Major League Baseball - 2026 Season Preview

As the calendar rolls around to the month of April, that can mean only one thing . . . Baseball is back! 

The 2026 Major League Baseball season actually starts in just a few days in late March and it seems like every team is chasing the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have won back-to-back World Series titles and added a big bat to the lineup as well as one the best closers in baseball to their bullpen. 

 

There is always wonder once the new season starts ans this year will be no different around the major leagues. The Dodgers (on paper) look to be solid yet again and should be right there come October when the chips are down. There are several teams in the National League that will challenge for the pennant, including the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers and possibly the San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants. 

Over in the American League, the Toronto Blue Jays will be looking to defend the crown and get back to the World Series, where they were so close to winning it all before the Dodgers rallied back to steal it away. The Blue Jays have a decent lineup and solid pitching, although sometimes their bullpen was a problem, including in that Game Seven loss to Los Angeles in the World Series. 

The Blue Jays play in what is considered by many to be the best division in baseball. Yes, the American League East is stacked yet again with the New York Yankees right there along with Boston and Baltimore and even Tampa Bay, though the Rays look like they may have taken a step back this off-season. The A.L. Central features the Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals and those three teams should do battle all summer long. The West division looks to be the Seattle Mariners title to lose, unless the injuries mount. The Houston Astros cannot be counted out and the Texas Rangers could have perhaps the best starting pitching in the junior circuit this season. 

All in all, it should be an exciting pennant chase and when the dust settles next October and the post-season begins, who knows who will be there to claim the World Series title? 

The Heftyinfo picks for the divisional races and the playoffs and World Series  . . . 

NATIONAL LEAGUE 

East  
1. Philadelphia  2. N.Y. Mets  3. Atlanta  4. Miami  5. Washington 

Central
1. Chicago Cubs  2. Milwaukee  3. Cincinnati  4. Pittsburgh  5. St. Louis 

West
1. L.A. Dodgers  2. San Francisco  3. San Diego  4. Arizona  5. Colorado 

AMERICAN LEAGUE  

East 
1. Toronto  2. N.Y. Yankees  3. Baltimore  4. Boston 5. Tampa Bay 

Central 
1. Detroit  2. Kansas City  3. Cleveland  4. Chicago White Sox  5. Minnesota 

West 
1. Seattle  2. Houston  3. Texas  4. (Sacramento) Athletics  5. L.A. Angels  

(Note - Bold face italicized teams are picks for Wild Card spots) 

N.L. Playoffs 

Wild Card Round - Philadelphia over Atlanta; Milwaukee over N.Y. Mets 

Divisional Round - L.A. Dodgers over Milwaukee; Chicago Cubs over Philadelphia 

NLCS - L.A. Dodgers over Chicago Cubs 

A.L. Playoffs 

Wild Card Round - Detroit over Kansas City; Baltimore over N.Y. Yankees 

Divisional Round - Toronto over Baltimore; Seattle over Detroit 

ALCS - Seattle over Toronto  

 

                                                         WORLD  SERIES  

 

                                         Los Angeles Dodgers  over  Seattle Mariners    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March Madness

It's that time of the year again. 

NCAA Basketball means March Madness as millions of people fill out a bracket, trying to guess which college team will win it all this year and eventually cut down the nets at the Final Four on April 6 in Indianapolis. 

Well, here at Heftyinfo it's no different, so here goes nothing in picking the Final Four teams and eventual national champion. 

The call is for Houston and Connecticut (UConn) advancing to Indy as number two seeds while number one teams Arizona and Michigan get there as well. From there, Houston beats UConn and Arizona knocks off Michigan to set up the final game. 

The pick here is Arizona to defeat Houston, which would be the second year in a row the Houston Cougars come up short in the NCAA Championship Game. The Arizona Wildcats are the pick to win the championship game and cut down the nets when all is said and done. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

War Is Sell

The old school phrase that "War is hell" went out the window many years ago when the greedy war pigs started looking for the profits over people in a blatant and uninhibited way. 

Vietnam comes to mind as well as both George Bush, Sr. and junior with their gulf wars and Iraq efforts putting U.S. troops in harms way. Lives lost and money wasted as the war profiteers got richer.

Now we have another example of that as Israeli leader Bibi Netanyahu looks to stay out of prison at any and all costs and has suckered current U.S. President Donald Trump (who likewise ran for the office of President to avoid prison) into bombing Iran. BOMB BOMB BOMB, BOMB BOMB IRAN! Cue up the nearly 20-year old video of the late John McCain singing that chorus to the Beach Boys "Barbara Ann" song. 

Well, Netanyahu got his wish for his sick, twisted fantasy he has been pushing for roughly 30 years and Trump got played by the war criminal and what timing. The news media has put the Epstein Files on the back burner for now as this senselessness takes place in the Middle East. The American people do not want this "war" and current polls show that better than 60 percent are opposed to Trump and company coming up with yet another distraction to his dilemma that is the Epstein Files. 

Point is they are not going away and Trump and all the other Epstein class will have to answer for what they did to all those underage girls they assaulted and raped in various locations. 

But WAR IS SELL and that is what the current regime in power in the White House is trying to do now. Hopefully, the bloodshed will be minimal with this latest catastrophe that is happening. Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth are in way over their heads and the likely outcome for the United States will not be positive when all is said and done. 

The motive here for the war pigs is profits over people yet again.  

God help us all. 

 

 

 

 

War Criminals

 

Remembering Jesse Jackson

Rest In Peace Reverend Jesse Jackson.  

The iconic civil rights leader and political activist passed away earlier today and leaves behind a remarkable legacy that included his involvement with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton and so many others throughout the years. Jackson was 84 years old and had been in declining health for quite some time. 

He rose to prominence in the 1960s and 1970s (with Rainbow PUSH coalition) and that continued through the 1980s when he twice ran for president with the Democratic party in 1984 and 1988 elections. He continued to stay active for many decades and wasn't afraid to poke some fun at himself as he appeared on Saturday Night Live (reading Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss and also the point is moot skit with Julia Louis-Dreyfuss) and also was on Sesame Street in the early 1970s encouraging children to believe in themselves and always have hope. 

The People United to Save Humanity (Operation PUSH) was his main claim to fame as well as holding charity basketball games in Chicago, which WCPT-AM 820 talk show radio host Richard Chew mentioned as well. I was working the music and sound operations and was able to meet the Rev. Jackson at the Scottie Pippen All-Star charity basketball game in September of 1994 at the old Chicago Stadium. That game was the last event ever held at Chicago Stadium before it was torn down as the United Center (located across the street in the Windy City) was about to open and Jackson was there during the event and again encouraging the kids in attendance with his "I Am Somebody" speech. Operation PUSH/Rainbow Coalition were involved with the event and what a night that was. 

The man was remarkable and definitely one of a kind and a true fighter for justice and truth for so many people throughout the years. 

Rest In Peace. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BASEBALL IS BACK

Spring Training! 

Yes, pitchers and catchers have reported throughout Florida and Arizona as Major League Baseball is back for the 2026 season, which begins on March 26. The Los Angeles Dodgers are once again the heavy favorite to win the World Series, which would be their third in a row should they be able to accomplish that feat next fall.  

 

 

But that is getting way ahead of things as the players get back in form and baseball shape as they stretch out and participate in the throwing drills and the pitchers and catchers play catch and get it going once again. Soon, the crack of the bat is heard throughout the camps as batting practice gets ramped up. 

Here's looking forward to another exciting season and before that the spring training season throughout late February and most of March. 

Play Ball!  

Pam Bondi Testifying For House Judiciary Committee

 This sums it all up . . .