The 2024 Major League Baseball regular season is officially underway! Here are five fun storylines to take you into the weekend.
Houston, we have a problem
The Yankees have produced two gritty wins to start their season against the Astros at Minute Maid Park, and because I watched both games in their entirety, let's talk about them first. Thursday's come-from-behind Opening Day win featured nine walks by Yankees batters, including three from the now-patient Anthony Volpe, in an all-around effort that ended in a 5-4 win. Yesterday’s game got off to a slow start, but largely thanks to seven combined hits from Juan Soto and Oswaldo Cabrera, along with some lackluster baseball IQ from the Astros, the Yanks won, 7-1. It still feels like the bats have to wake up outside of Soto and Cabrera and the starters have huffed and puffed their way through their starts, but patience is the name of the game at the plate and the Yankees bullpen has shoved, as expected, so vibes are high in the Bronx. Today, we see Marcus Stroman make his debut on the mound for the Bombers.
Wild, wild NL West
It might be too rash a decision to say that I'm nervous about my postseason predictions already, but to not have any NL West team among my Wild Cards in the National League could be a huge mistake. The Dodgers have looked unstoppable against the Cardinals in their first series of the season at Chavez Ravine, with Mookie Betts already at three homers in 2024. The D-Backs have poured it on against the Rockies in their first two games this year and could be primed for a juggernaut offense (that is, if Joc Pederson can have more four-hit days like he did last night in his Arizona debut). And the Giants and Padres are in a very tight series at Petco to start this year, featuring multi-homer nights last night by new Giant Matt Chapman and old Padre Fernando Tatis, Jr. Dylan Cease and Jordan Hicks will start today's nationally televised game and to say that I'm amped for both of their debuts with their new teams would be an understatement.
A preview of the playoffs by the Puget Sound
Say that five times fast. The Mariners only scored one run in Friday's effort over the Red Sox, but won the game 1-0 on the back of some gutsy pitching performances, particularly from starter George Kirby and closer Andres Munoz. Kirby is a dark horse pick to win the Cy Young this year, while Munoz could be in the conversation for Reliever of the Year come October. It's not a hot take to say that the Mariners have one of, if not, the deepest rotations in baseball, and their bullpen has been good for years. If the high-floor starters can collaborate on performances with Los Bomberos like they did on Friday night, it could be a fun year in the PNW for baseball fans in 2024.
Mets gonna Mets
I went to my first ever Opening Day at Citi Field yesterday to see the Mets host the Brewers after their Thursday game got rained out. Highlights of the game include: Jackson Chourio's first walk, stolen base, and single of his MLB career; a Starling Marte rocket of a homer for the Mets first and only hit/run so far of the 2024 season; and an exchanging of words between Jeff McNeil and new Brewer Rhys Hoskins, who took an awkward slide into McNeil to break up a double play, that caused the benches to clear. Overall, it was a great day at the ballpark, not to mention the Mets military honoree for the game: Seymour Weiner.
Go Go O's
Corbin Burnes gave up a first-inning homer to Mike Trout for Opening Day's first dinger, but that was all the damage the Angels could muster against the newest member of the Orioles. Add in some electric Birdland offense, and Baltimore is off to a hot start in 2024. I think people might be skeptical of how good the Orioles will be this season. Their 11-3 Opening Day win suggests that they are for real and they are scary. It's going to be another fun ride in the AL East this year.
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