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If Wednesday night’s single scheduled game whet your appetite for regular season baseball, then Thursday’s daytime feast likely satisfied that hunger with plenty of aces on the mound and storylines galore. Normally, the headlines here would start off with the most impactful performances (or lack thereof) of those Opening Day aces, but there was a performance at the plate yesterday that, in my opinion, overshadowed all of the starting pitchers.
Today’s Headlines
Baseball’s No. 2 Prospect Makes a Statement
While Tarik Skubal did his usual thing on the bump for the Detroit Tigers in their 8-2 win over the San Diego Padres (6 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 6 K, 0 BB) — just another day at the office for the reigning back-to-back AL Cy Young winner), rookie Kevin McGonigle stole the show with a 4-for-5 day that included two doubles, two RBIs, and two runs scored. He also displayed some impressive base-running instincts and plus sprint speed multiple times, including when he sniffed out a double where many other players would have gotten thrown out.
The 21-year-old tore through the minor leagues before impressing everyone watching 2026 spring training, but the question remained whether he could replicate those performances when the big league games started counting. So far, so good. While he did make an error at third base, his natural position is shortstop, so some growing pains there are to be expected. The most exciting part for the Tigers is that he looked totally comfortable in every at-bat, and they have added a potential superstar to their lineup.
Other Prospects Impressed
McGonigle was not the only young player to have a great start to the 2026 season. JJ Wetherholt, the St. Louis Cardinals‘ 23-year-old shortstop of the future, launched a 425-foot home run to begin his campaign, helping the Cards top the Tampa Bay Rays 9-7.
Fellow 23-year-old Carson Benge had a noteworthy debut in right field for the New York Mets, hitting a homer, drawing two walks, and stealing a bag to boot in the Mets’ 11-7 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
And don’t forget about Chase DeLauter, who is finally healthy for the Cleveland Guardians. The 24-year-old took Logan Gilbert deep in his first at-bat of the season, and followed that up with another home run in the ninth inning to help put the game away and lead the Guardians to a 6-4 win over the Seattle Mariners.
Skenes Struggles
The two-thirds of an inning performance of Paul Skenes versus the New York Mets was by far the most unexpected headline of the day — but it’s not very likely to be the most impactful for the rest of the season, unless this becomes a habit. Much more likely is that we will chalk up the reigning NL Cy Young winner’s disastrous day as just that — a bad day, and an extreme outlier in an otherwise ridiculously dominant resume. Skenes did not make it out of the first inning in this one, getting pulled after giving up five earned runs on four hits allowed, two walks, and a HBP. All eyes will be on his next start, slated to come against the Cincinnati Reds next week. Expect him to return to form there.
Four-of-a-Kind
Skenes may not have come through on Opening Day, but there were four other aces that took the mound and did not disappoint.
Garrett Crochet (6 IP, 0 ER, 8 K, 3 H, 2 BB) got his first win of the season, going six strong for the Boston Red Sox in their 3-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds.
Cristopher Sánchez (6 IP, 0 ER, 10 K, 3 H, 0 BB) had what was probably the most impressive performance of all in the Philadelphia Phillies‘ 5-3 win over the Texas Rangers.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (6 IP, 6 K, 2 ER, 5 H, 0 BB) was not at his peak but still battled through six and earned his first win of the year for the Los Angeles Dodgers in their 8-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
And budding ace Jacob Misiorowski (5 IP, 11 K, 1 ER, 2 H, 3 BB) also started the season 1-0, leading the Milwaukee Brewers to a 14-2 win over the Chicago White Sox.
Bad News for Chourio
Speaking of the Milwaukee Brewers, Opening Day was not all roses and sunshine despite that aforementioned win. The day started off with the news that their 22-year-old superstar Jackson Chourio will miss 2-4 weeks with a fracture in his left hand that occurred back on March 4 while playing for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. Given that Chourio had homered this week in a spring game, the news was especially surprising for Brewers fans. Chourio is entering the third season of an eight-year contract that was signed when he was just 19 years old. This IL stint is certainly a frustrating way to start the 2026 campaign.
By The Numbers
⚾ 0. That’s the amount of times prior to yesterday that the Mets had scored more than three runs in the first inning of a season. It only took a matchup against the Pirates’ Paul Skenes to make it happen.
⚾ 25. That’s the number of swing-and-misses generated by Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski in his start — five more than any other pitcher.
⚾ 20. That’s the number of total strikeouts that the Brewers’ pitching staff racked up in their win over the White Sox, a new franchise record for a single game.
⚾ 2. That’s the number of batted balls that Roman Anthony hit at an exit velocity of at least 110 mph — his two singles registered at 110.2 mph and 112.3 mph.
⚾ 1. Per Elias Sports Bureau, that’s the number of times that both teams scored six or more runs in the same inning on Opening Day, prior to the sixth inning in Thursday’s wild game between the Cardinals and the Rays. The two teams entered the inning deadlocked at 1-1, and finished the inning with the Cardinals leading 9-7. The other time it happened? That would be on April 19, 1890, in a matchup between the Boston Beaneaters and Brooklyn Bridegrooms. Yes, you read that correctly.
Best Moments From Yesterday
DeLauter’s Family Approves
I mentioned already that Chase DeLauter hit two homers in his 2026 debut for Cleveland, but the best part of that was watching his family in the stands track every second of the ball in flight during the first homer, unsure of whether it was going to make it out — and their pure joy when the ball cleared the fence.
New Hit Celebration
I have heard people complain about team hit celebrations, saying they are annoying and unnecessary. I personally think that they’re a fun and harmless way for a team to build camaraderie, and a good reminder to us all that this is, at its core, a kid’s game. On that note, the Baltimore Orioles debuted a new one of their own on Opening Day.
Reds Fans Do Opening Day Right
The Cincinnati Reds have one of the greatest Opening Day traditions in all of baseball, with their fans filling the streets outside of Great American Ball Park prior to their first game for the annual Findlay Market Opening Day Parade, which dates back to 1891 and never disappoints. This year was certainly no different.
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ Pavin Smith was a late scratch prior to the Arizona Diamondbacks‘ opener. He will undergo an MRI on his left elbow today (March 27) to determine if he will have to go on the IL.
⚾ Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee was pulled abruptly while warming up for the bottom of the sixth inning. He looked to be in discomfort after throwing his final warmup pitch, and the injury has so far been labeled as right shoulder inflammation. More information is expected to become available in the coming days.
⚾Alec Bohm has sued his parents for “at least $3 million in damages,” alleging they defrauded him while managing his finances.
Articles You Should Read
Looking Back at NBC Game of the Week — Joe Landolina, PitcherList
Excuse Me?! Our Bold Predictions for the 2026 Season— FanGraphs staff
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