I want to love you, Adley.

Adley Rutschman raked in the hostile environment of Fenway Park on Opening Day. 5-5, HR, R, 4 RBI, BB is quite the day at the ballpark and a career-high in hits for the young catcher out of Oregon State. The Orioles jumped on Corey Kluber early thanks to a left-handed blast from Rutschman coming off his bat at 104.5 mph. They would go on to win the game 10-9.

Rutschman of course took the league by storm in 2022, called up by the Orioles in late May and firmly solidifying himself as arguably the best catcher in the game, as well as a threat at the plate. The boys in Baltimore looked like a completely different team the minute Rutschman was called up and it is hard not to draw comparisons to Buster Posey’s time in San Francisco, Joe Mauer’s in Minnesota, and Yadier Molina’s in St. Louis. Catcher is arguably the most difficult position in the game and he came up to the majors making it look easy as well as becoming a clubhouse leader.

The only thing Rutschman should consider working on is his sliding ability. In the top of the third, Rutschman laced a single down the left field line and decided it would be a very good idea to go for two. Since he is a self-proclaimed I Think You Should Leave fan, all I have to say is, “You sure about that?”

The play resulted in one of the best slides since Ian Kinsler slammed his face against the dirt, adding himself to gif history. It looked like Rutschman wanted to do some sort of swim move going into second base, but then it just kind of didn’t happen and he ended up scorpion-kicking Christian Arroyo in the head. I can’t make too much fun—I stood up too fast last week and my back hasn’t been the same, so athleticism is not my middle name.

Rutschman is the Orioles’ future and honestly could be the future face of the MLB; his talent is that great. Opening Day 2023 will be one he remembers for the rest of his life going 5-5, and I’m sure he’ll find the memory even sweeter with how goofy his third-inning slide was. It is very exciting to envision what may become of the young catcher, I for one cannot wait to watch.

 

Let’s see how the other hitters did Thursday:

 

C.J. Cron (COL): 4-5, 2B, 2 HR, 2 R, 5 RBI.

The Colorado Rockies went into San Diego and did damage against a consistently wild Blake Snell to kick off the year winning 7-2. Which of course means that everyone in Denver gets tacos. C.J. Cron was at the center of the offensive onslaught with two home runs and a double. It’s good to see he hasn’t missed a step heading into 2023. His resurgence in Rockies purple has been a welcome sight. The Rockies always seem to do well in April and May; as a Rockies fan it’s almost like they are playing some sick game. Expect excellent power numbers from Cron to start off the year and then later in the year, the power will show in bunches. Great start for the big first basemen.

Kris Bryant (COL): 3-5, 2B, R, RBI.

I wanted to show one other Rockie off for Opening Day and not because I am a Rockies fan, but can I please just have this? This is the only joy I will get out of the season. Kris Bryant is healthy. Kris Bryant is indeed still good at baseball. I think we all, myself included, have forgotten this. Let’s see if he can stay healthy because if he can, the Rockies will not necessarily be better, but he could at least put up some nice numbers. Okay, no more Rockies, I swear, I am so sorry.

Alec Bohm (PHI): 3-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.

Is it happening? I think it’s happening. Alec Bohm took Jacob deGrom opposite field on Opening Day and it was smoked at a 103.4 exit velocity off the bat. Bohm last year put up solid numbers in his first full season of play, but the main thing lacking from his 2022 was a lack of power and overall slugging percentage. Starting the year with a home run and a double is a very encouraging start, one that I hope to see continue for the young third basemen. The Phillies are dealing with a slew of injuries to start the 2023 season. Someone needs to step up, and it would be fitting if it was Bohm.

Brendan Donovan (STL): 3-6, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI.

Brendan Donovan put up a 4.2 WAR last season, which is indeed, quite good. Donovan smashed a home run and consistently made hard contact throughout the day showcased by a single showing an exit velocity of 105.3 and a lineout coming in at 109.1. He has firmly cemented himself as the St. Louis starting second baseman and we could see a big season from the young German second basemen. He’s a player to keep an eye on this season, there could be a massive breakout coming.

Ty France (SEA): 3-4, 2B, HR, R, 3 RBI.

