"2026 MLB Season & Hobby Preview" Hobby Quick Hits E225

0:01 Robby Quick Hits, delivering that breaking hobby news directs. You want to know those hot Josh card shaft shaft, You've got your cover, your hosts, John new Name, Hey, everyone, welcome to episode two of Hobby Quick Hits. It is time for our annual Major League Baseball Season and Hobby Preview. We're going to go through both leagues, give you award winners, predicted award winners, players to watch, players to maybe on the on the downside hobby wise, and on the field Rookie of the Year MVP Cy Young will give us our out our six predicted playoff teams in each league, and predict even a World Series winner. So again, don't go to draft kings or fan duels with any of my dialogue, but might help you, you know, just it's fun to do. We do it every year. It's fun to see, you know what we got right and what we got wrong. We're gonna kind of a quiet news week, so we're just gonna do the product release schedule and

1:32 then get right dive right in to the Major League Baseball Preview. I'm going to be doing the release calendar for this episode. Let's start with March twenty fifth, twenty twenty six Tops Major League Baseball and NBA Official Collectors Kid. I think you'll see those at collectors Club maybe Walmart. We have also on the twenty fifth the twenty twenty five Slash twenty six Panini Contenders, EuroLeague Basketball, twenty twenty five Upperdeck World of Sports Volume two. Let's go to the twenty six, twenty twenty six Top Series one Baseball Celebration Megas. Let's move to the twenty seventh of March twenty twenty six Leaf Pop Century twenty twenty five, Panini Silhouette Football, Pokemon twenty twenty six, Mini Portfolios, Pokemon Mega Evolution, Perfect Order, Blister Packs, Booster packs, Booster bundles, and Elite Trainers.

2:39 Let's go to the end of month, March thirty first, twenty twenty six Onyx Vintage Collection Baseball, their hobby and their megas. Now onto March first, I'm Not Fooling twenty twenty five, Panini Prism, WNBA Basketball, twenty twenty five, Tops, Marvel Deadpool, Get out your checkbook for twenty twenty five Tops, Transcendent Collection Baseball. Also on the first, twenty twenty five Tops WWE Exalted moving to the second twenty twenty six Super Break Supercharged Edition, and one last one for the third twenty twenty six Panini USA Stars and Stripes Prism Baseball Hobby. So there's your releases for the next couple of weeks. And as you always know what I say, choose your weapon, happy ripping and now feature. All right, it is time for our tradition, our annual tradition of our Major League Baseball season en Hobby preview. Like I said in the intro, we're gonna go through and predict or give candidates for award winners, uh play division winners, wild card teams, Rookie of the Year's MVP Cy Young.

4:10 If you are regularly listening to show, you're very familiar how we do it. We're not going to change anything, and it's always fun to look back and kind of see how what we get right and what we get wrong. As always the disclaimer, don't take any of the information I give you and bet your life savings on a sports bet. Uh you know, or if you do, that's of your own discretion. All right, So let's go with Let's start out with division winners in the American League, and uh you know, I still think Toronto wins the Al East. They've got some I know they lost Bashett, they added some other pieces that we'll talk about in a little bit, including Dylan Cease as a pitcher. I think this is the year the Royals really put it all together and win the Central. And I'm a believer in the Texas Rangers. I think de Graham is back to you know, healthy cy young contender de Gram and they got some young young hitters as well, added Brandon Nemo in the trade with my Mets. So I go Toronto, Kansas City and Texas let's go to the National League.

5:36 And last year I did not pick my team. I didn't want to be a homer and I kind of knew they weren't going to win the division. Excuse me. This year, I'm picking them. I'm a believer. I think they've you know, if you would have asked me two months ago, I probably would add a different answer. They made some late moves, They've got some young guys playing very well, and I'm going with my Mets. They added Bashett Simeon. I'm not saying I'm buying fully in Kode Senghui. Kota Sengui looks like the Old Koda sung Guy, Nolan McLane Rookie of the Year prospect. But right at the front end of that staff, Reddy Baralta added via trade, although we had to give up Jet Williams. But I'm picking the Mets and I hope they do me justice as well. I'm also going with the Cubs. I don't think they're tremendous, but I think they still have enough to win the division that they're in. And you can't really pick against the Dodgers, right they continue to add pieces after they have already won two World Series in a row. I don't know where the money's coming from. Well, I do know where the money's coming from, but just continue to add players Tucker Diaz and the like. So let's go back to the American League and pick these

