The 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) season promises to be a landmark one, with every team playing against each other at least once in the new schedule. This means less intradivision games and more interleague play, making it an exciting prospect for fans. The opening day season is no different as all 30 teams will be in action, giving fans a full slate of baseball to enjoy.
Quality Pitching Matchups on Opening Day
The opening day features several intriguing matchups that are sure to catch the attention of fans. This includes the Yankees’ Aaron Judge opening against the Giants, with Jacob deGrom making his Rangers debut against Phillies and new shortstop Trea Turner. Moreover, one of the most exciting pitching matchups of the day will take place in Miami, where Sandy Alcantara leads Marlins against Max Scherzer in his first appearance as an Astro. Besides, Angels two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani will pitch against the A’s in one of the last games on the schedule.
Ranking the Pitching Matchups
While all pitching matchups on Opening Day are exciting, some stand out more than others. We ranked them based on three factors: pitcher quality, storylines, and watchability. The rankings include Cy Young award-winning pitchers and elite starters.
Max Scherzer vs. Sandy Alcantara is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated matchups of the day. Both pitchers finished top five in Cy Young voting last year and boast superb strikeout capabilities. Dylan Cease vs. Framber Valdez also promises to be an exciting matchup between two young pitchers who had remarkable seasons last year.
Aaron Nola vs. Jacob deGrom is another matchup to keep an eye out for on Opening Day, with both pitchers considered among the best in their respective leagues. Logan Webb and Gerrit Cole will face each other in the second game of the season, while Shohei Ohtani will take the mound against Kyle Muller in a game that features numerous storylines.
Analyzing the Matchups
We analyzed the matchups based on stylistic differences, workhorse nature, ground ball vs. strikeout capabilities, and effectiveness. Max Scherzer, for instance, is a strikeout machine with his slider and fastball, while Sandy Alcantara boasts an electric fastball and a changeup that hitters find challenging to distinguish. The matchup between Dylan Cease and Framber Valdez would be an exciting clash of styles, as Cease relies more on strikeouts, while Valdez requires ground balls.
The New Rules and Changes for the 2023 MLB Season
The MLB is introducing several significant changes to its rulebook for the 2023 season. These include a pitch clock, banning defensive shifts, bigger bases, and a permanent extra-innings ghost runner. While some of these changes are controversial amongst fans and players alike, they are intended to make the game more exciting and prevent games from lasting too long.
The pitch clock might take some getting used to, but early data suggests that it is helping to shorten games. The ban on defensive shifts will change about one-third of total at-bats and should make the game more exciting by requiring pitchers and defenses to work harder to get batters out. The new bases are larger almost by two inches than before to encourage more steals while reducing injuries when sliding into bases.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the 2023 MLB opening day season promises to be one of the most exciting in history, with quality pitching matchups across all 30 clubs. With new rules being introduced for the season aimed at making games shorter and increasing excitement levels among fans, this year’s event has everything we could ask for as baseball enthusiasts. Fans can now look forward to enjoying hours of continuous MLB action come Thursday.
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