Now that was fun.
Opening Day of the 2021 season is in the books, and was it ever worth the wait of a long, cold offseason. The sport gave us eight one-run games, including four extra-inning affairs. We had a chance to watch aces dazzle, pitchers duel and slugfests emerge. There was basically every kind of game and style there for you to watch for twelve hours.
It was like a NFL Sunday, but with baseball. So let’s do what’s not typically done with daily baseball results: React like it’s more than just one game out of 162.
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Here are 10 takeaways from Major League Baseball’s Opening Day.
The Yankees have a shortstop problem.
Go back to the top of the second inning in the Blue Jays-Yankees tilt. Watch the lead off hit that glanced off Gleyber Torres’ glove. It’s a play an above-average shortstop makes, and perhaps stops a flood before it begins for the Yankees ace. Torres couldn’t make it. The Yankees are trying to force a second baseman to play shortstop for the good of the team. It’s going to hurt many nights.
COVID vaccines are here, but professional sports aren’t out of the woods yet.
Losing Mets-Nationals as the stand alone ESPN game in the 7 p.m. ET window was a bummer, and hopefully any sort of spread of the virus has been contained within the Nationals clubhouse. But for as much as we’re all now used to COVID being part of sports and day-by-day checks at who is eligible to play, it’s still a reminder: We’re playing sports through a pandemic. Maybe it’ll feel differently as more and more teams hit the 85% vaccinated threshold, but we’re not there yet.
Dave Dombrowski has already lifted the Phillies.
The 2020 Phillies bullpen had the second-worst ERA in the history of baseball. Yesterday’s work out of the new-look bullpen: 3.1 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 4 SO, 2 BB. That will play, including seventh and eighth inning work from two offseason acquisitions: Archie Bradley and Jose Alvarado.
Starting extra innings with a runner on second base is one of the best ideas MLB has had in a long time.
Some hate it. Some, like me, love it. Many got the chance to watch it in person for the first time on Opening Day. It adds action, strategy, excitement and puts every fan on the edge of their seat.
Fans, even in a limited capacity, make such a difference.
I could hear the buzz. I could feel cheers or boos. And this is just coming through my television or radio. It’s a small step to the hope of full crowds down the line and rocking stadiums, but having fans back changed the game.
Time has not healed Astros cheating scandal wounds.
Just watch.
Houston won, rolling over the A’s. They’ll do that often with a big-time lineup (even without George Springer) and Zack Greinke on the mound. But they’ll hear about the past along the way.
Here comes the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. breakout season.
If you saw the Blue Jays 22-year-old star during spring training, watching him smoke the ball on Opening Day likely wasn’t a surprise. He’s in better shape. He hits everything hard. He showed no fear vs. Cole. By the time the All-Star break rolls around, we’ll have to include his name in the Ronald Acuna Jr., Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr. conversation.
Christian Yelich is back.
Yelich went from chasing down Mike Trout to one of baseball’s least impressive hitters last year. Maybe it was just a small sample. Maybe he was still off from late-2019 knee surgery. Don’t expect it to last, and a big Opening Day (2 hits, 2 runs, RBI) showed we’re getting the Yelich of old once again.
AL Cy Young ballot update.
1. Tyler Glasnow
2. Gerrit Cole
3. Shane Bieber
4. Lucas Giolito
It’s more than just one game.
I know, I know. It’s literally just one of 162 games. It doesn’t really matter more than a game on, say, May 13. But it sets the tone for everything, even if we forget that tone in a few weeks.
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Joe Giglio may be reached at jgiglio@njadvancemedia.com.
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