The 2026 baseball season begins, with temperatures too high and late, and the game provides a respite for fans amid rising gas prices, airport lines, conflicts abroad and home issues. However, the game remains exciting and engaging, with players as talented as ever and power hitters as valuable as ever. The addition of the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS) allows two challenges per team, losing them only when incorrect, is seen as a significant improvement. Despite this, managers, players and owners are becoming more bland and less transparent. The nonconformists of the game have disappeared slowly, with many players more focused on promoting their brands, social-media followings or post-career roles. The player union is threatening to impose a salary cap on the 2027 season if the MLB does not agree to negotiate with the salary cap.