With 28 teams in action, Opening Day was sure to bring its fair share of excitement and surprises, and Thursday’s contests did not disappoint.
The Dodgers logged another victory, and so did the Marlins and White Sox. Two Yankees not named Aaron Judge hit home runs, and so did Tyler O’Neill. Two games went to extra innings, and nobody got no-hit.
Here are some of the highlights and takeaways from Opening Day 2025.
The Orioles can’t stop hitting homers
It was a hot start north of the border for the Birds, as Baltimore crushed an Opening Day franchise-record six (!) home runs in their 12-2 romp of the Blue Jays. Baltimore got two dingers apiece from catcher Adley Rutschman and center fielder Cedric Mullins, a solo shot from Jordan Westburg and, most incredibly, a homer from new right fielder Tyler O’Neill, which made Thursday the sixth consecutive Opening Day on which he has left the yard, an MLB record. Seeing Rutschman in particular slugging like that has to be encouraging for the Orioles after his poor second half at the plate last year.
Advertisement
Overall, it was a tremendous display from an Orioles lineup that might need to compensate for a pitching staff that features a fair number of question marks. But if Thursday was any indication, the Birds might just have enough firepower to do exactly that. And to think: MVP candidate Gunnar Henderson isn’t even in the lineup yet, as he opened the season on the injured list and is expected back at some point in April.
Chicago White Sox … win?
Besides Baltimore’s rout of Toronto, the most dominant Opening Day victory came courtesy of … the Chicago White Sox? Last year, the White Sox were shut out on Opening Day and began the season 3-22, an awful start to what turned out to be a historically terrible season. This year is likely to feature a boatload of losses as well, but at least the 2025 squad got off to a more enjoyable start.
Advertisement
Sean Burke was stellar across six shutout innings before late homers from Andrew Benintendi and Lenyn Sosa put the game out of reach en route to an 8-1 win over the Angels, marking new skipper Will Venable’s first career managerial victory. This series doesn’t resume until Saturday, so the Sox can bask in the glow of being undefeated for an extra day.
Phillies strike out 19 times and blow a save, win anyway
For six innings against MacKenzie Gore, the Phillies’ lineup looked positively helpless. The talented Nationals southpaw was straight dealing from the get-go, racking up 13 strikeouts with zero walks and just one hit allowed. For Philadelphia, it was an ominous first few frames for a lineup that looked frighteningly similar to what we saw in the second half and in October last year.
Advertisement
Then Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber happened. With Gore out of the game, the two sluggers pounced on the Nationals’ bullpen for two homers in the seventh to retake the lead and provide ace Zack Wheeler some well-earned run support. The vibes quickly swung back in the other direction an inning later, when offseason acquisition Jordan Romano coughed up two runs in his Phillies debut, which allowed the Nationals to tie the game and push it to extras.
In the 10th, the Phillies’ bats finally prevailed over the weak Washington bullpen, taking the opener 7-3. It wasn’t the most comfortable inaugural victory for a Philadelphia team with championship expectations, but hey, a win is a win.
Paul Skenes vs. Sandy Alcantara delivers. As for their teams?
The best pitching matchup of Opening Day featured a former Cy Young winner in Sandy Alcantara in his first start back from Tommy John surgery and a possible future Cy Young winner in Paul Skenes making the first start of his super-hyped sophomore season. Alcantara had the edge early, holding the Pirates hitless until Ke’Bryan Hayes singled with two outs in the fifth, but Pittsburgh ended up taking the lead and knocking Alcantara out of the game that same inning.
Advertisement
That seemed to set the stage for Skenes to cruise to his first Opening Day win, especially once Nick Gonzales added a two-run homer to make it 4-1 Pirates in the sixth. But then Skenes’ command wavered, ending his outing earlier than he would’ve preferred and opening the door for a Marlins comeback. Sure enough, the Fish fought back over the final few frames, culminating in a walk-off single from Kyle Stowers off Pittsburgh closer David Bednar to claim a surprising 5-4 Opening Day victory for Miami.
Padres beat Braves thanks to superior NRI
Atlanta knocked San Diego starter Michael King out of the game in the third inning and carried a 4-3 lead into the seventh thanks to homers from Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley. Then things took a turn for the worse for the Braves, as veteran righty reliever Hector Neris allowed a pinch-hit game-tying homer to Gavin Sheets — a sentence that wouldn’t have made a whole lot of sense a few months ago, considering that both Neris and Sheets were non-roster invites who signed minor-league deals this spring.