Big Ty France broke the tie in the bottom of the eighth against the Cleveland Guardians with an opposite-field home run to give the Mariners an Opening Day win. The Mariners have a lot of hype riding into the 2023 season, and for good reason. France is a player on the team that seems to get overlooked. A full healthy season from “big country” (a new nickname I just coined, what do you think?) could be the spark that the Mariners need to get to the postseason and make a deep run.

George Springer (TOR): 5-6, 4 R, RBI.

George Springer and the Toronto Blue Jays barely hung on in a 10-9 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in what proved to be the best game of the day. Springer hit only singles but in a tight game, the four runs were of course extremely important. Springer, like France, lost time in the 2022 season to injury and feels like a massive part of their team’s success. Springer is good for an IL trip or two each season, but five singles Opening Day with four runs? That’ll play.

Travis d’Arnaud (ATL): 4-5, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI.

When I saw Travis d’Arnaud was serving as the Braves DH today I thought to myself “wow, they are really going to miss William Contreras this year.” Then d’Arnaud went 4-5 and I was over here eating crow. Moving forward, there may not be a lot of offensive upside for d’Arnaud, but this was a top-notch performance out of the gate. He will likely split time with Eddie Rosario at DH and of course, will backup Sean Murphy at catcher, but he will look to make the most of his at-bats. The man was an all-star last year, so there is a chance he could take the DH role and run with it in 2023.

Bo Bichette (TOR): 4-6, 2B, 2 R, RBI.

Bo Bichette, son of Rockies great Dante Bichette, started the year strong with a plethora of singles as well as a double in the Blue Jay’s wild win over the Cardinals. I contemplated not adding another player from this game, but it was just too good! I could add more from either team, but I’ll leave it to Donovan, Springer, and Bichette. The buzz this year in Toronto feels like it’s around Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to possibly make a run at MVP. I think a dark horse could be Dante’s kid. And with what he showed yesterday, a big season may be incoming.

Aaron Judge (NYY): 2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.

All rise, Aaron Judge ripped a home run 109.3 mph off of Logan Webb in the bottom of the first in Thursday’s game. Coming off of his historic 2022 season, it was impressive to see Judge jump out with a strong start in 2023. Now the captain of the Yankees, 99 showed why he was the 2022 AL MVP, and we can only sit back and watch with awe for what he does in 2023.

Wander Franco (TB): 2-4, HR, R, RBI.

Wander Franco is healthy to start the 2023 and wasted no time showing why he is one of the most exciting players in the game blasting a solo home run 104.8 mph. Kind of like Kris Bryant’s injury, when a player is down for the majority of a year, they can be forgotten about. Franco is only 22, and he just turned 22 at the start of March. There is so much buzz around young top prospects and I feel as if we do not appreciate Franco enough. We almost treat him like a vet and he’s barely made a dent in his major league career. He might be the player I am the most excited to watch in 2023.

Jose Siri (TB): 1-3, HR, R, RBI.

I wanted to add Jose Siri and his home run here today because I am a big Siri believer as shown in my 2023 Tampa Bay Rays sleepers article. I think there is a bright future on the horizon for the slick centerfielder. His defense is top tier and I don’t think it is out of the question to see a 20-home run, 20-stolen base season from Siri. He is going to be a lot of fun to watch in 2023.

Seth Brown (OAK): 2-4, 2B, SB.

Seth Brown, who has just a fantastic name, helped the Oakland Athletics to a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. Brown is a very fun player to watch that does not get his due because he plays for the A’s. The A’s ownership may be worse than the Rockies, and that is saying something. Brown has a very interesting power/speed combo that should lead to impressive numbers in 2023. A’s fans do not have a lot to be excited about, but Seth Brown and his beautiful name are at least a bright spot in what may prove to be a difficult year for the yellow and green.

Luis Robert Jr. (CWS): 2-4, R.

Luis Robert Jr. is another Bryant, Franco player who has massive talent but is coming off of an injury-plagued 2022. The White Sox put on a great show vs the defending champions and were rewarded with a 3-2 victory. Robert and Eloy Jiménez are massive cogs in the south side machine for 2023. A full healthy year of La Pantera could get the White Sox back into the postseason. The upside is there, he just has to stay on the field. A 2-4 Opening Day along with a win is a great step in the right direction.