Albert Pujols gets a standing ovation in the first at-bat of his career. There is a time and a place. The opening day of the MLB season is over, but many teams are still set to make their debut. There was a wide range of entertainment on Thursday. Bobby Witt Jr.'s first major league hit was one of the highlights of the games. One of MLB's most storied rivalries will begin on Friday with the Red Sox vs. Yankees, featuring two of the league's best pitchers in Nathan Eovaldi and Gerrit Cole. The other top pitchers will be on the mound on the second day. Be sure to refresh this page early and often for our live updates from Friday's games. The season preview includes predictions and moves that made waves in the off-season.
ESPN+: Passan's predictions | How Opening Day was saved | 2022 changes
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1:05 p.m.: Red Sox (Nathan Eovaldi) at Yankees (Gerrit Cole) 1:10 p.m.: White Sox (Lucas Giolito) at Tigers (Eduardo Rodriuez) (ESPN+) 2:20 p.m.: Brewers (Brandon Woodruff) at Cubs (Justin Steele) 3:05 p.m.: Athletics (Frankie Montas) at Phillies (Aaron Nola) 3:10 p.m.: Orioles (John Means) at Rays (Shane McClanahan) 4:10 p.m.: Mariners (Robbie Ray) at Twins (Joe Ryan) 4:10 p.m.: Dodgers (Walker Buehler) at Rockies (Kyle Freeland) 4:35 p.m.: Marlins (Sandy Alcantara) at Giants (Logan Webb) 7:05 p.m.: Mets (Max Scherzer) at Nationals (Josiah Gray) 7:07 p.m.: Rangers (Jon Gray) at Blue Jays ( Jose Berrios) 7:20 p.m.: Reds (Ravier Sanmartin) at Braves (Charlie Morton) 9:38 p.m.: Astros (Jake Odorizzi) at Angels (Reid Detmers)
9:40 p.m.: Padres (Sean Manaea) at Diamondbacks (Merrill Kelly)
The game of the day? Easily. SETH BEER hit a walk-off home run on national beer day. Good luck topping Shohei Ohtani or Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Beer's three-run blast in the bottom of the ninth gave the D-backs a 4-2 win over the Padres, but you can't top that until there is a day named after you.
Beer said when he woke up his wife told him it was National Beer Day. It was the second career home run for the designated hitter, who went 4-for-9 in a brief major league cameo in 2021. He gave the victory to the D-backs in which Yu Darvish had pitched a no-hitter for the Padres. He is the first rookies to hit a walk-off home run on opening day. Cheers.
Shohei Ohtani performed well, but the rest of his Angels teammates didn't. Sound familiar? The Angels couldn't get anything going against Framber Valdez on opening day in 2021. Ohtani looked really good in his debut, and there is a clear bright side to it. Angels manager Joe Maddon wants to keep his starters around that number early on to make up for the shortened spring training, and Ohtani recorded 14 outs, allowed only one run and struck out nine batters before exiting with 80 pitches. Ohtani had his first full season as a pitcher in five years. His location and command improved as it progressed. It has carried over into 2022. He could be even better in 2022.
After Jacob deGrom hurt his shoulder, Tylor Megill was given the opening day start for the Mets. He hasn't been 230 since high school, so he's a big dude and as you might expect, he throws. He isn't expected to be the Mets' ace or anything close to it, but he has some serious potential.
The biggest pitch of his night was in the third when the Nationals had runners at the corners with one out and Juan Soto at the plate. Megill got ahead 1-2, and then Soto took a 98-mph pitch a hair or two off the plate, and then Megill blew a 97-mph heater past him. He got Nelson Cruz to ground out and then breezed through two more frames, finishing with five zeros and no walks. Pick this guy up if you play fantasy baseball.
The Reds might not have opened the season in their usual way, but that didn't matter. The Braves banner-unveiling party at Truist Park was spoiled by the work of starter Tyler Mahle. The right-handed pitcher struck out seven and gave up one unearned run in a five-inning outing. The Reds hope that he can build upon his performance for the start of April.
It was the most impressive moment of the night. He ended the third with a comeback liner that left Marcell Ozuna with a 104.5 mph exit velocity. The most impressive audio moment of the night? Joey Votto, the Reds first baseman, was miked up throughout the game and had his share of fun interactions.
The starting lineup for the first time in over a year was made up of Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina, and Adam Wainwright. It wasn't quite the storybook return to St. Louis for Pujols that everyone wanted.
The PA announcer for the game said that Pujols was back and that the fans gave him a standing ovation. Pujols wiped away some tears as the fans chanted "Al-bert!" in his first at-bat. The joyful chorus was heard many times during his initial 11 seasons with the Cards. He flew out to left field and was 0-for-5.
