Baltimore Orioles @ Boston Red Sox 2:10pm est
The Boston Red Sox come into this 2021 season looking to completely erase last years shortend season. With Chris Sale injured till like June, and Rodriguez ending his spring with dead-arm, Nathan Eovaldi will start. Eovaldi pitches well against the O’s. He was 3-0 last year, with an ERA of 0.95. On the visiting side, John Means is slated to take the mound. In 2019 Means was the AL Rookie of the Year runner up. Into his sophomore season, he was 2-4 with a 4.53 ERA in 10 starts.
PREDICTION: Boston added a veteran presence to their lineup with faces like Renfroe, Hernandez, and Marwin Gonzalez. After a very disappointing and struggle in 2020 season, the Red Sox will look to rebound and start the 2021 season off right on opening day. Look for Eovaldi to continue his success against Baltimore. (Red Sox -168)
Pittsburgh Pirates @ Chicago Cubs 2:20pm est
Currently there are only two players making more than $5 mil on the Pirates roster. This mean it is looking to be another rebuilding year for Pittsburgh. Star hitter Josh Bell, and two starting pitchers Musgrove and Taillon all left to new teams. Chad Kuhl will get the opening day start for the Pirates. The Chicago Cubs will return more veteran faces in the clubhouse to start the 2021 season. Manager David Ross has Kyle Kendricks as the listed starter, who is currently ranked 12th in WAR.
PREDICTION: The Chicago Cubs lineup is still loaded with hitters. The lineup consists of names such as Baez, Rizzo, Contreras, and new face Pederson. A Pirates team who is rebuilding will not be able to produce enough runs to stay with an offense like Chicago. (Chicago Cubs -215)
Arizona Diamondback @ San Diego Padres 4:10pm est
Madison Bumgarner looks to rebound off a very rough 2020 season. In 9 starts he was 1-4 with a 6.48 ERA. The Diamondbacks also struggled as a whole team in 2020. They were 25-35, and finished 5th in the NL West. Over in San Diego, fans are getting on the bandwagon. The Padres made a big splash in the offseason. The Padres are brining in faces like Blake Snell, Joe Musgrove, and Yu Darvish. They are adding to a Padres team who for the first time since 2010 posted a winning record. Yu Darvish will get the ball for opening day.
PREDICTION: The Padres are legit. They had a very exciting offense, and Tatis Jr is one of the most exciting players in the league. The main struggle for the Padres was their pitching, but they went out and added Darvish and Snell. Bumgarner is only going to go down with age, and I look for a young eager Padres team to light him up on Opening Day. (San Diego Padres -230)
