Opening Day in Major League Baseball is one of the best times of the year. America’s past time makes it’s return from hibernation to roaring fans and players hungry to play ball. They say everyone is in first place on Opening Day, but that only applies to teams, and not players. These players made the most of the Opening Day spotlight, and put themselves in first place to start the season.
Madison Bumgarner – San Francisco Giants
While the Giants and Diamondbacks game was included in my Opening Day Games to Watch article, even I wasn’t expecting the performance we got out of Madison Bumgarner. The Giants ace opened up the season on a high note, and lead a valiant effort. He dominated on the bump, giving the Giants seven strong innings. While he did give up three earned runs, they only came on six hits. Bumgarner also struck out 11 in his first outing of the season, and kept the Giants in the game. But it wasn’t just his pitching that kept the game close.
Bumgarner has always been keen with the bat, but never like he was on Opening Day. He mashed two long home runs, one off Diamondbacks ace Zach Greinke. That was the first time a pitcher has hit two home runs on Opening Day in MLB history, furthering the legend of MadBum. And after one full day of games, Bumgarner leads all of baseball in batting average (1.000), on base percentage (1.000), slugging percentage (4.000) and OPS (5.000). Needless to say, Bumgarner got off to a pretty good start on Opening Day.
Joc Pederson – Los Angeles Dodgers
Batting in a deep Dodgers lineup, no one expected the type of performance Joc Pederson put up on Monday. The Dodgers were matched up against the lowly San Diego Padres. And Pederson and the Dodgers took advantage of their juicy match up with San Diego’s “ace”, Jhoulys Chacin. The Dodgers lineup combined to put up 14 runs on the Padres, punishing their pitching staff. But it was the performance of Joc Pederson that drove the offensive explosion for the Dodgers.
Pederson was off to a fast start, blasting a home run off of Padres starter Chacin. He utilized the massive power he has to mash the ball out of the park, giving the Dodgers hope for what could be throughout the season. Pederson utilized the long ball in the perfect situation, unloading the bases to break open a Dodgers lead over the Padres. And while he did only have one hit on the day, his five RBI performance was more than enough to pace the Dodgers impressive offense. Pederson has gotten of to a fast start, one that Dodger fans will carry him through the season.
Dallas Keuchel – Houston Astros
After a lackluster 2016 season, the Astros ace was looking to return to his 2015 Cy Young form. Dallas Keuchel put up a 4.55 ERA in 2016, far removed from his Cy Young campaign 2.48 ERA in 2015. But on Opening Night in Houston, the Dallas Keuchel of old seemed to return. He blanked the Seattle Mariners, scattering two hits and four strikeouts over seven dominant innings. But it wasn’t just Keuchel’s work on the mound that earned him his spot on this list.
Keuchel has long been known for his defense, winning three Gold Gloves in the past three seasons. And Monday night, he showed why he’s already in contention for a fourth straight Gold Glove. Keuchel showed off his arm and athleticism, taking two bunt hits away from the Mariners. He also started a double play on a come backer, helping his own cause in the field as well as on the mound. If Keuchel can string together a couple of strong starts, look for him to start generating some Cy Young buzz.
Noah Syndergaard – New York Mets
Noah Syndergaard got the Mets 2017 season off against division rival Atlanta. And while the Braves are still in rebuilding mode, that doesn’t mean they lack legitimate hitters in their lineup. With emerging star Freddie Freeman, veteran Matt Kemp and former top prospect Dansby Swanson, the Braves have a solid offense. But that didn’t matter on Opening Day. With Noah Syndergaard on the bump for the Mets, the Braves had no chance.
Syndergaard gave the Braves more than they could handle on Monday. Debuting a simplified delivery, Syndergaard was able to blow past the Braves hitters. Delivering six solid innings, Syndergaard scattered five hits while racking up seven strikeouts. After finishing eight in the NL Cy Young voting last season, Syndergaard is primed to pick up where he left off in 2017. And he’s already off to a great start.
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