Can he help the team? The risk of bringing an aging great back is high. If he doesn't do well, it puts Marmol in a tough spot. Pujols started the game against a right-handed pitcher and will serve as the designated hitter against left-handed pitchers. Let's hope there is enough juice left in the bat to help in that small role.
The last time the Kansas City Royals had a starting pitcher was 12 years ago. Greinke has always been his greatest asset, even better than his fastball or changeup, because of his mind. Greinke will forge his path to the Hall of Fame because of his approach to pitching and his youth.
Bobby Witt Jr.'s go-ahead double in the eighth was to be seen to see him on Thursday.
Greinke still understands how to get outs despite the radar gun not lighting up as it used to and the batters not swinging and miss as they used to. Some lineups will be more difficult to navigate. Even with Kansas City's incredible defense, one strikeout in 5 1/3 is not a long-term recipe for success. Greinke received a huge applause in his return. The prodigal son returned on the day of the future of the franchise.
The Cubs defeated the Brewers in the first game of the MLB season in 2022. Hoerner hit the first home run of the season off Burnes. That is correct, you read that. Hoerner became the first player in two years to hit a home run on opening day. Burnes walked the first batter he faced in 2022, after the Brewers ace set a major league record by striking out 58 before issuing his first base on balls. You cannot predict baseball.
Burnes issued a free pass to Seiya Suzuki, who walked twice and scored a run in his MLB debut, after walking three batters in five pitches.
Yu Darvish pitched a gem and the D-backs were nearly no-hit, but then a man stepped up to the plate and changed the narrative.
Do you believe in fairytales? @beer_seth just wrote one. pic.twitter.com/Nt0CEikLce
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) April 8, 2022
It has been six years since Mike Trout played a full season without missing time because of injury.
He has noticed.
When asked about the importance of playing a full season, Trout said it was his main goal. The Los Angeles Angels star center fielder, who spent the last four-plus months of the 2021 regular season out with a calf injury that became far more serious than expected, has a new program with the team that emphasizes flexibility and mobility in his lower body. It is hoped that it will make a difference.
He said that in the past he would wake up sore and have to grind through it.
Shohei Ohtani put together a historic season as a two-way player, but the Angels lost 85 games. They played in the same lineup for only 17 of their 162 games. Their health, along with the addition of Noah Syndergaard and a deeper bullpen, has Trout believing he might finally win his first playoff game this year.
You might have heard that Trout, the greatest player of his generation, has yet to win a game in the playoffs.
He is 30 years old.
His 12th season is this one.
Trout said he was tired of hearing it. We are eager to go.
The reason why people keep comparing Juan Soto to great hitters is because of this dinger.
.@JuanSoto25_ to the second deck! #OpeningDay pic.twitter.com/6MRy9S225y
— MLB (@MLB) April 8, 2022
The Los Angeles faithful showed their appreciation for Shohei Ohtani, who has taken the mound for the Angels.
Our MVP 😤#OpeningDay pic.twitter.com/iQNYuXiTGp
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) April 8, 2022
MLB is back - and so is Shohei Ohtani 💪
(via @MLB)pic.twitter.com/ArIiAKsbHo
— ESPN (@espn) April 8, 2022
The Nationals needed a perfect relay to get Pete Alonso out at home.
WHAT A PLAY 😱
The Nats get Pete Alonso out at home! pic.twitter.com/vvTGE5f6A8
— ESPN (@espn) April 8, 2022
Joey Votto might be one of the funniest players in the league, so it was a good idea to get him.
Joey Votto discussed his social media presence, desire to get a gold tooth and chats with Ozzie Albies while mic'd up with the ESPN booth.
If Tyler was already awake, he is now after this comebacker.
The glove found the ball or the ball found the glove? pic.twitter.com/bzOSH47i9g
— Cut4 (@Cut4) April 8, 2022
It is unusual for a caught stealing to be the first out of the season.
Geez Ruiz. 👀#OpeningDay // #NATITUDE pic.twitter.com/Qojmh1kfLI
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) April 8, 2022
The Atlanta Braves are taking on the Cincinnati Reds at Truist Park tonight.
There's nothing like #OpeningDay pic.twitter.com/gcZ3SFDMrL
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) April 8, 2022
Greinke was one of the best pitchers in the majors for almost two decades, and he cut his teeth as a young member of the Kansas City Royals. He picked up right where he left off, giving up just five hits and one run in his return to his original team on opening day.
Welcome back, Zack.#OpeningDay // #TogetherRoyal pic.twitter.com/6RzZboO8Y4
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) April 7, 2022
Albert Pujols said that he will retire after the 2022 season, after signing a one-year deal with the St. Louis Cards in March. He won two World Series titles and three National League Most Valuable Player awards in his 11 seasons in baseball. Fans showered Pujols with cheers as he approached the plate for his first at-bat of the season.