Advertisement
But sure enough, there they were, facing off in a high-leverage spot on Opening Day for two playoff hopefuls. And Sheets came out on top. He tied for the Cactus League lead with six homers this spring, an intriguing introduction to his new team after he spent the first eight years of his career in the White Sox organization before Chicago non-tendered him. His power evidently carried over to Opening Day, providing a memorable moment for the 28-year-old Sheets as he looks to establish himself in San Diego’s lineup.
The Padres eventually seized a lead they wouldn’t relinquish, as the final five San Diego relievers combined to throw 5 1/3 hitless innings to secure a 7-4 victory.
Wilyer Abreu reminds everyone that he is good at baseball
On a Red Sox roster loaded with star veterans and with immense hype surrounding the incoming wave of top prospects, a player such as Wilyer Abreu could get lost in the shuffle. But the 25-year-old outfielder, who posted a 114 wRC+ and won a Gold Glove as a rookie in 2024, reminded everyone of his presence with a monster showing for Boston on Opening Day: 3-for-3 with a walk and two homers, including the go-ahead blast in the top of the ninth that put the Red Sox ahead 5-2.
Advertisement
It was Abreu’s second career two-homer game — his first also came in Texas in August — and a much-needed offensive display on an otherwise quiet day for the Boston lineup, which produced only three hits from players not named Abreu. The lefty-swinging Abreu is still largely a platoon bat who won’t face many southpaws, but as long as he plays sterling outfield defense and mashes against right-handers, he’ll remain a crucial cog in Boston’s efforts to return to October.
Guardians win a wild one in Kansas City
Cleveland had to scramble before the season even started, as right-hander Tanner Bibee was scratched due to food poisoning hours before first pitch. But just as he did so many times last year when the rotation collapsed around him, Ben Lively stepped up and did an admirable job keeping the Guardians in the game, matching Royals ace left-hander Cole Ragans for five innings.
Advertisement
DH Kyle Manzardo slugged a go-ahead homer off Kansas City reliever Angel Zerpa in the sixth, marking the first career home run against a southpaw for the lefty-swinging Manzardo. After Emmanuel Clase was unable to slam the door in the ninth — not exactly the most promising first outing coming off his high-profile struggles in October — Manzardo provided another key knock in the 10th against another lefty in Sam Long, giving the Guardians a lead they’d hold for a 7-4 victory.
Manzardo finished the day with a double, a triple and a homer, an outstanding game for a young hitter for whom Cleveland has ultra-high hopes. If Manzardo can prove capable against same-handed pitching, it would be a massive development for a Guardians lineup that no longer features Josh Naylor.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Xander Bogaerts’ first homer of the year is a welcome glimmer for the Padres
SAN DIEGO — One notable streak finally ended Saturday when the San Diego Padres scored a run after 30 consecutive innings without scoring. It had been their longest such drought since 1981.Three days later, in front of the second-largest crowd in Petco Park history, the end finally came for two other streaks that were just as conspicuous.AdvertisementFor the first time in 17 games, Xander Bogaerts drove in a run. Six innings later, and for the first time in 2025, the Padres’ $280 million shortstop homered.Afterward, he spoke as much about collective satisfaction as he did about individual relief.“We know how we’ve been playing, and we got off to a nice start at home,” Bogaerts said after supplying resounding insurance in Tuesday’s 7-4 win against the San Francisco Giants. “So many games unbeaten, and Tampa comes in and, I mean, they […]
Překvapení, nebo konec. Česká osmnáctka jde ve čtvrtfinále MS na suverénní Kanadu
Národní tým zapsal ze čtyř zápasů jedinou výhru proti Švýcarsku. Zejména porážka s Německem byla zásadní pro to, že se čeští mladíci propadli až na čtvrtou příčku. „Musíme si říct spoustu věcí a hrát víc týmově, pak můžeme čtvrtfinále zvládnout,“ říká 16letý brankář František Poletín.Proti však stojí nadupaný sok. Kanada suverénně ovládla svou skupinu, zapsala čtyři vítězství při skóre 29:5. „Je to silný soupeř. Kanaďané jsou šikovní na puku, bude lítat hodně střel. Nesmíme dělat zbytečné fauly, to by nás mohlo bolet,“ tuší bratr kapitána Tomáše Poletína.Reprezentanti mají poslední šanci, aby zachránili dosud nepovedený šampionát. „Kanada hraje stejný systém proti komukoliv. Nečeká nás nic jednoduchého, můžeme jenom překvapit,“ míní trenér Čermák.
