on Monday. Some of the names will surprise you. (Bleacher Report)

⚽️ USMNT’s Miserable Window

Two losses in less than a week left the U.S. Men’s National Team and manager Mauricio Pochettino searching for answers. (ESPN)

🏈 Aaron Rodgers’ Next NFL Team

The 41-year-old quarterback reportedly met with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Here’s why Rodgers will most likely delay his decision until after the draft. (CBS Sports)

< NEWS >

The Headlines 📰

🏀 Iowa Hires Drake’s Ben McCollum as Men’s Basketball Coach (ESPN)
⚾️ Dodgers’ Mookie Betts Remains Sidelined With Undiagnosed Illness (Yahoo! Sports)
🏀 Bucks’ Damian Lillard Out Indefinitely After Deep Vein Thrombosis Revealed in Leg (NBC Sports)
🏀 Xavier Hires New Mexico Coach Richard Pitino in Quick Move After Losing Sean Miller (CBS Sports)
⚾️ Diamondbacks’ Left-Hander Jordan Montgomery to Undergo Tommy John Surgery (MLB)
🏀 Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Suffers Scary Ankle Injury in Win Over Kings (NBC Sports)
⚾️ Mariners & Catcher Cal Raleigh Finalize 6-Year, $105 Million Extension (CBS Sports)
🏈 Stanford Football Needed ‘Reset,’ Fires Coach Troy Taylor (ESPN)
⚾️ Angels Release Former No. 1 Overall Pick Mickey Moniak (USA Today)
👟 World Athletics to Require Gender Testing for Female Track & Field Athletes Under New Policy (CBS Sports)
💰 Warren Buffet Hands Out $1 Million Bracket Prize for Employee Who Picked 31-of-32 1st-Round Games (SI)

< SCHEDULE >

The Watch Party 🍿

It’s Opening Day at ballparks across America followed by the Sweet 16s in the days ahead. We’ll return on Friday morning to prep for the weekend and rewind the action. Enjoy!

⚾️ MLB Opening Day

Full Schedule (All 30 Teams)

🏆 March Madness

Men’s Sweet 16 (Begins Thursday)

Women’s Sweet 16 (Begins Friday)

Professional Leagues

🏀 NBA Schedule

🏒 NHL Schedule

< COMING UP >

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