What an ovation for @PujolsFive.
Chills. #OpeningDay pic.twitter.com/2fDKdbPlPA
— MLB (@MLB) April 7, 2022
Hoerner hit the first home run of the season. He hit a pitch from Burnes out of the park in the bottom of the fifth.
Dingers are BACK! @nico_hoerner with the first homer of 2022! #OpeningDay pic.twitter.com/Hdj49DuhIt
— MLB (@MLB) April 7, 2022
The first run of the season is on the board. Andrew McCutchen was able to score from third on a groundout by Lorenzo Cain in the top of the fourth to give the Brewers a 1-0 lead over the Cubs.
Lo Cain drives in Cutch for our first run and lead of the year!#ThisIsMyCrew pic.twitter.com/bxxcVyxjMr
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) April 7, 2022
Getting called up to the majors is a big moment for a baseball player. Some touching moments were produced for the teams and players after players were notified that they made their teams.
The pitcher was told by manager David Ross that he made the opening day roster. Roberts was emotional after he was drafted by the Cubs. The first game of the season is between the Cubs and Brewers.
.@Cubs pitcher Ethan Roberts was told he made the big league club. This is what it looked like. 😭
(Via @EliseMenaker & @WatchMarquee) pic.twitter.com/B4HpgvDCLY
— MLB (@MLB) April 5, 2022
Rodriguez, the third ranked prospect, was named to the Seattle Mariners opening day roster. He was an international free agent when he joined the team. Rodriguez will make his debut in center field on Friday against the Minnesota Twins.
Rodriguez was excited when he heard the news. The 21-year-old was told that his parents would be in attendance for his first MLB game.
There's no better feeling than when you work your whole life for something and you see it unfolding right before your eyes.🙏🏽💙
I'm just grateful for the opportunity and I will make the best of it.🤞🏽 https://t.co/YqTeMS4j02
— Julio Rodriguez🇩🇴🦁 (@JRODshow44) April 5, 2022
Bobby Witt Jr. was drafted by the Kanas City Royals. He will make his big league debut at third base for the team against the Cleveland Guardians. The 21-year-old was all smiles after hearing he made the Royals opening day roster.
🙏 blessings! https://t.co/f7j64EV7Ya
— Bobby Witt Jr (@BwittJr) April 5, 2022
Bobby has arrived! @MLB Hit No. 1 is a big one!#OpeningDay // #TogetherRoyal pic.twitter.com/jtEdB7Cz2o
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) April 7, 2022
Suzuki made his MLB debut against the Brewers. He signed a five-year deal with the Cubs in March. He was a four-time All-Star and three-time Golden Glove winner in Japan, where he played in the Nippon Professional Baseball league. In the bottom of the fifth, Suzuki hit a ball into left field for the first hit of his MLB career.
First @MLB hit for @suzuki_seiya_sb! pic.twitter.com/pAgxYuPD8a
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 7, 2022
The Atlanta Braves will play the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series. The team that won the College Football Playoff National Championship from Georgia wished them good luck.
From one champ to another, happy opening day!#GoDawgs #ForTheA pic.twitter.com/sgBVEoLEt1
— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) April 7, 2022
The Chicago Bears yelled out to the Cubs and White Socks ahead of their games.
🗣️ PLAY BALL!
Good luck this season, @Cubs & @whitesox! pic.twitter.com/UspXNOkTJG
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) April 7, 2022
What is your favorite thing to watch on opening day?
The Twins-Mariners series was pushed back a day because of the early spring weather. I can watch the debut of Bobby Witt Jr. in Kansas City on a screen of some sort on Thursday before I get to see Seattle's Julio Rodriguez on Friday. We haven't seen the most exciting prospects on opening day in a long time. There is a race for American League rookies of the year.
The debut of a Cubs player. He is a multiple-tool player with power to all fields and a rocket of an arm. Most rookies don't make a lot of money, but Suzuki signed a five-year, $85 million contract this winter, so he will be watched throughout the baseball world. He has a chance to be the next big star on the team. Thursday is his first chance to show fans what he has to offer.
The Padres are the most fascinating team to watch in April. A team that runs one of the highest payrolls in baseball and is coming off a losing season is under a lot of pressure. The Padres will have to play a couple of months without Fernando Tatis Jr because the rotation is healthy again. I want to see how Yu Darvish looks after he went 1-8 in the second half. I would like to see how the new manager sets up his late-game team. I want to see if Ha-Seong Kim can hit like he did in Korea after struggling in his debut season. I want to see which player shows up. The Padres have a golden opportunity to get off to a good start and put their disappointment behind them.