Evanilson’s three-match ban removed following successful Bournemouth appeal
Bournemouth forward Evanilson’s three-match ban for the red card he received last Sunday has been removed by the Football Association (FA) following a successful appeal.The striker was sent off in the 70th minute of Sunday’s 1-1 home draw with Manchester United in the Premier League.The Brazil international appeared to slip while attempting to tackle United defender Noussair Mazraoui. He was initially shown a yellow card by referee Peter Bankes, but after being sent to the monitor for an on-field review by the video assistant referee (VAR), the booking was upgraded to a straight red card and a three-match ban.AdvertisementFollowing Evanilson’s red card, United went on to score an equaliser in stoppage time to salvage a draw and dent Bournemouth’s hopes of European football next season.Evanilson, 25, will now be available for Bournemouth’s trip to the Emirates to face Arsenal on […]
Bengals 53-man roster outlook: 2 major position battles on deck after NFL Draft
The possibility for tweaks, cuts, extensions and contract disputes exists, but for the most part, the picture of the 2025 Cincinnati Bengals has been drawn.After six draft picks, reports of 12 undrafted college free agents and one international pathway player entered the mix this weekend, we can take a clearer view of where the battles will be waged in August and how the 53-man roster shakes out.AdvertisementHere’s a breakdown of every position. UDFA signees are not yet official, pending physicals and completed agreements. All rookies are in italics.Quarterback (2)• Starter: Joe Burrow• Backup: Jake Browning• Outside looking in: Logan Woodside, Payton Thorne (Auburn)No surprises here. Teams were looking for bridge quarterbacks and the Bengals were looking for extra picks, but this never grew beyond a thought experiment. Woodside and Thorne will compete to be the practice squad quarterback.Running back (4)• […]
Fantasy Football 2025: TE Colston Loveland player profile
Colston Loveland can be an immediate top-12 fantasy tight end: While Loveland’s volume stats aren’t elite, his per-play metrics match up to other great young tight ends of recent seasons. The Chicago Bears were the perfect landing spot: New head coach Ben Johnson helped Sam LaPorta become an elite fantasy option with the Detroit Lions, and he can do the same with Loveland in Chicago. Final chance to claim 25% off PFF+: Use code DRAFT25 and unlock access to player grades, fantasy tools and the 2025 Draft Guide Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes PFF’s Fantasy Football Player Profile series delivers the most in-depth fantasy football analysis available for the 2025 season. Using PFF’s exclusive data, we evaluate player performance, competition for touches and how teammates and coaching staffs will impact each player's fantasy football outlook. Last updated: 7:15 a.m. Tuesday, […]
Magic never solved the Jayson Tatum problem in Celtics series loss: ‘They couldn’t do anything with him’
BOSTON – For the Celtics, the intensity of a first-round series gave way to the peace of victory Tuesday night.After closing out the tough Magic with a 120-89 Game 5 win, several Boston players seemed more relaxed than they had since the start of the series. A group of Celtics players marveled at the nutty end of the Pacers’ win. Derrick White, watching Game 5 of the Nuggets-Clippers series on a nearby television screen, responded to a Kawhi Leonard steal with a bad dad joke: “They don’t call him the Klaw for no reason folks.”AdvertisementIn one corner of the lighthearted locker room, Kristaps Porziņģis turned serious for a second while discussing the cold way Jayson Tatum had discarded the Magic.“They couldn’t do anything with him,” said Porziņģis. “Honestly, they tried everything. And especially once the whistle eased up on both […]
Related
Xander Bogaerts’ first homer of the year is a welcome glimmer for the Padres
SAN DIEGO — One notable streak finally ended Saturday when the San Diego Padres scored a run after 30 consecutive innings without scoring. It had been their longest such drought since 1981.Three days later, in front of the second-largest crowd in Petco Park history, the end finally came for two other streaks that were just as conspicuous.AdvertisementFor the first time in 17 games, Xander Bogaerts drove in a run. Six innings later, and for the first time in 2025, the Padres’ $280 million shortstop homered.Afterward, he spoke as much about collective satisfaction as he did about individual relief.“We know how we’ve been playing, and we got off to a nice start at home,” Bogaerts said after supplying resounding insurance in Tuesday’s 7-4 win against the San Francisco Giants. “So many games unbeaten, and Tampa comes in and, I mean, they […]
Překvapení, nebo konec. Česká osmnáctka jde ve čtvrtfinále MS na suverénní Kanadu
Národní tým zapsal ze čtyř zápasů jedinou výhru proti Švýcarsku. Zejména porážka s Německem byla zásadní pro to, že se čeští mladíci propadli až na čtvrtou příčku. „Musíme si říct spoustu věcí a hrát víc týmově, pak můžeme čtvrtfinále zvládnout,“ říká 16letý brankář František Poletín.Proti však stojí nadupaný sok. Kanada suverénně ovládla svou skupinu, zapsala čtyři vítězství při skóre 29:5. „Je to silný soupeř. Kanaďané jsou šikovní na puku, bude lítat hodně střel. Nesmíme dělat zbytečné fauly, to by nás mohlo bolet,“ tuší bratr kapitána Tomáše Poletína.Reprezentanti mají poslední šanci, aby zachránili dosud nepovedený šampionát. „Kanada hraje stejný systém proti komukoliv. Nečeká nás nic jednoduchého, můžeme jenom překvapit,“ míní trenér Čermák.
