While the Yankees got their 2026 season going on Wednesday night, the rest of MLB had to wait a little while. Thursday saw the season get going for most of the rest of the league, with 11 games happening on an action-packed day.
With those teams all getting in action yesterday, that means it’s time for the return of a feature here at Pinstripe Alley. All throughout the season, we recap the previous day’s results of all the Yankees’ American League “rivals” and teams they’re currently battling with
for playoff position. The clubs we cover are, of course, subject to change pending* their results and status in the standings, but at least from the jump, we’ll keep an eye on the Red Sox, Blue Jays (who start today), Tigers, Mariners, and Astros.
With all that in mind, it’s time for the first Rivalry Roundup for 2026.
*Editor’s note: Out of respect for our writers’ time and the inherent focus of this feature, we also endeavor to not throw too too many teams in here. So we’re disrespecting possible playoff contenders like Baltimore, Cleveland, Kansas City, and Texas from the jump, but that’s life! You have to draw the line somehwhere.
Boston Red Sox (1-0) 3, Cincinnati Reds (0-1) 0
Garrett Crochet goes into 2026 as one of the favorites for the AL Cy Young Award, and he showed why in the Red Sox Opening Day. Crochet went six innings for Boston, allowing just three hits and two walks, striking out eight as the Red Sox shut out the Reds.
For most of the game, this one was a pitchers’ duel as Cincinnati’s Andrew Abbott wasn’t bad himself. He went six shutout innings, scattering a couple more hits than Crochet did, but similarly keeping Boston off the board.
It was when the game went to the bullpens that it was finally decided. In the top of the seventh, Ceddanne Rafaela singled home Marcelo Mayer, scoring the game’s first run. Trevor Story and Jarren Duran added an RBI each in the ninth, as Boston’s bullpen held firm, while Cincinnati’s could not.
Los Angeles Angels (1-0) 3, Houston Astros (0-1) 0
Mike Trout turned back the clock, as he powered the Angels’ offense, while José Soriano did his part with six impressive shutout innings against the Astros.
Much like the game right above this one, this game was a pitchers’ duel for a long while, with it similarly being 0-0 after six innings. Hunter Brown was okay for the Astros, while Soriano allowed just two hits and struck out seven in his six frames.
Trout broke the deadlock in this one, as his solo shot in the seventh gave the Halos a lead, while he also drew three walks on the day. Former Yankee Oswald Peraza helped the Angels tack on, although the one run would’ve been enough, as the Astros left nine runners on base for the game.
Detroit Tigers (1-0) 8, San Diego Padres (0-1) 2
The Tigers jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first and never looked back, as they cruised past the Padres.
Nick Pivetta took the ball for San Diego and quickly recorded the first out of the game, only for things to go off the rails after that. He walked three of the next four hitters, with the lone exception in there being a single. The third walk to Spencer Torkelson plated the first run, but more was coming. Highly-rated, debuting prospect Kevin McGonigle then immediately doubled to score a couple more runs, as Detroit took a big lead.
McGonigle would have an incredible debut even beyond that hit, as he recorded three more. Meanwhile, two-time reigning Cy Young Tarik Skubal was pretty good himself. He allowed just one unearned run in six innings, as Detroit handled the Padres without issue.
Cleveland Guardians (1-0) 6, Seattle Mariners (0-1) 4
José Ramírez’s two-RBI double in the seventh inning ended up being the difference maker, as the Guardians won a back-and-forth game over the Mariners.
The teams traded runs in the first inning, and gave the lead back and forth a couple times, but a fifth inning Luke Raley homer had the game tied at three. Then in the seventh, Ramírez stepped to the plate with two on and two out and he delivered. His double scored a pair that gave Cleveland a 5-3 lead.
Seattle got one of those runs back in the bottom of the seventh, but they got nothing going after that. Cleveland’s bullpen combined to retire the last nine M’s hitters in a row to seal their Opening Day win.
