Top moments (so far!) from a thrilling Opening Day 

Opening Day never seems to disappoint, not after we spend the offseason waiting for a day like Thursday -- one full of packed ballparks, clutch hits, and nasty pitches.

In case you missed any of the action, or simply want to relive the day that was, here's a look back at some of the top moments from Opening Day.

1. Top prospects shine in debuts

We’ve never seen this many top prospects on Opening Day rosters before: 20 players on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects list began the year in the big leagues, the most since MLB Pipeline released its first Top 100 list in 2012. And it's safe to say that the kids are alright.

Mets outfielder Carson Benge (MLB No. 16) reached base three times in his MLB debut, launching a solo home run for his first career hit -- which prompted his first Citi Field curtain call. Benge became only the second Met to homer on Opening Day in his big league debut, joining Kazuo Matsui (2004).

Benge wasn’t the only top prospect to leave the yard on Thursday. Cardinals infielder JJ Wetherholt (MLB No. 5) drove an 0-2 fastball over the center-field fence in his second at-bat, sending it a Statcast-projected 425 feet. Wetherholt looked plenty comfortable in the leadoff spot, playing a key role in the club's furious sixth-inning rally (more on that later).

As impressive as Benge and Wetherholt were, Tigers infielder Kevin McGonigle (MLB No. 2) really stole the show. McGonigle met the moment in his first plate appearance, jumping on the first pitch and dumping a two-run double into right field. The Padres could not slow down McGonigle on Thursday. He tallied four hits, becoming just the second Tigers player since at least 1900 to have four hits in their big league debut, joining Billy Bean (1987).

Like McGonigle, Justin Crawford (MLB. No. 53) got his first hit out of the way early, shooting the first pitch that he saw in the big leagues back up the middle. Crawford -- the son of four-time MLB All-Star Carl Crawford -- notched another hit in the fifth inning, keying a three-run frame for the Phillies.

2) New-look Mets chase Skenes

What looked on paper like one of the top pitching duels of the day -- Paul Skenes vs. Freddy Peralta -- unraveled in shockingly fast fashion. After the Pirates took a 2-0 lead two batters into the game on Brandon Lowe’s home run, the Mets responded with five runs in the bottom of the first inning. Brett Baty (three-run triple) and Marcus Semien (RBI double) provided the key hits, although both were aided by shaky defense from center fielder Oneil Cruz.

Skenes didn’t survive the frame as he was relieved after recording just two outs and throwing 37 pitches. It was a stunning turn of events for the 2025 NL Cy Young Award winner, who gave up a total of five runs over his final six starts last season. It was the shortest outing of Skenes’ career. Per Elias Sports Bureau, it was also the shortest start by a reigning Cy winner in his season debut.

3) The Miz dominates

The Brewers gave the ball to Jacob Misiorowski on Opening Day while cautiously slotting the staff ace, Brandon Woodruff, at the back end of the rotation. At 23 years and 357 days old, Misiorowski became the third-youngest pitcher to start Opening Day in Brewers franchise history. His day got off to a rocky start, as White Sox second baseman Chase Meidroth greeted Misiorowski with a leadoff home run. But the six-foot-seven righty settled in from there, looking much like the pitcher who made the NL All-Star team last season after just five big league starts.

Misiorowski struck out 11 hitters over five innings of one-run ball, falling one strikeout shy of his single-game career high. His 11 strikeouts set a new Brewers franchise record for K's in a season opener, surpassing a mark originally set by Ben Sheets in 2002 and matched by Freddy Peralta in 2024 and ‘25.

4) Cy Young Award finalists look sharp

In contrast to Skenes, a number of baseball's inner-circle aces shined. Tarik Skubal began his quest for a third consecutive AL Cy Young Award with six solid innings against the Padres, notching six strikeouts. Skubal's dominance means Garrett Crochet has his work cut out for him as he vies for his first Cy Young, and the lefty kept pace with six scoreless innings and eight punchouts against the Reds. Crochet even saved his best for last, throwing a full-count cutter by Spencer Steer to strand the bases loaded with his final pitch of the afternoon.

Not to be outdone, Hunter Brown -- the third-place finisher in 2025 AL Cy Young voting -- began his season with 4 2/3 scoreless innings and nine strikeouts against the Angels.

In the National League, Cristopher Sánchez dazzled in his first Opening Day start. The left-hander, who finished second to Skenes in 2025 NL Cy Young Award voting, tossed six scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts and no walks. He became just the sixth pitcher with six-plus scoreless innings, 10-plus strikeouts and no walks in the first game of the season (MacKenzie Gore did it last year for the Nationals).

5) Schwarbombs are back

Kyle Schwarber did not make us wait long for the first Schwarbomb of the year. In his first at-bat since re-signing with the Phillies on a five-year, $150 million deal, Schwarber left the yard, because that’s what he does best. A year after belting a National League-best 56 home runs, Schwarber launched his first of the new season off Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, swatting a 1-2 curveball over the left-field fence. It’s the second straight year that Schwarber has homered on Opening Day.

6) A vintage homer from Mike Trout (the center fielder)

Does the oft-injured Trout have another truly elite season left in him? On the heels of a promising spring, the three-time MVP turned back the clock with a vintage performance on Opening Day. Trout, 34, broke a scoreless tie in the seventh inning with a majestic home run, turning around a 96.2 mph fastball and sending it onto the train tracks beyond the left-field seats at Daikin Park. It was his fifth career Opening Day homer. Trout also stole a base and reached base four times -- something that he accomplished just two times across the past two years. He also drew the start in center field, playing his old position for the first time since 2024, which he's expected to do on a regular basis.

7) A wild inning in St. Louis

Baseball is always weird, but the sixth inning of Thursday's game between the Rays and the Cardinals took things to a whole different level of weird. Tampa Bay seemed to seize control with a six-run outburst in the top of the sixth inning, which broke a 1-1 deadlock. But the Cardinals did not go down without a fight. The first seven St. Louis batters to come to the plate in the bottom of the sixth reached base against two different Rays pitchers. After a pair of sacrifice flies evened the game up again, Alec Burleson brought the hammer down, turning around a 98.6 mph fastball from Griffin Jax for a go-ahead two-run homer. Burleson's shot capped off an eight-run frame in an eventual 9-7 Cardinals win. Per Elias, it's only the second time that both teams have scored 6+ runs in an inning on Opening Day. The Boston Beaneaters and Brooklyn Bridegrooms did so on April 19, 1890.

8) Mets win first successful challenge

The first regular-season ABS challenge occured on Opening Night, via Yankees shortstop José Caballero. But Caballero's challenge was unsuccessful, forcing us to wait another day for the first successful regular-season ABS challenge. That happened in the first game of the day on Thursday, when Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez initiated a challenge on a full-count pitch that home-plate umpire Adrian Johnson originally called a ball. Sure enough, the pitch from Freddy Peralta was indeed in the zone, leading to an overturn -- and a consequential strikeout. The next batter, Brandon Lowe, left the yard.