7:07 three wild card teams. I think if it wasn't for the Blue Jays, the Yankees would win that division. So I'm going to take the Yankees as a wildcard team. Detroit A. J. Hinch is one of the best managers. He gets the most out of the least they've got schoolball. They've added to that pitching staff as well, with Valdez from Houston. I think they're a little light and hitting, but I think they're good enough to get it done. I think that third wildcard is going to between Houston and Cleveland. And I hate to pick two teams for one spot. Houston lost a lot, so I might lean Cleveland here. If I have to pick one, I'm gonna go Cleveland. Let's talk about an upstate art team, right, Chicago White Sox. I'm not I'm not saying they're gonna be a contender, but they're gonna be. And I got this is easy to say when they're the worst team in baseball, but they've added some young pieces. They have some young pieces already. I think they're moving in the right direction. Uh. So you know, beyond the uh, they'll be on the uptick. Uh, not just ready to compete yet.

8:28 All right, let's go to uh the National League wild card. Uh and uh, you know, I did not pick the Phillies. And I know Philly fans are gonna throw daggers at me or put me on their dartboard. I think they just they lost too many pieces. Uh. You know, Zach Wheelers is probably not gonna be back in time. I think they're gonna be, you know, good. I just don't think they're gonna be great. But I really like when Arizona did with some of the pieces they added. Uh, And so I'm going Arizona Milwaukee. I know they you know, they traded Peralta, but they still got a great staff with Mizlowski and others and some young hitters, and so I'm gonna go with them. And I like the Rats.

9:21 I think they're also on the rise as well. They got a great manager and Francona Hunter green Asy, young candidate, Elie de la Cruz potential MVP candidate. So I'll go with my three wild cards, Arizona, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, and much like the White Sox, keep an eye on the fill of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Again, they're not going to be competing for a playoff spot, but they've got a nice young team. You know, anytime you have Paul skiing, that's it feels like it's a potential win every time he takes the mound. They've got Barbara Chandler who's looking red to take, you know, get some accolades on the mount and others kind of Griffin on the infield, O'Neil Cruz.

10:10 I think they play a lot better. I think they win quite a bit more games than last year. All right, let's go to cy Young. Let's start in the National League. This time. You got Paul Skeens, Yamamoto from the Dodgers, and Hunter Green and Christian Sanchez from the Phillies. Those are the four I would consider the front runners for that award. I'm going Skeens. And here's why. Yamamoto's good. The Dodgers are legit. He's gonna win games. Skeens is gonna win more games this year with a little more potent run scoring line up, and he wonted last year without that, so I think he's gonna be His numbers are gonna be similar, but I think he gets more wins, and now he has that reputation of being one of the best pitchers in baseball, so I think he's he gets it. But those are the other candidates. I like Hunter Green a lot as well. Sanchez still a good pitcher.

11:14 I just think for this opposite reason the scheme, I think Philly may score less runs for him and some of those win totals will be lower. Not that he had a lie I think at thirteen last year. Let's go to the American League Young, and a lot of you know, some candidates here. Obviously you start with Terry Scoobel. You know, I think the only thing that's hurting him is like Detroit still have him on the trading block. Is he blocking that out? I know that arbitration hearing was contentious. I think eventually a change of scenery might be necessary for both parties, the Tigers and him himself.

11:58 Garrett Crochet from the Red Soxes steadily becoming one of the best pitchers in the game. You got Jacob Deground. I talked about him with the Division Winners. I probably jinks him, but he looks very similar to the gram of Old. I'm not picking him to win it, but he's a candidate. I don't know if he gets enough innings pitched to get it or strikeouts, but he's in the mix and a sleeper. Cy Young in the American League, former Ranger, now the opening day starter for the Kansas City Royals. Cole Wagins keep an eye on him. I'm going to go with kind of the chalk here. I know it's easy to do, but it's hard to pick against chalk sometimes. And I'm going to go with Terry Scruble.

12:50 I think he repeats as well. So I got repeat Cy Young Award winners. But some other candidates will be pushing them. So let's talk about let's go to Let's do MVPCE next before Rookies of the Year. So let's go with the Al. You know, Aaron Judges the defending champion, so he's got to be a candidate. Some other guys to keep a lookout for whole. Al Rodriguez, he's quietly sort of rebounded from a bad season a few years back. He's better than you think. We're better than most think. Guerrero Junior, the Blue Jays are going, you know, really almost.

