The Opener: Opening Day, O’Neill, Orioles, Santos

Happy Opening Day to MLBTR readers! Here are three things worth keeping an eye on as the 2024 regular season kicks off:

1. It’s Opening Day!

While the Dodgers and Padres already squared off in a two-game set in South Korea last week, the 2024 regular season is set to kick off in earnest today. 26 of MLB’s 30 clubs will participate in games throughout the day, with the Angels kicking things off against the Orioles at Camden Yards at 2:05pm CT this afternoon. A trio of west coast games are set to round out today’s games just after 9pm CT: the Guardians will face the A’s in what could be their final Opening Day at the Coliseum; the Rockies will face the Diamondbacks in Arizona; and the Red Sox will face the Mariners in Seattle.

While most of the league will be engaging in Opening Day festivities, four clubs had their scheduled games postponed due to expected inclement weather today. The Brewers and Mets will begin their seasons at 1:40pm CT tomorrow in New York, while the Braves and Phillies will do the same at 3:05pm CT tomorrow in Philadelphia. In the meantime, one player worth keeping an eye on today is Red Sox outfielder Tyler O’Neill. As noted by MLB.com’s Sarah Langs, O’Neill has hit a home run in four consecutive Opening Day games dating back to 2019. That makes O’Neill one of just four hitters in MLB history to reach that milestone. Will he become the first to do so on five consecutive Opening Days?

2. Orioles presser this morning:

Yesterday, MLB’s owners unanimously approved the sale of the Orioles to a group led by billionaire David Rubenstein, installing him as the club’s control person. It’s the first change of ownership in Baltimore since the late Peter Angelos purchased the Orioles in 1993. The change of the guard comes at an exciting time for fans in Baltimore, as the club is coming off a 101-win campaign that saw the club win the AL East for the first time since 2014, and the future looks bright as the Orioles boast the best farm system in the majors in addition to their crop of young talent already at the big league level. The Orioles are expected to hold a press conference at 10am CT this morning to discuss the sale and the team’s long-term outlook.

3. Santos to undergo MRI:

While the Mariners welcome the Red Sox to T-Mobile Park for their first game of the regular season, right-hander Gregory Santos is scheduled to undergo an MRI today, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. Santos, 24, was acquired by Seattle last month in a deal with the White Sox on the heels of a strong 2023 season. The right-hander posted a 3.39 ERA with an excellent 2.65 FIP last year while striking out 22.8% of batters faced. He also averaged nearly 99 mph on his fastball and figures to join other fireballers such as Andres Munoz, Matt Brash and Ryne Stanek in the mix for high-leverage innings at the back of the Mariners’ bullpen when healthy. Today’s MRI should help to determine how quickly that happens, as Divish notes that Santos will resume his throwing program in the coming days if the testing comes back clean.