Top 10 moments from MLB Opening Weekend

Major League Baseball is back, with every team already playing in their opening day series. In these three to four-game matchups between opposing teams, lots of action unfolded. Here are the top ten moments that occurred during the start of the 2025 season.

No. 10 Offensive explosion in the Bronx

The New York Yankees started the season with an emphatic start, scoring 36 runs in their three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers. 20 of these runs were scored in game two, where the Yankees hit nine home runs on their way to the 20-9 victory. If this series is any indication of what the season will look like for the Bronx Bombers, the rest of the AL East might be in trouble.

No. 9 Blue Jays honor Kevin Kiermaier

One of the best defensive outfielders of all time hung up the cleats at the conclusion of last season, going out on top with a World Series win with the Los Angeles Dodgers to accompany his four gold gloves and platinum glove in the trophy case.

Kiermaier played with the Blue Jays for a season and a half before being traded towards the deadline in his final year and was hired this offseason as “the outfield whisperer”. To recognize his retirement and now being a member of the coaching staff, the Jays had him throw out the first pitch on opening day, making for a real nice moment to start the year.

No. 8 Dodgers World Series ring ceremony

Every year, the team that wins the last World Series gets its championship rings during the first home series of the year. With the Dodgers hosting the Detroit Tigers to start the year, the members who partook in helping the team win it all last year got their rings to start the season on the right foot.

The team even got the sweep, following their flawless performance in the Tokyo Series as well, showing the team is just as dangerous this year.

No. 7 New “torpedo” bats

The talk of the league has been the implementation of the new torpedo bat. The bat is a slightly modified version of the traditional baseball bat, with the sweet spot of the bat moved slightly towards the hands to better fit the swing path of certain players.

The Yankees were the team putting these bats on the map, with shortstop Anthony Volpe and second baseman Jazz Chisholm most notably hammering the ball in the opening day series.

The future of these bats is still uncertain, but for now, it is certainly exciting to see what new technology and analytics can lead to in the sport of baseball.

No. 6 Josh Hader notches 200 career saves

The veteran closer has been a dominant force on the mound at the end of games for some time now.

Hader holds onto a career 2.71 ERA, 755 strikeouts and now over 200 saves. The milestone is no small feat, with only 55 pitchers reaching the mark in their careers.

No. 5 Ryan Johnson MLB debut with zero minor league experience

With the 74th pick in the 2024 MLB draft, the Los Angeles Angels selected Ryan Johnson, a pitcher out of Dallas Baptist University. Johnson would show some promise during Spring Training this year, posting a 3.97 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 11.1 innings pitched.

The Angels felt as if they saw enough, so they gave him a spot on the opening day roster, leading him to make his MLB debut without throwing a single pitch in the minor leagues.

No. 4 Randy Arozarena bat slam

Down one in the bottom of the eighth against the Athletics, Arozarena sent a baseball into orbit, tying the game. What followed was a celebration of the year candidate, with him slamming the bat into the ground as he looked towards his teammates in the dugout.

The Seattle Mariners would go on to win this game 4-2, after later that same inning third baseman Jorge Polanco hit a two-run home run to give them the lead, setting up closer Andres Munoz to get the save in the ninth.

No. 3 Juan Soto hits first home run as a New York Met

After signing a 765 million deal that would seemingly leave Soto in Queens for the rest of his major league career, the anticipation was high for his opening day debut. In game one against the Houston Astros, the Mets would come up short with Soto being the final out after failing to check his swing.

However, the tides turned in game two with the Mets winning 3-1 and Juan Soto hitting a long home run for his first in blue and orange.

No. 2 Mookie Betts walk-off home run

In game two of their opening day series against the Tigers, the Dodgers won in emphatic fashion. In the bottom of the tenth with two on, Betts would call game with a three-run walk-off blast to keep the team's win streak alive.

The moment was pure cinema, keeping the Dodgers in the driver's seat to start the year.

No. 1 Marlins with three walk-offs in Opening Series

What is better than having one walk-off win? How about winning three out of the four games in your opening series in walk-off fashion? That is exactly what the Miami Marlins did, stunning the Pittsburgh Pirates three separate times on their way to starting the year strong with a 3-1 record.

With plenty of baseball left this season, there are sure to be a ton more exciting moments to watch, especially once playoff races start to heat up later in the year. If this is any indication of what is to come, I for one am excited to see what 2025 Major League Baseball has in store.

Charles Wesolowski is a first-year majoring in journalism. To contact him, email cjw6772@psu.edu.