Tuesday was a loaded slate in the majors with 14 games, and there are several things to highlight from the slate. There were dominant pitching debuts, impressive performances all across the board, and a few struggling offenses showed signs of delivering a turnaround.
Shohei Ohtani Delivers in 2026 Pitching Debut for Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers had to wait until Shohei Ohtani was ready to return to the mound, but the reigning NL MVP delivered in a big way. Ohtani tossed six scoreless innings in a win against the Cleveland Guardians, allowing one hit and walking three while also striking out six. As if that wasn’t enough, Ohtani also went 1-for-3 with a pair of walks as a batter, so it’s fair to say his first game as a two-way threat this season was a massive success.
The Dodgers are expected to exercise caution with Ohtani’s workload, but if this outing is a sign of things to come, then expect Ohtani to quickly move into a more prominent role in the rotation, perhaps as high as a No. 2 behind Yoshinobu Yamamoto. For what it’s worth, Ohtani extended his streak of scoreless innings in the regular season to 22.2, and he’s also reached base at least once in 36 regular-season appearances dating back to 2025. Are there any doubts why he is the most unique player in baseball and fantasy?
Max Scherzer Looks Dominant in 2026 Debut for Blue Jays
Maybe saying he was his old dominant self is a bit of a stretch. However, the Toronto Blue Jays needed a strong performance from Scherzer, and he delivered in a big way. The veteran hurler tossed six innings of one-run ball as Toronto topped the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday, allowing four hits and issuing one walk while fanning four.
The Blue Jays will need to rely heavily on Scherzer in the early stages of the season, as Toronto is without Shane Bieber (forearm), Trey Yesavage (shoulder), Jose Berrios (elbow), and Cody Ponce (knee). Scherzer is tentatively slated to start next week at home against the Dodgers in a World Series rematch, and his performance against the Dodgers will give fantasy managers a clearer picture of what he might bring to the table against a better lineup.
Standout Performances from Fantasy Baseball Infielders
There’s no doubt that the infield features some of the most talent in fantasy baseball right now, and Tuesday’s slate backed that up. The top three position players in standard scoring on the March 31 slate were infielders, headlined by Oneil Cruz, who went 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI, and a third run scored in an 8-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds.
There’s also third baseman Jose Fernandez, who had an MLB debut he won’t forget after going 3-for-4 with two home runs, four RBI, and a strikeout in the 7-5 win against the Detroit Tigers. Last but not least, Willy Adames finally connected on his first home run of the season in the San Francisco Giants’ 9-3 win over the San Diego Padres. Adames went 4-for-5 with a home run, a double, two runs, and two RBI on Tuesday.
Analyzing the Top Fantasy Baseball Pitchers from Tuesday’s Slate
Max Fried delivered an impressive performance on the road against the Seattle Mariners, tossing seven scoreless innings and allowing just three hits while striking out six and issuing one walk. Hunter Brown tossed six innings of one-run ball against the Boston Red Sox with eight strikeouts, and Jose Soriano blanked the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field with six scoreless innings, striking out four and walking two.
Kodai Senga and Casey Mize, from the New York Mets and Tigers, respectively, led the way among starters with nine strikeouts each. However, both were on the losing end of their games against the St. Louis Cardinals and Arizona Diamondbacks. Last but not least, it’s impossible to overlook Andrew Painter’s debut, who allowed one run on 5.1 innings in his MLB debut with the Philadelphia Phillies against the Washington Nationals, striking out eight and walking just one.
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