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1. Los Angeles Dodgers (5-0)
To the surprise of absolutely nobody, the Los Angeles Dodgers are the top team in baseball after Opening Week. The defending champions opened the regular season in Tokyo with two wins over the Chicago Cubs before returning stateside for a three-game series with the Detroit Tigers. Facing a Detroit team that won a playoff series in 2024, the Dodgers proved why they are once again the team to beat. LA handed Tarik Skubal — the reigning AL Cy Young winner — a loss in the opener, scoring four runs against the ace through five innings. In Game 2, the Dodgers trailed 5-3 entering the bottom of the 10th. Newcomer Michael Conforto knocked in a run and Will Smith tied the game at 5-5, leading to a walk-off three-run homer by Mookie Betts — his second HR of the night. In the finale, LA’s bullpen allowed three hits and one run over 7.1 IP following a rough start by rookie Roki Sasaki. LA became the first defending champion in more than 20 years to begin the year 5-0.
2. San Diego Padres (4-0)
Following a disappointing offseason, the San Diego Padres reminded the league why they were viewed as the World Series favorite entering last year’s postseason. Playing host to the Atlanta Braves, San Diego largely dominated one of the league’s best teams. The Padres survived a poor start from Michael King on Opening Day and used a four-run 7th to topple Atlanta 7-4. A Jake Cronenworth 8th inning HR gave San Diego a 4-3 win in Game 2. The final two games of the series were all about San Diego’s pitching staff. Randy Vasquez blanked the Braves for six inning en route to a 1-0 win in Game 3, and Nick Pivetta allowed one hit over 7.0 IP in the finale — a 5-0 Padres win.
3. New York Yankees (3-0)
The reigning American League champs generated the biggest headline of Opening Week. With the revolutionary ‘torpedo bats’ at their disposal, the Yankees scored 36 runs across a three-game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Yankees tied a Major League record with 15 home runs over their first three games, with nine of the homers coming from players using the torpedo bat. Following a 4-2 win on Opening Day, New York hung 20 runs on the Brewers in Game 2 — powered by a record nine homers — and put up another 12 in the finale. New York’s bats will not remain that hot over the course of 162 games, but fans must be encouraged by the offensive explosion to start the year.
4. St. Louis Cardinals (3-0)
An offseason of turmoil centered around the future of star third baseman Nolan Arenado was forgotten for a few days to start the new season. Arenado ignited the home crowd with an 8th inning homer that gave the Cardinals a 5-3 win over Minnesota on Opening Day. Erick Fedde spun a gem the following day, limiting Minnesota two hits and one run over six innings en route to a 5-1 victory. St. Louis capped off the sweep by pummeling Bailey Ober for eight runs in 2.2 IP. Last year, the Cards weren’t three games above .500 until June 24. The jury is still out on whether the team can compete for the NL Central crown, but it was a great opening series for Arenado and the Cardinals.
5. Miami Marlins (3-1)
How about the Miami Marlins? Projected to finish at the bottom of the National League East, the Marlins enter the second week of play atop the stacked division. On Opening Day, Miami erased a 4-1 deficit by scoring three runs over the final two innings — capped off by a walk-off single from Kyle Stowers. The Pirates won Game 2 to even the series, but Miami responded by winning the final two games of the set. Game 3 ended in the 12th inning courtesy of a Dane Myers walk-off single. In the finale, the Marlins overcame yet another deficit — Griffin Conine tied the game with a homer in the 7th — before handing the Pirates a third walk-off loss of the weekend. Knotted at 2-2 in the 9th, Pittsburgh closer David Bednar allowed the winning run to score on a wild pitch. Enjoy it, Miami — you will not be in first-place for much longer.
