Fantasy Baseball Opening Day Preview: Biggest questions and answers for all 30 teams

Chris Towers unveils what matters most as the 2026 season begins

Chris Towers

Mar 24, 2026

7:54 am ET

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17 min read

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We're about to get answers. So many answers. Answers to some questions we didn't even know we had.

That's the most exciting thing about the start of the MLB season. We spend all offseason asking questions, and we get some answers during the Hot Stove season, and some more during the spring. But most of our biggest questions can't be answered until the games start and actually count. And we're oh-so close.

The MLB season kicks off tomorrow with the Yankees and Giants playing in a prime-time matchup in San Francisco, and then most of the rest of the league joins them on Thursday; by Friday, all 30 teams will have played at least once. By the weekend, we'll have seen every team's lineups, and at least a few closer situations will be resolved by then.

But right now, we're still in the fog of uncertainty. Rosters haven't been finalized. We're going to learn about some unexpected injuries in the next 48 hours or so, and we're going to learn about the results of a whole bunch of spring training battles that are still, somehow, up in the air. We're going to get answers, and today's newsletter is all about finding the right questions. With Opening Day looming, here's the biggest question for each team to open the season:

The biggest question for all 30 teams

Arizona Diamondbacks - Can Zac Gallen bounce back?

If you're looking for a reason to be optimistic, Gallen averaged 94.2 mph with his four-seamer this spring – he hasn't been above 94 mph since 2022, when he had a 2.54 ERA over 31 starts. I'm not saying he'll be that good again, but the Diamondbacks do need a return to form from Gallen, and I feel more optimistic about that after seeing the increased velocity, even if the results weren't great.

Atlanta Braves - When does Didier Fuentes get a chance?

It seemingly won't happen to start the season, as Fuentes is slated to start the season in a long-relief role before moving back to the minors to be stretched out sometime early in the season, even after Spencer Strider's season-opening IL stint. Fuentes isn't even 21 yet and threw just 70 innings last season, so the Braves will obviously be pretty careful with him. But after a spring run that saw him strike out 17 without allowing a walk or hit in nine innings of work, there's a chance he just makes himself indispensable and works his way into the rotation ala Strider in 2022.

Baltimore Orioles - Can Coby Mayo take advantage of this opportunity?

This might be the last one. The former top prospect has failed to take advantage of his previous opportunities, but with Jordan Westburg dealing with a torn UCL in his elbow, Mayo figures to get at least a month of run to prove himself. He hit .389/.400/.639 this spring with a 91.1 mph average exit velocity, a glimpse of the kind of upside he was supposed to hold. I've added him where I can this spring, and I'll give him April to see if he can finally figure it out.

Boston Red Sox - How long until the young arms get a chance?

The Red Sox haven't announced whether Connelly Early will be in the rotation, but since he'll be on the Opening Day roster, I don't think it'll be long before he's in the rotation, no matter what. But it might be as soon as the first week of the season, so go make sure he isn't already rostered in your league after he broke out in 2025 en route to a successful 19.1-inning cup of coffee with the big-league club. And then there's Payton Tolle, who some prospect analysts like even more than Early thanks to his potentially dominant fastball. The Red Sox don't exactly have a need in the rotation right now, but that never stays true for long, does it? The problem for Tolle is that he might need two people ahead of him to falter to get a chance. It'll happen, but it might take a little while.

Chicago White Sox - Can Munetaka Murakami make enough contact?

The power is real, but contact concerns led to Murakami signing for a significantly smaller contract than expected. He had a 39.5% whiff rate this spring between Cactus League and World Baseball Classic action, and that's a tough hurdle to overcome – Javier Baez in 2021 was the only player in the past five seasons to have a whiff rate higher in a season, and while he did have an .813 OPS that season, things have fallen apart for him since. Murakami will have to be an outlier power hitter to be relevant with those kinds of swing-and-miss issues.

Chicago Cubs - Was the second half a sign of things to come for Pete Crow-Armstrong?

Based on the long-term contract conversations ongoing between the two sides, the Cubs sure don't seem to be too concerned about Crow-Armstrong's second-half slump. My bigger concern might be Crow-Armstrong's struggles against lefties – he hit just .188/.217/.376 against lefties in 2025,