MLB Opening Day's Top Five Performers

With last night's thriller between the Red Sox and Yankees, and a day chock-full of baseball action, the 2010 MLB season is officially here.

All over the country, baseball players are hoping for Hall of Fame years and fans are dreaming of runs into late October.

The beauty of Opening Day is the equality it provides for players and fans alike, a calm before the storm of a long and arduous season. This calm, however, has officially been broken. With one game in the books, here are the top performers of the newborn season.

5. Shaun Marcum

Less than a day into the 2010 season, Shaun Marcum provided the first legitimate flirt at pitching immortality.

Through six innings of work, Marcum silenced the powerful Texas Ranger bats, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning.

Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be for the Jays' starter.

In the bottom of the seventh, with a man on first and one out, Vladamir Guerrero knocked a single to torpedo the no-no attempt.

To add insult, the next Ranger hitter, Nelson Cruz, took Marcum deep for a three-run bomb.

After pitching 6.1 no-hit innings, Marcum ended the game giving up three earned runs in seven innings, picking up a no decision.

4. Kevin Youkilis

Known as a hard-nosed throwback to the 1980's, Kevin Youkilis is a breed of his own. Always giving his all, Youkilis finds a way to make an impact in any game he plays.

Opening night for the Red Sox was no different. Youkilis came to the plate four times. In those at-bats he knocked three hits, all of which went for extra bases.

Youkilis drove a triple to the opposite field to drive in two crucial runs to aid in the comeback, also scoring three runs himself. Always known as a strong first half player, it looks like nothing is new this year for Youkilis.

3. Mark Buehrle

In 2009, Mark Buehrle was able to reach the pinnacle for any big league pitcher. On July 23, 2009, Buehrle notched a ticket to the Hall of Fame by pitching a perfect game against a tough Rays lineup.

With his quick tempo, Buehrle is able to keep hitters off balance. He is not the kind of pitcher who will overpower hitters consistently, but he is a smart and accurate pitcher with deception.

Opening the 2010 season, Buehrle faced the Cleveland Indians in Chicago.

In seven innings of work, he pitched as well as he possibly could. Without many strikeouts (only three all game) Buehrle relied on his fielders to make outs behind him.

When his outing was done, he had given up only four hits and no earned runs.

2. Placido Polanco

In an overlooked offseason move by the Philadelphia Phillies, Placido Polanco was signed to fill the Phillies' hole at third base.

After years of playing second base for the Detroit Tigers, Polanco will look to move his elite fielding skills to the hot corner.

Though Polanco is known for being a Gold Glove-winning infielder, he is no slouch with a bat either.

In the Phillies opener, against the perennial bottom-feeding Nationals, Polanco proved this by knocking three hits.

In the seventh inning, Polanco came up with the bases chucked. With two outs, Placido got a hold of a Jason Bergmann offering, sending it over the wall for the first grand slam of the season.

When everything was said and done, Polanco had six RBI on three hits, making his worth for the upcoming season clear in Philadelphia.

1. Albert Pujols

There is little debate over who the best baseball player in the world is.

Year after year, Albert Pujols emphatically shows why he's No. 1.

On Opening Day at The Great American Ballpark, Pujols continued his assault against the Cincinnati Reds.

In five at-bats, Pujols tallied four hits, including two bombs. With the new season barely here, Pujols appears to be in midseason form, locked in and poised for another Hall of Fame season.