Evanilson’s three-match ban removed following successful Bournemouth appeal
Bournemouth forward Evanilson’s three-match ban for the red card he received last Sunday has been removed by the Football Association (FA) following a successful appeal.The striker was sent off in the 70th minute of Sunday’s 1-1 home draw with Manchester United in the Premier League.The Brazil international appeared to slip while attempting to tackle United defender Noussair Mazraoui. He was initially shown a yellow card by referee Peter Bankes, but after being sent to the monitor for an on-field review by the video assistant referee (VAR), the booking was upgraded to a straight red card and a three-match ban.AdvertisementFollowing Evanilson’s red card, United went on to score an equaliser in stoppage time to salvage a draw and dent Bournemouth’s hopes of European football next season.Evanilson, 25, will now be available for Bournemouth’s trip to the Emirates to face Arsenal on […]
Bengals 53-man roster outlook: 2 major position battles on deck after NFL Draft
The possibility for tweaks, cuts, extensions and contract disputes exists, but for the most part, the picture of the 2025 Cincinnati Bengals has been drawn.After six draft picks, reports of 12 undrafted college free agents and one international pathway player entered the mix this weekend, we can take a clearer view of where the battles will be waged in August and how the 53-man roster shakes out.AdvertisementHere’s a breakdown of every position. UDFA signees are not yet official, pending physicals and completed agreements. All rookies are in italics.Quarterback (2)• Starter: Joe Burrow• Backup: Jake Browning• Outside looking in: Logan Woodside, Payton Thorne (Auburn)No surprises here. Teams were looking for bridge quarterbacks and the Bengals were looking for extra picks, but this never grew beyond a thought experiment. Woodside and Thorne will compete to be the practice squad quarterback.Running back (4)• […]
Fantasy Football 2025: TE Colston Loveland player profile
Colston Loveland can be an immediate top-12 fantasy tight end: While Loveland’s volume stats aren’t elite, his per-play metrics match up to other great young tight ends of recent seasons. The Chicago Bears were the perfect landing spot: New head coach Ben Johnson helped Sam LaPorta become an elite fantasy option with the Detroit Lions, and he can do the same with Loveland in Chicago. Final chance to claim 25% off PFF+: Use code DRAFT25 and unlock access to player grades, fantasy tools and the 2025 Draft Guide Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes PFF’s Fantasy Football Player Profile series delivers the most in-depth fantasy football analysis available for the 2025 season. Using PFF’s exclusive data, we evaluate player performance, competition for touches and how teammates and coaching staffs will impact each player's fantasy football outlook. Last updated: 7:15 a.m. Tuesday, […]
Magic never solved the Jayson Tatum problem in Celtics series loss: ‘They couldn’t do anything with him’
BOSTON – For the Celtics, the intensity of a first-round series gave way to the peace of victory Tuesday night.After closing out the tough Magic with a 120-89 Game 5 win, several Boston players seemed more relaxed than they had since the start of the series. A group of Celtics players marveled at the nutty end of the Pacers’ win. Derrick White, watching Game 5 of the Nuggets-Clippers series on a nearby television screen, responded to a Kawhi Leonard steal with a bad dad joke: “They don’t call him the Klaw for no reason folks.”AdvertisementIn one corner of the lighthearted locker room, Kristaps Porziņģis turned serious for a second while discussing the cold way Jayson Tatum had discarded the Magic.“They couldn’t do anything with him,” said Porziņģis. “Honestly, they tried everything. And especially once the whistle eased up on both […]
Be the first to leave a comment