A national holiday for baseball fans is almost here. The MLB will kick off its 2025 season on Opening Day, March 27.
Retired MLB veteran reliever, Steve Cishek, remembered his thoughts on his first Opening Day, playing for the Miami Marlins. He said there was a lot of hype that year, with it being the first year of the Miami Marlins, not the Florida Marlins.
“The atmosphere was electric,” Cishek said. “ The blood was pumping.”
Cishek said this Opening Day was his favorite one. The stress of being an MLB reliever for over a decade can be overwhelming, but Cishek turned his focus on the Lord.
“I need to give Christ all the glory,” Cishek said.
Cishek added that he gave everything he had every single day. He made sure to thank his wife for her phenomenal work taking care of their daughters.
Cishek retired in 2022, after pitching in 737 games from 2010 to October 2022.
Last season, the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in the World Series in just five games. It was a significant blow to the Yankees organization and the pride of Yankee fans.
The Dodgers look to dominate again, led by superstar designated hitter and pitcher Shohei Ohtani. Last season, the Japanese phenom and reigning MVP had a 54 home run and 59 stolen base season, the only player in MLB history to achieve this feat.
LA’s offseason moves this year are headlined by signing Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher Roki Sasaki to a six-year contract. Sasaki and Ohtani were a part of Japan’s national baseball team, which defeated Team USA in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
The Yankees were also busy during the offseason. They traded for Chicago Cubs’ outfielder Cody Bellinger and signed veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt in free agency. Bellinger was the 2017 Rookie of the Year and 2019 National League MVP, while Goldschmidt is a seven-time all-star.
The Yanks captain outfielder, Aaron Judge, is coming off a 58 home run season with a .322 batting average. The two-time MVP talked about the team’s new recruits during an MLB-conducted interview on March 1.
“It’s a lot of guys that, you know, wanted to be here in New York, wanted to play for the Yankees, and, you know, we’re seeing some good results out of them so far,” Judge said.
While the Yankees and Dodgers are the top dogs in the league, other teams and rising stars are emerging. The Baltimore Orioles came in second place behind the Yankees in the American League East with a 91-71 record.
Two of the O’s stars include shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who was the American League Rookie of the Year in 2023. Henderson finished with 37 home runs and a .281 batting average last season.
Henderson was injured in a spring training game this year on Feb. 27 while leaping to catch a liner hit by Blue Jays’ shortstop Bo Bichette and may not be ready for Opening Day. Last year, Baltimore promoted one of their top prospects, second baseman Jackson Holliday. Holliday is the son of retired MLB veteran Matt Holliday.
On the National League side, the Philadelphia Phillies are hoping to return to form after winning the National League East and putting up a 95-67 record. Three-time all-star infielder Trea Turner and decorated outfielder and first baseman Bryce Harper shined throughout last season for the Phils. Turner put up a stunning .295 batting average with 21 home runs. Harper put up a .285 batting average with 30 home runs.
On March 18-19, the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers will kick off the MLB season in Tokyo, Japan at 6 a.m. EST for both games.