13:34 We're basically one out from being World Series champs. He's a big reason why. So he got to put him into consideration. And the guy I'm picking, it's not Judge, but the guy i'm picking five Tool. You know I love him if you follow my contact. I think this is he's had great years already. I think this year he has just one of those years that can't be denied. And I'm gonna go with Bobby Witt Junior for the Royals. I think they I think the team takes that next step and I think he takes that next step, even though he's already a tremendous player. I think he goes to that that next level. So Bobby Witt will be my pick. Let's go to the National League. Obviously he got the defending champions. Show Hey, oh Tani, a guy that's hard to pick, you know, if he's healthy, it's hard to pick against them, Jan Soto from my Mets, Paul skeins uh Uh Pirates, and another guy that I don't you know, he's if he stays healthy. He's healthy right now, he's another five tool superstar, and that's Ronald Lacuner Junior. I'm gonna go with the top two in my book here. I know it's hard for pitchers to win it, so I'm not gonna pick skiens Kuna is a sort of an injury risk, so I'm not gonna put my money there. And I'm gonna go show Hay slightly over Sodo and so that had a great year last year. I think the Mets win that division. Like

15:04 I already said, I'm gonna go show Hay because I think you know, he's a he's you know, I didn't mention him in the Cy Young discussion. I think he's gonna pitch a lot more this year. I think he's gonna pitch in key spots, uh, And I think he's gonna be a very very good pitcher when he's on the mound. I don't think he'll win the Cy Young because I don't know if he'll get enough innings, but I think he pitches a lot more pitches very well. And you know, I may not have the same type of year hitting as he did last year, but he's still an incredible ballplayer. When you add the more pitching stats this year, I think it's gonna be hard to pick against them again. So I'm gonna go in the NL m VP race Otani over Soto, and I think the pitching numbers are gonna put him over the top there, folks.

15:58 So we'll see how that really plays out. All right, Rookie of the Years, As we're coming down the home strups, let's start in the NL. Some really nice names here on the NL side of things. That's gonna be one heck of a race if all these players are in the BIGS, and I believe they will either start there or wind up there. Right. Connor Griffin from the Pirates shortstop looking very good in the spring. Gonna be hard to send him down. JJ weather Hope for the Cardinals. Another infielder with some multi position versatility. He's gonna start with the big club. My guy pitcher for the Mets, Nolan McLane still retains Rookie of the Year eligibility. Another Met Right, we got a youth movement, even though they traded some pieces away. Carson Bench tearing it up in spring training. It's gonna be hard to send him down, and even if he does, he won't be down for too long. And I really like him, kind of does it all and pretty good defensively. So all candidates, you know, I'm gonna go with Connick Griffin. I think he's gonna have a pretty good year. Carson Bench. If he plays and starts, he could be him Weatherhill Again, this one is too close to the calls they say in elections, right.

17:27 I don't think McLane wins it. I think as a solid year, I think one of these positional players takes it all. Right, let's go to the American League. Four names there as well in my book. Kevin mcgonagal from the Tigers, another short stot, Carson Williams third basement from Tampa Bay, Kazuma Akamoto Japanese third basement, a little bit older, coming over and making his major League debut for the Blue Jays, basically replacing Bot yet there or at least in the lineup. And Samuel Bassallo, who got a taste last year with the Orioles catcher. He'll be probably alternating between catcher in first base and some big names there.

18:16 I think some people may be shy to vote for Akamoto because of his age. I don't think that's necessarily fair, but I think there'll be some age biased there. But he's not super old either. If I have to pick one, I think some of these other guys will have some struggles this year. Carson Williams again very good talents. McGonigal might have some struggles. I'm gonna go. I want to say dark horse, but I don't know if he really is. But I'm gonna go with Samuel Bassallo from the Oriols. I know he batted one seventy last year with his cup of coffee, but I think he kind of puts it together. I think there's some veterans on that team, young veterans on that team that can help him. So he's a guy I will pick for American League Rookie of the Year. Let's just talk some players in general.

19:10 Some guys I think are going to backslide, and so when we talk about hobby and buying cards, right, you have to be careful. To me, you have to be careful with some of these guys. I'm not col Rally. Cal Rally is very good, but there's no way he puts the year together that he did last year. I think that's just an incredible season of all time. I think he kind of comes back down to earth probably thirty home runs. I don't even know. If he hits forty again, you know, maybe it'll prove me wrong, so I'd be careful. I think some of the buzz wears off there kind of struggled in the WBC, including didn't get the start in the championship game, although I don't necessarily agree with that decision by de Rosa. Mookie bats had a bad year last year, some nagging injuries. He's getting older. Moogie Bets is still going to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame. I just don't think, uh, he's gonna have a great year again this year. I don't think he's going to be terrible. I just think we've seen the best of Mookie Betts. Maybe it's a by low candidate if he starts to struggle again, because like I said, he will be in the Hall of Fame.

