2025 MLB: 5 Takeaways From Opening Weekend
by Sam Cox | by Tyler Doty
Major League Baseball teams have just under 160 games to play at the time of writing. It’s very early to be drawing conclusions, but there are still some things we have learned from the opening weekend of the regular season.
Starting on Thursday, superstars debuted in their new threads, rookies made their first big-league appearances, and some historic performances were witnessed.
Here are five takeaways from the opening weekend of the season:
Sasaki Needs Time
Roki Sasaki’s rough start wasn’t enough to change MLB predictions for National League Rookie of the Year just yet. It is a concern, though.
Sasaki has walked nine in 4.2 innings over his two starts in the majors. He doesn’t look like he can throw his slider or splitter for strikes.
Looking dejected in the dugout after his second start of the season, it’s clearly going to take time for Sasaki to adjust. It was reported during the offseason that he was perhaps better suited to a smaller market where the lights aren’t as bright.
Maybe, just maybe, joining the superteam Dodgers in Los Angeles wasn’t the smartest move.
Innovation Debate Will Rumble On
The ‘torpedo’ bats used by the New York Yankees are legal. The Yankees slugged over .800 on the opening weekend of the season, prompting reactions ranging from outrage to intrigue.
Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger, Austin Wells, Anthony Volpe, and Jazz Chisholm Jr are using the new bats, which have moved some of the wood further down the bat to create a ‘bigger’ barrel.
Trevor Megill, closer for the Milwaukee Brewers, wasn’t impressed with the bats. Others have applauded the innovation by MIT physicist Aaron Leanhardt.
This storyline is bound to rumble on throughout the season. There will be further calls to ban the new design. If they aren’t outlawed, extra attention will be paid to the Yankees’ power-hitting numbers, and others will inevitably begin to use them.
DeGrom is Still deGrom
Jacob deGrom pitched five scoreless innings on Sunday, allowing only two hits and two walks, while striking out six and registering 16 whiffs. He’s upped his curveball usage considerably and threw his changeup frequently to lefties.
The fastball sat at 97. It’s a few ticks off his late-2010s peak, but it still makes him one of the harder-throwing starters in the big leagues.
The stuff still looks electric. His command was impressive. It was a phenomenal start to the season for a guy who has made 35 starts over the last four regular seasons.
Pirates Bullpen Woes
The Pittsburgh Pirates lost three of four to the Miami Marlins. They had a 4-2 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth in the opening game, conceded two runs in the bottom of the ninth in their lone win, suffered an extra-innings loss in the third game, and saw Colin Holderman and David Bednar combine to blow the save and lose the game in the series finale.
Pittsburgh’s bullpen was 24th in K-BB percentage in 2024. As a group, their relief corps was 25th in pitching+, 27th in ERA, and only three teams blew more saves.
After failing to meaningfully upgrade the lineup, the Pirates need to be an above-average pitching staff to compete. Their rotation could be top five in the majors, but their bullpen risks undermining the work of their starting group.
Giants Might be Good
The San Francisco Giants saw Logan Webb struggle on opening day. They still took two of three against the Cincinnati Reds and can take real positives from the first series of the year.
Heliot Ramos had a string of excellent plate appearances agaisnt right-handers, including an epic duel with Hunter Greene which ended in a home run. Justin Verlander was more than solid. Robbie Ray took a perfect game into the sixth inning. After an injury-plagued 2024, Wilmer Flores looked more like his 2023 self.
Jung Ho Lee was comfortable in the three hole. The bullpen is varied and deep, with impressive performances from a variety of arms, including a stress-free save for Camilo Doval on Sunday.
