Opening Day Is Finally Here!
Thoughts, Predictions, & Lots Of Excitement!
“It’s unbelievable how much you don’t know about the game you’ve been playing your whole life.”
- Mickey Mantle
We’re here. We made it. Opening Day 2023 is finally here.
And I couldn’t be more excited.
After all the thrills we were treated to courtesy of the World Baseball Classic, after the long grind that is spring training, we can finally look forward to proper baseball.
It feels freaking awesome to say those words.
And, as I expanded on in a column which you can read HERE, I am more excited for the 2023 season than I have been for any other in recent memory.
From the slew of rule changes that have already had a positive impact on the game to the infusion of young, exciting talent taking over baseball, it really does feel like the start of a new era in the sport. A new dawn if you like. And I’m incredibly confident that this season is going to be one for the ages.
It all starts today with all 30 teams in action. I have always loved that about Opening Day. MLB just gets it. The start of any season is special and the perfect, heck the only way, to mark such an occasion is to have all 30 teams in action on the same day.
For baseball fans who have waited months for this day to arrive, it is only right we then get to luxuriate in wall-to-wall baseball all day long.
That’s how you market the start of a new season.
We all have our own little traditions when it comes to Opening Day too. Some may have a few lucky superstitions they do before heading to the ballpark. Others may have to wear the same pair of underpants every time their team plays. Some may even have to throw down four or five hot dogs before first pitch (that sounds like my kind of pre-game routine).
For me, I stick to the same tradition every single year. I settle in, put on the absolute iconic masterpiece that is Moneyball and I let that set the tone for the day. I’ll then watch the first game of the day before switching off all distractions ready for when the Mets play their first game of the year, then I’ll typically bring the curtain down on Opening Day by tuning in to whatever late game takes my fancy.
Looking at the full slate of games, Rockies vs. Padres and Guardians vs. Mariners will probably be the two games I’ll finish with.
I’m truly excited at what’s to come today, and I’m incredibly hyped about the fact baseball is back and we can now talk about one of the best sports on the planet every single day all the way through to November.
It feels damn good to be back.
So, without further ado, let’s get into my predictions for the 2023 MLB season!
National League
NL East: Braves
NL Central: Cardinals
NL West: Padres
NL WC: Mets, Phillies, Dodgers
Awards
NL MVP: Trea Turner
NL Cy Young: Spencer Strider
NL Rookie Of The Year: Corbin Carroll
American League
AL East: Yankees
AL Central: Guardians
AL West: Astros
AL WC: Blue Jays, Mariners, Angels
Awards
AL MVP: Shohei Ohtani
AL Cy Young: Jacob deGrom
AL Rookie Of The Year: Gunnar Henderson
World Series Prediction
Braves defeat Astros in Seven.
I feel pretty good about my predictions. The Braves are absolutely stacked and, given how they’ve managed to lock up their entire core to long-term but team-friendly deals, I can see them being a dominant force for years to come. And, while the Astros, like Thanos, are inevitable, I predict that the Braves will beat the defending champs in seven to win the World Series.
As for my individual award predictions, I’m fairly confident Trea Turner is going to take full advantage of the rule changes and have an absolute monster year on the base paths, stealing 50 plus bases (more on that later) and winning the National League MVP.
I also see Jacob deGrom having a comeback season for the ages, making over 25 starts and having an ERA lower than 2.00 to win the American League Cy Young Award. Shohei Ohtani is just going to have an absolute epic year and he’ll win the AL MVP Award pretty comfortably. And, finally, Gunnar Henderson and Corbin Carroll are special, special talents and, while there are plenty of high-end rookies this year, I see those two being the best of the bunch in their respective divisions.
So, there you have it. That’s our picks for the 2023 MLB season!
Before we go, make sure you have Blogsofsteele.substack.com open all day long because we’re going to have a plethora of baseball content up on the site throughout the day, including the launch of an exciting new feature I can’t wait to share with you all.
Enjoy today’s mouthwatering feast of baseball, everyone!
Happy Opening Day!
