The Dan Patrick Show – Covino & Rich: "MLB Celebration & Annual Bet$"

Podcast Date: March 26, 2026
Hosts: Steve Covino, Rich Davis (with Danny G, Sam [Super Producer], Isaac Loenkron)

Episode Overview

The Covino & Rich crew kicks off MLB’s Opening Day 2026 with their trademark mix of sports banter and nonsense. This episode features:

• Celebrating baseball’s return and debating Opening Day hype
• Revisiting and renewing their infamous annual Mets vs. Yankees season-long bet
• Baseball predictions: win totals, award picks, and bold “out on a limb” takes
• A look at the impact of Netflix’s Opening Day broadcast
• Jumbling in NFL & NBA quick hits, plus listener callouts

The show’s hallmark: keeping the discussion lively, humorous, and relatable—"like talking sports at the barbershop or bar" (Rich Davis, 04:18).

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Baseball's Opening Day Hype

• Hosts’ Excitement: Both Covino (a Yankees fan) and Rich (a Mets fan) are amped for the 2026 season.
• Nostalgia for MLB Video Games: Kicking off with a lighthearted favorite baseball video game debate—“There's only one answer. RBI Baseball” (Covino, 05:57).
• The Show’s Vibe: Acknowledges that sports talk should be fun, inclusive, and occasionally silly.

2. Annual Mets vs. Yankees $1,000 Bet – Renewed

• The co-hosts revisit last year’s wager: who will finish with a better regular season record?
• They reveal both teams’ projected win totals (90.5 via DraftKings), calling it “as even as a bet could get” (Rich Davis, 10:32).
• New Rules for 2026:
  • $1,000 for best record
  • Bonus $100 each for picking AL Cy Young, NL Cy Young, AL MVP, and NL MVP winners
  • “Ties are a push.” (Rich, 12:54)
  • The bet is formally accepted—“The bet was made. Bet was made.” (Covino, 22:17)

3. Vegas MLB Win Totals & Playoff Projections ([08:42–24:34])

• Yankees & Mets: Both teams’ projected at 90.5 wins, setting up an ultra-close fan rivalry.
• Dodgers: Favored at 102.5 wins; Danny G (Dodgers fan) relishes the high expectations.
• Discussion: AL East’s potential for 4 playoff teams—never happened, but theoretically possible.
  • “Google AI overview says...as of the end of the 2025 MLB season, no four teams from the same division have ever made the MLB playoffs.” (Covino, 23:49)

4. Award Predictions & MVP/Cy Young Picks ([16:11–21:42])

Covino’s picks:

• AL Cy Young: Max Fried
• AL MVP: Aaron Judge
• NL Cy Young: Paul Skenes
• NL MVP: Shohei Ohtani (calling Juan Soto a close contender)

“He’s a dominant player, but he’s not like monster numbers.” (Covino on Bobby Witt Jr., 18:48)
“Shohei is so valuable. There’s no chance...he could lose.” (Covino, 17:51)

Rich’s picks:

• AL MVP: Bobby Witt Jr. (“this is the year he puts up next level numbers,” 18:46)

• NL MVP: Juan Soto (thinks Soto is “on a mission,” 19:19)

• NL Cy Young: Yamamoto (Dodgers, “workhorse...could win 20 games,” 19:19)

• AL Cy Young: Crochet (Red Sox)

• They also run through Vegas odds, noting Shohei Ohtani is an overwhelming favorite for MVP (minus 145).

“You have to wager more to win for Shohei to be MVP.” (Rich, 21:00)

• Odds discussion for other MVP and Cy Young contenders (Ellie de la Cruz, Bryce Harper, Scherzer, etc.).

5. Netflix’s MLB Opening Night Experiment ([13:12–15:13])

• Opening Day Yankees vs. Giants is broadcast by Netflix, with Jameis Winston as part of the broadcast team.
• Covino expresses curiosity:

  “I don’t know what they have up their sleeve...More reason to tune in because they’re hyping it up like it’s going to be a big event.” (13:53)

• Rich discusses fans’ attachment to their local broadcasters—predicts skepticism about the new presentation.

