6 Biggest Takeaways from 2015 MLB Opening Day
Opening Day is special for everyone who jogs out between the lines. For some, though, it's extra special with special sauce on the side.
We're talking about the teams and players who rise to the occasion and truly leave their mark, who channel all those months of downtime, offseason machinations and spring preparation into one long-awaited burst of success. Or, alternately, failure—that matters too.
Yes, it's only one game out of 162; there's ample time for heroes to rise and fall. But it's a big deal, at least symbolically.
And while it's folly to draw any sweeping conclusions from a single slate of games, there are takeaways worth highlighting.
Without further ado, onto the specialness.
David Price Is Ready to Shoulder the Load in Detroit
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The Detroit Tigers lost two key members of their rotation this winter. They shipped sinkerballer Rick Porcello off via trade to the Boston Red Sox, and Max Scherzer split via free agency for a massive payday in the nation's capital.
So, the onus is on David Price, acquired by Detroit last year at the trade deadline, to be the man.
On Monday, the left-hander looked the part against the Minnesota Twins, setting down the first 13 hitters he faced and ultimately twirling 8.2 scoreless innings in a 4-0 Tigers victory.
It was the first time since 2007 a Tigers starter not named Justin Verlander took the mound on Opening Day in case Price needed any added pressure.
"What else do you expect from an ace," designated hitter Victor Martinez said after the game, per Chris McCosky of The Detroit News. "He's a guy who's been doing this a long time. He's not a secret. I don't think there is anybody surprised by this performance today."
Dustin Pedroia Is Making Red Sox Fans Think Big
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Of all the "best shape of his life" stories this spring, none carried more promise than Dustin Pedroia's.
Pedroia had wrist surgery in September after undergoing a thumb procedure in November 2013. As the exhibition season kicked off, he claimed to be back to his old self.
"I feel normal," he told WEEI's Rob Bradford in early March. "I can tell just picking up a bat my hand strength is back."
On Monday, the Boston Red Sox second baseman and former American League MVP let his bat do the talking, cracking a pair of home runs in Boston's 8-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. That's nearly one-third of his total from 2014.
Yes, Hanley Ramirez also hit two big flies, including a grand slam, and scalding youngster Mookie Betts added one of his own.
The day, though, belonged to Pedroia, who offered a (potential) glimpse of things to come—and gave the Beantown faithful permission to dream.
Jimmy Rollins and Bartolo Colon Are Ageless Wonders
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Age is just a number, a truism Bartolo Colon and Jimmy Rollins embodied on Opening Day.
Colon, as Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News noted, "was not the sexiest of Opening Day starters."
Sexy or not, the 41-year-old tallied six strong innings against the Washington Nationals, allowing one earned run and racking up eight strikeouts. More than that, he outdueled Max Scherzer, the Nats' $210 million man.
We're not betting on Colon producing a sturdier stat line than Scherzer over the long haul. But on Monday, David slew Goliath.
As for Rollins, all he did was crack a go-ahead three-run home run in the eighth innings of his Los Angeles Dodgers debut.
The blast propelled the Dodgers to a 6-3 victory over the division-rival San Diego Padres and proved the 36-year-old shortstop—who finished 2-for-4 and swiped a base—has gas sloshing in his tank.
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Mike Trout Rakes, but King Felix Rolls
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In the Opening Day clash between the Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners, Mike Trout won the battle, but Felix Hernandez won the war.
Trout launched a home run in the first inning against King Felix—and that's essentially all the Mariners ace gave up.
Ultimately, Hernandez tossed seven innings of two-hit, one-run ball and recorded 10 strikeouts as Seattle cruised to a 4-1 victory.
"Felix on the mound really charged fans up quite a bit, and I think our players fell for that," manager Lloyd McClendon said after the game, per Nick Eaton of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. "It was a special day. It was pretty electric out there."
Speaking of electric: The Trout-Hernandez showdown will be one to follow all season, as will the battle between the M's and Halos, who could grapple down to the wire for supremacy in the American League West.
Masahiro Tanaka Fails to Silence the Doubters
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Masahiro Tanaka pitched capably in the Grapefruit League, holding opponents to a .228 batting average and notching 13 strikeouts in 14.2 innings.
Still, doubts about the partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, which landed him on the disabled list last season, remained.
On April 1, Hall of Fame hurler and MLB Network analyst Pedro Martinez told Adam Schein on SiriusXM's Mad Dog Sports Radio show that he thinks Tanaka is throwing hurt and won't make it through the season.
"I don't see him healthy all year and I don’t see him healthy right now," Martinez said on the air, per Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News.
Tanaka did little to mitigate the doubts on Monday, yielding five runs in four innings in the Yankees' 6-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. If you were looking for a pitcher who was holding back, there was evidence.
Tanaka, as MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm and Bryan Hoch note, "leaned heavily on his off-speed pitches," stayed away from his four-seam fastball and threw mostly in the low 90s.
He didn't look awful, but he also didn't look like the ace-level stud New York needs him to be.
Royals Remind Everyone That They Wear the AL Crown
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Hey, remember the Kansas City Royals?
A little more than five months after they streaked to Game 7 of the World Series, the defending American League champs reintroduced themselves to the world with a 10-1 drubbing of the Chicago White Sox.
That's extra significant, because the White Sox made a lot of noise this offseason and come in as a popular pick to win the AL Central.
The Detroit Tigers, the reigning division champs, are also right there, and the Cleveland Indians have generated buzz as a possible sleeper.
Just don't sleep on the Royals, who looked ready for another run as they banged out 13 hits against White Sox starter Jeff Samardzija and the Chicago bullpen and received a sterling, six-inning effort from young fireballer Yordano Ventura.
They bunted, they used their legs, they got timely knocks and solid pitching. They're the Royals in case you forgot.
All statistics current as of April 6 and courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise noted.
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