Joon Lee is with David on this one. The Padres are at a fascinating point in the tenure of their general manager with the injury of their best player and the level of financial investment in their core. According to multiple sources, the Padres club chemistry suffered under Jayce Tingler, so the addition of Melvin will change the dynamics of the locker room. I am interested to see which Darvish shows up on opening day and how the former Cy Young winner performs in his second season in San Diego after struggling to put up numbers like he did in his first. After the trade for Eric Hosmer fell through, the team will need its high-priced players to play better.
I am in Atlanta and I will be interested to see the reception for new first baseman Matt Olson. If anyone is going to take over from Freddie Freeman, he is the perfect candidate because of his local roots, his age, and his power. The Atlanta fans will go crazy if the magic script from last year&s World Series is still in play. What a story that would be.
Coley Harvey is excited to be joining the team in his hometown of Atlanta, where he will have a front-row seat for a coronation that has been a generation in the making. The 10-year-old inside me still cannot believe that one of the pro teams from his city is about to have another banner-raising night. The Atlanta United MLS title is the only thing we have. The City Too Busy To Hate should celebrate the World Series win one more time. Atlantans have worked hard.
I will be at Angel Stadium on Thursday, and I will be the luckiest of us all. Shohei Ohtani will be on the mound and in the lineup for the opener. The talk around Angels camp this spring centered on whether Ohtani can actually be better this year, given how he improved as a pitcher and how he grew comfortable with the two-way role as the season progressed. It seems impossible until you realize how special this man is.
The Mets got Max Scherzer to team with Jacob deGrom. Tylor Megill. Megill is the most non-Opening Day starter. Even though there is a chance that Montas could be traded before Friday, Oakland still has him. This might not mean a lot, but it definitely feels like an omen since it's expected that Scherzer will be back soon.
Bobby Witt Jr., whose debut I will see in person, but the greatest show in sports is performing today on a different stage, is all due respect. For the first time this season, Shohei Ohtani spends his day hitting in the bottom half of the game and pitching in the top half. He will do that when he throws 100 mph pitches and hits 100 mph rockets. His magnificence knows no bounds. The Shohei Ohtani Rule, which allows him to remain in the game as a hitter after he's yanked as a pitcher, is a bonus treat on opening day.
What is your one Opening Day prediction that will come true?
Albert Pujols is going to hit a home run. Even if it is the only home run he hits all season, there is no way this won't happen. Many young fans in St. Louis have only heard about Pujols from their parents. They get to experience him this year as he moves on from a Hall of Fame career.
Suzuki will be the only hitter to get to Burnes. Right-handed opponents had a.179 batting average against him in 2021, while Chicago had little left-handed pop. The Cubs will be at a disadvantage against top righties this season because of the fact that they have a right-handed hitting player at first base and right field. Trying to hit against Burnes in 40 degree weather will be more difficult.
The Padres need him to hit from the get-go because they need him to get off to a slow start. He has only hit Madison Bumgarner seven times in his career, but three of them are home runs. I think he goes yard twice off MadBum as the Padres win their opener.
The opening week is here. Some of baseball's biggest names will be on the schedule for the first 888-400-5746 season.
Reds-Braves will be on the air.
The Red Sox andYankees are on the air.
KayRod Cast debuts on ESPN2
Jacob deGrom will not pitch on opening day, but this will be his last year with the Mets. There are too many variables involved for deGrom to return to the Mets, but Steve Cohen has shown he is ready and willing to invest in any way he feels can help the team. He claimed that he was opting out of his contract in spite of his injury as the first sign that he was headed elsewhere.
Rodriguez and Witt Jr. will hit home runs in their major league debuts. The two highlight what looks like a deep field of rookies, along with Spencer Torkelson. Adley and Riley will join them eventually. Not included in this list is Wander Franco, who will play in his first full season in 2022. He might be the biggest star of them all. The young talent in the sport is amazing, and I only accounted for one league.
Mike Trout is the best player in the sport. The eyes of the game will be on Ohtani to start, but by the end of the fourth or fifth, it will be Trout.
Shohei Ohtani will come out of the gates strong on opening day, showing that last year was not a mirage and that it is possible to pitch and hit at a high level across multiple seasons.
Austin Riley's Grapefruit League showing was not the best, but I am expecting him to have a big opening night. He will be playing at Truist Park for the first time since the World Series. He hit.409 at home last year with five extra-base hits. He will use that hitting success to give fans late-inning magic in front of another loud and frenzied Atlanta crowd.
Passan: Last time we saw Max Fried, he was throwing six shut outs for Atlanta in a World Series-clinching game. He had the lowest second-half ERA of any pitcher. Fried gets the ball against the Reds in front of a crowd that is ready to celebrate the world champion. He will have a pitching line that will be 6 IP, 4 hits, 1 run, 1 earned run, 1 walk and 9 strikeouts, and he will be in Cy Young contention throughout the season.
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