IT’S MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL TIME

Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Major League baseball season is upon us, making it through spring training without interruption, and a full 162-game regular season schedule is on deck.

Last year’s abbreviated 60-game slate was unique and a big change of pace, for this year’s opening day bringing stellar pitching match-ups and each and every team is playing on Thursday’s first day.

Topping the list of pitching match-ups for the second time in three seasons is when two multi-time Cy Young winners, Jacob DeGrom hurls for the New York Mets at the Washington Nationals and its Max Scherer, and the Mets are 2-0 in both openers.

Strikeouts and tenacity, both righthanders bring that in spades, Scherer has won three Cy Youngs and DeGrom two, but DeGrom is probably now the best pitcher in the game. He’s somehow throwing harder than ever, and is the ultimate combination of power and precision. Scherer is no slouch but comes off his worst campaign in some time in what was a bizarre season and he pitched through many nagging injuries.

The No. 2 match-up in Yankee Stadium has New York Yankee righthander Gerrit Cole going against Toronto Blue Jays’ southpaw Hyun-Jin Ryu. Then in Cincinnati, it’s righties Jack Flaherty of the Cardinals and Luis Castillo of the Reds. In Colorado, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the pre-season favorite, go with future Hall of Fame lefthander Clayton Kershaw versus Rockies’ righty German Marquez.

In Milwaukee, the Minnesota Twins send righthander Kenta Maeda to the mound against Brewers’ righty Brandon Woodruff. In Philadelphia, the Atlanta Braves go with southpaw Max Fried versus Phillies’ righty Aaron Nola. In Miami, it’s the Marlins sending righthander Sandy Alcantata to the hill and the Tampa Bay Rays countering with righty Tyler Glasnow.

In Los Angeles, the Angels will pitch righthander Dylan Bunt against Chicago White Sox righty Lucas Giolito, and in Detroit, the Cleveland Indians will send righthander Shane Bieber against Tigers’ lefty Matthew Boyd, and rounding out the top 10 finds the San Diego Padres at home and going with righthander Yu Darvish versus Arizona Diamondbacks’ southpaw Madison Bumgarner.

There are more prime match-ups, but opening day is opening day and it’s neat to assemble the probable top-10 ones. The most important thing though, is our National Pastime throwing out the first ball, and some teams allowing a limited number of fans in their stands.

Opening Day Games:

New York Mets at Washington Nationals on ESPN, Toronto Blue Jays at New York Yankees on ESPN,  St. Louis Cardinals at Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers at Colorado Rockies on ESPN, Minnesota Twins at Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies on NBC10, Tampa Bay Rays at Miami Marlins, Chicago White Sox at Los Angeles Angels, and Cleveland Indians at Detroit Tigers.

Then there’s the Arizona Diamondbacks at the San Diego Padres, the Houston Astros at the Oakland Athletics on ESPN, the Baltimore Orioles at the Boston Red Sox, the Pittsburgh Pirates at the Chicago Cubs, the Texas Rangers at the Kansas City Royals, and the San Francisco Giants at the Seattle Mariners.