Welcome to The Sporting Tribune Podcast Network and a new episode of The Sporting Tribune Today, our every-weekday show on sports in Southern California, Las Vegas and Hawaii.
Host Grant Mona welcomes you to a special season-preview edition of The Sporting Tribune Today. With the Cactus League in the rearview and the Freeway Series wrapping up, we’re looking at a Dodgers squad on the precipice of history—and the young infielder who just secured the most talked-about roster spot in Los Angeles.
Segment One: The Quest for the Three-Peat Grant dives into the headlines as the Los Angeles Dodgers prepare to open the 2026 season against the Diamondbacks.
The “Obvious” Greatness: With a projected lineup featuring three future Hall of Famers—Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Mookie Betts—the Dodgers are the betting favorites to become the first team to three-peat since the 1998–2000 Yankees.
The Ohtani MVP Prediction: Grant reacts to the buzz surrounding Ohtani, who enters the season fully healthy and ready to dominate both on the mound and at the plate. Is a fifth MVP trophy already a foregone conclusion?
Rotation Realities: A breakdown of the opening rotation: Yoshinobu Yamamoto gets the ball for Opening Day, followed by Emmet Sheehan, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, and finally Ohtani. Grant discusses how Dave Roberts is navigating injuries to Blake Snell and Gavin Stone to keep this “super-rotation” intact.
Segment Two: Final Word from the Freeway Series We head to the locker room following the Dodgers’ spring-training finale against the Los Angeles Angels.
The Decision at Second Base: Grant brings you audio from Dave Roberts explaining the “toughest decision of the spring”—choosing Alex Freeland over Hyeseong Kim for the Opening Day roster. Roberts discusses why he prioritized Freeland’s “at-bat quality” and defensive versatility while sending Kim to Triple-A for everyday reps.
The Rookie’s Dream: We hear from Alex Freeland, who admits he had “the chills” when Roberts gave him the news. Despite a statistically quiet spring (.111 AVG), Freeland talks about the mental adjustments he made and what it means to fulfill a lifelong dream of making an Opening Day roster.
Spring Finale Highlights: A quick look at the Dodgers’ dominant 10-run inning against the Angels on Sunday, headlined by a Shohei Ohtani bases-clearing double that signaled the offense is officially “regular-season ready.”