The latest episode of The Roundtable Rundown Show is live! In this episode, host Joey Mistretta discusses a number of topics from around the MLB world, including Atlanta Braves ace Chris Sale's 2026 National League Cy Young chances, the possibility of the Kansas City Royals and Cincinnati Reds competing this year, and Pete Alonso's home run in his Baltimore Orioles spring training debut.
Will Sale be in Cy Young Conversation in 2026?
Sale has had a resurgence with the Braves since joining Atlanta in 2024. He won the NL Cy Young Award in 2024 after pitching to a stellar 2.38 ERA across 29 starts. Sale added a league leading 225 strikeouts in what was a tremendous campaign.
The veteran southpaw was limited to 21 games pitched in 2025. He was impressive while on the mound though, pitching to a 2.58 ERA. He did not receive Cy Young consideration but still made the All-Star team.
Sale is not displaying any signs of decline at 36 years old. As long as he's healthy enough to make 25-plus starts, there is reason to believe Sale can at least find himself in the Cy Young conversation once again.
Royals, Reds Competing This Year?
The Royals and Reds find themselves in similar situations heading into the 2026 campaign. They are both arguably the third best teams in their divisions -- the AL and NL Central -- but they also both feature the potential to seriously compete. With that being said, there's a chance they could end up missing the postseason.
However, their outlooks are promising. Kansas City is the better overall squad. The Royals should be able to challenge the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers in the AL Central.
Cincinnati will have a much more difficult time competing in the NL Central with the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs standing in the way. The Reds should at least be able to compete for an NL Wild Card spot.
Pete Alonso's Big Orioles Spring Training Debut
Welcome to Birdland!
— MLB (@MLB) February 20, 2026
Pete Alonso homers in his @Orioles#SpringTraining debut 💪 pic.twitter.com/xIW5Zi5E8n
Pete Alonso had quite the debut with the Orioles in spring training on Friday, as he absolutely crushed a two-run home run against the New York Yankees. Alonso was 0-2 heading into his third and final at-bat of the game, and he made the most of a hanging curveball that was left right down the middle.
Orioles fans should get used to seeing Alonso demolish baseballs. It would not be surprising to see him end up hitting 50 of those in 2026.