MLB Opening Weekend: 5 takeaways from the happening first week of the season
MLB Opening Weekend 2022 had some wild moments. From the Toronto Blue Jays coming from behind to best the Texas Rangers or Jake Diekman coming in clutch to retire the Yankees in the ninth inning, there was no shortage of action.
Due to the Collective Bargaining Agreement reached between the MLB and the Players Association, this season has some new rules and practices unlike any other. Let's see how they're affecting the season and what teams and players have achieved so far.
5 Takeaways from the first weekend of MLB action
5 Seth Beer's Opening Day walkoff
The Arizona Diamondbacks had a season to forget last year. They had a record of 62-100 and were dead last in their division. They also scored among the fewest runs of any team in the MLB.
On Friday, April 12, the D-Backs were playing the San Diego Padres. Arizona was down 2-1 with two men on in the bottom of the ninth when Seth Beer stepped up to the plate.
The rookie launched a three-run bomb to deep right field, gaining a walkoff for his guys. He became the first rookie in MLB history to hit a come-from-behind walkoff home run. Fun fact, he hit his dinger on National Beer Day.
4 Shohei Ohtani makes history, again
When pundits look back on the career of Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese pitcher who is also a potent leadoff hitter, they will be amazed at how many records he will have broken.
Another was clinched on LA Angels opening night when Ohtani became the first player ever to throw the first pitch and subsequently be the first batter for his team.
Unfortunately, the Angels fell on opening night to the Houston Astros, with Ohtani only going 4.2 innings.
3 Universal DH comes to the National League
When the universal designated hitter rule was announced this past offseason, it opened up a multitude of options for teams all around the National League.
Some of the biggest names who now find themselves in the DH spot are Andrew McCutchen, Robinson Cano, and Brian Anderson. This opens up all sorts of roster combinations that did not exist for managers before.
2 Pitchcom
Potentially one of the most controversial elements of the 2022 season is a new technology called pitchcom, which enables catchers to communicate directly with pitchers through a button on their wristband. The message links to a vibration-based mechanism in the pitcher's ear to transmit the call.
An in-depth look at how Pitchcom works https://t.co/rDwFhaRBAx
"An in-depth look at how Pitchcom works" - @ Jomboy Media
The response has varied. The New York Yankees have gone full steam ahead with it. All-Star pitcher Gerrit Cole remarked, "For the most part, it’s pretty exciting, to be honest,” after using it with catcher Kyle Higashioka on opening night.
1 Umpire Microphones
Perhaps one of the biggest fundamental changes this season allows umpires to communicate directly with the crowd. They can now articulate calls to the crowd via a microphone, which will make them audible to the whole stadium.
Critics have called this "An NFL-isation" of baseball, while proponents have cited a newfound element of spectator engagement that is facilitated by this technology.
That is our list for the biggest takeaways from Opening Weekend of the 2022 MLB season. But there is plenty of baseball left to be played. Think we missed anything? Let us know in the comments below.