Opening Day represents a special time of the year. The weather begins to warm up, summer is just around the corner, and, of course, baseball is back. However, this almost was not the case. Disagreements between the owners and the Player’s Association regarding a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) led to a lockout that wiped out most of Spring Training and threatened to extend into the season before an agreement was finally reached between the two sides.

With the CBA fiasco dealt with, the season could finally begin on Thursday, April 7. Plenty of interesting narratives were set to play out on Thursday and Friday when all teams would play their first game of the season. Last year’s champions the Atlanta Braves would begin their title defense at home against the Cincinnati Reds, defending MVPs Shohei Ohtani and Bryce Harper were back in action, and the storied rivalry between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees continued with the two squads battling in the Bronx. 

The results of Opening Day and the days following it brought both expected outcomes and surprises. Teams expected to be competitive such as the Tampa Bay Rays, Houston Astros, and New York Mets have all started off their seasons hot. Meanwhile, clubs such as the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox have started off a little slower than many anticipated. The first handful of games has brought with it dominating performances by players all across the league. Familiar faces such as Matt Olson and Nolan Arenado are continuing their great play that we are accustomed to seeing from them while new arrivals such as Bobby Witt Jr. and Seiya Suzuki have broken out early this season. However, the intrigue of this young MLB season goes far beyond the numbers.

Opening Day and the subsequent days following it were filled with memorable and exciting moments. The Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs were involved in a heated moment after Brewers outfielder Andrew McCutchen was hit by a pitch. The benches for both teams cleared after this and players had some choice words for each other. While MLB may look down upon these events, they do increase interest and passion in these rivalry games. Also, the three walk-off wins on Friday must be mentioned with the first of which happening between the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox as the Tigers came back late in the game and won off a strange hit off the wall by Javier Baez. The second walk-off occurred in a back and forth contest between the Red Sox and Yankees as the Red Sox took the early lead only for the Yankees to make it a game and eventually win it in extra innings with a Josh Donaldson single. The final walk-off of Friday took place in a game between the Miami Marlins and San Francisco Giants. The Marlins clawed their way back into the game after being down 3 runs in the 7th inning, but would ultimately fall victim to an Austin Slater double in the 10th inning which would put the game to an end.

Although the season is young, trends and patterns are already emerging which fans of baseball at Hingham High School have already noticed. When asked who he thinks will win the World Series, Hingham High senior Pierce Bromley responded, “My team the Blue Jays because Vladdy, Bo, and Espinal are all developing really well and they had a few good acquisitions over the offseason in pitchers and Chapman and Springer is starting to emerge for us.” When HHS senior Cam Cyr was asked the same question, he said, “I think the Red Sox and Dodgers will have a rematch of the 2018 World Series and the Red Sox will take it home. Despite their early struggles, they have one of the best lineups in the league. Chris Sale’s return, as well as the effectiveness of the bullpen, will be needed though.” Whether or not either of these predictions will come true is left to be seen, but with many games left to play ahead, it should be an exciting season of baseball this Spring, Summer, and Fall.