6. Out-on-a-Limb Predictions ([34:41–41:20])

Each co-host offers bold (and sometimes silly) predictions:

• Covino: Cal Raleigh (Seattle) will not repeat his monster 60-HR season—predicts a regression to ~33 HR, 90–105 RBI.

  “Still a good season, especially for a catcher. Great season. But...60 home runs, MVP combo, not happening.” (Covino, 36:15)

• Rich:
  • Paul Skenes (PIT) might be derailed by personal life drama: “Livy Dunn dumps Paul Skenes and he loses his mind.” (36:30)
  • Bryce Harper: Will silence critics and have a big year.
  • Mookie Betts (LA): Predicts a “pedestrian down year” as Dodgers’ stacked roster carries him.
  • Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC): Curious to see if he can be consistent after a hot first half last year.
  • Edwin Diaz (LA): Suspects the new Dodger may have trouble adjusting, referencing his poor first year as a Met.
• Danny G: “Mike Trout is going to come all the way back” (38:44)—bounce-back season after injury.
• Mix of playful and insightful takes, banter about athlete psyche and luck.

7. MLB Culture & Viewer Relationship

• Baseball as “the one sport” where attachment to local broadcasters is strongest. (Rich, 14:02)
• Anecdotes about their first loves in baseball, sports nostalgia.
• Friendly ribbing over who is a “stud,” with jokes about baseball-specific compliments and slaps:

  “It is funny how baseball is the one thing where you could call another grown man a stud and no one even thinks twice about it.” (Rich, 48:58)

8. Other Notable Sports News & Quick Hits

• NBA Expansion Talk:

  “NBA's Board of Governors unanimously voted for the league to explore bids for potential expansion teams in Seattle and Las Vegas.” (Isaac Loenkron, 42:00)

• NFL Updates: Seahawks to host 2026 kickoff, Rams vs. 49ers to play in Australia (43:02).
• NBA: Jokic clutch performance (play of the day, 49:34); Nuggets beat Suns.
• Quick betting/bracket challenge updates throughout.

9. Umpire Tech & MLB’s “ABS” System ([50:21–52:05])

• Rich relays concerns from retired umpires that the automated ball-strike system may “humiliate” umpires.
• Covino defends tech as designed to improve accuracy, not embarrass officials.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Talking baseball is what we do. That's baseball. But we're the worldwide leaders of nonsense.” — Steve Covino (03:25)
• “There’s no BS like I’m going to take my team because I’m a homer. The odds are set and the Mets and Yankees are both deemed 90 win teams. Playoff teams, not dominant.” — Rich Davis (10:35)
• “The bet was made. Bet was made.” — Steve Covino (22:17)
• “I feel like it’s every guy’s first true love in a way. Even if you sucked at it, you found something you were great at as a result.” — Steve Covino (15:13)
• “It is funny how baseball is the one thing where you could call another grown man a stud and no one even thinks twice about it.” — Rich Davis (48:58)
• “Baseball, for the record, is the only place you can call dudes studs and not get crooked looks.” — Steve Covino (40:01)
• “If you reject baseball, you're the kid that got hit and was scared of playing baseball.” — Rich Davis (50:24)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:13] Season Hype & Welcome
• [06:38] Opening Day, Bet Setup
• [08:42] MLB Win Totals, Vegas Odds
• [12:12] Bets, Rules, and Side Wagers
• [13:12] Netflix MLB Broadcast Discussion
• [15:49] Baseball Nostalgia & 162-Game Grind
• [16:11] MVP and Cy Young Picks, with Odds
• [22:39] Playoff Predictions: AL East & Four-Wildcard Theory
• [34:41] Out-on-a-Limb Predictions
• [41:37] Isaac’s News Update: NBA, NFL, GGL
• [48:58] Baseball "Studs" Banter
• [50:21] Umpire Tech, ABS System Debate

Final Thoughts

The episode puts the fans at the heart of the MLB excitement, mixing deep fandom with friendly rivalry, side bets, and pop culture asides. Covino & Rich’s conversational, humorous, sometimes irreverent style shines throughout, making it an entertaining primer for the new baseball season—especially for those who love their sports with a side of laughs.

If you’re looking to understand what’s got fans buzzing at the start of the 2026 MLB season (Mets/Yankees rivalry, Opening Day “event-ization,” baseball culture), this episode is a winning listen—even if you missed it live.