20:25 Another guy that sort of fits this bill. And I almost think every year is going to be the year he starts to regress and he proves me, continues to prove me wrong. The Ageless wonder right, Jose Ramirez for the inder Indians first ballot Hall of Famer. But when when is the year that you know, you start to see uh, you know, dense in the armor. I think it could be this year. And again, if that happens, it might be where you can sneak in there and get some nice cards of his as he gets ready for his Hall of Famer induction ceremony, which will be eventual. Another guy who had a great year last year. I should say he had a great first half and he did not have a great second half. And that's a little worrisome, and that's I think Pitchers started to figure his weaknesses out. He's going to have to go to the film room if he's going to you know, be the player people hope and think he is. And that's Pete Crow Armstrong of the Cup. Now, I'm not gonna say he's going to be terrible. He's got too much talent to be terrible. But I just think he's not going to be the player some folks think he is, so it might be an opportunity to sell early on him. Again, do what you want with this information. Another guy who's aging out, you know, it's Chris Sale, I think, and again he's going to be a Hall of Fame pitcher,

21:57 but I think there's gonna be some regression, So again might be an opportunity to scoop up some nice Sale autos and rookies and that sort of thing. So those are my sort of backslide guys. Let's talk about some uptick guys, right. I know he has trouble stayed healthy. Corbyn Carrol I think can do that this year. I think that's the reason I picked Arizona as a wildcard team. People who have sort of jumped off to Corbyn Carroll ship if you will, it's a good opportunity to get some Carrol's probably cheap if the rebound is what I predict, DLL and cease. I think, well, got that big contract in Toronto. I think he's going to earn some of that this year. He will be better. How much better?

22:43 I don't know a guy that would came back from injury struggled last year, but I still believe in him. He has some multi position versatility as well. For the Reds Matt McLane, I think he puts up some surprising numbers. I don't know he was gonna get a lot of hobby love per se, but I think he's going to be a rebound player. O'Neil kruz is you know, kind of we forgot about him because he hasn't had that big season. Is this the year? I don't know if this is the year, but I will say this, I think this is the year he starts putting those tools all together and having a better season, and we take notes.

23:25 He's a good right now with good bylow Canada. As people have moved on to other guys and sort of forgot him. And one last guy in this category, Alie Rushman, I still like him. I think playing catcher every day sort of took some toe on him, wear and tear. I don't think he's gonna have to do this year do that. This year, I think he's gonna do some dh maybe a little bit at first base. I think him and Samuel Bassalo are sort of gonna take turns to prevent either one from having too much wear and tear on him. So I see sort of a bounce back year for a Ley Rushman again, another by low candidate for card card wise. So let's finish up with my World Series predictions. So from the AL I think I think I'm gonna man. I'm I'm gonna go with Toronto.

24:19 I think Kansas City can make a run. I just don't. I think they are a year or two away from maybe being in the World Series. So I'm gonna go Toronto, and Man, I think it's gonna be the I'm gonna be a homer here. I think it's gonna be the Dodgers and the Mets, and it's hard to pick against the Dodgers, and I feel like I'm gonna hope it's the Mets, but I feel like if I pick the mec Mets, it will jink them and it won't happen. So I'm gonna go to Dodgers. So we're gonna get a World Series rematch, and maybe it's because I don't want the Dodgers to Maybe it's as simple as that. I think it's another six or seven game series, and I think the Blue Jays are going to lock in.

25:03 Remember the agony of defeat last year and how close they were, And I think the Dodgers maybe get a little complacent of thinking, you know, because of who they are, they can just throw their jerseys on the field and just win games like that. And I don't think the Blue Jays have that fear of them. So I'm gonna go Blue Jays in seven this time in the World Series rematch. So there you go. Rookie of the Year candidates, MVPs Division winners, World Series pick Cy Young picks. Let me know what you think. Did I forget somebody? Elie de la Cruz is going to have a good year for the Reds. I know I didn't mention them really that much, but did I forget someone? Do you agree? Disagree?

25:51 Let me know. Always appreciate the feedback.