After a busy off-season that featured a slew of big moves and a month’s worth of spring training, the regular season has begun with MLB Opening Day 2025. Thursday saw almost every team in the league kick off their campaign for this year, and quite a few stars showed out.
However, there were also some disappointing days for elite players and teams, as well as several surprises. With MLB Opening Day for 2025 in the books, let’s take a look at some of Thursday’s biggest winners and losers.
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Winner: Fernando Tatis, Jr. – San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres began their 2025 season with a big victory over the Atlanta Braves. And the star of the show was their $340 million man, Fernando Tatis Jr. The outfielder slapped three hits and scored twice in the Pad’s win. The leadoff hitter set the table and delivered in the role on Thursday.
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Loser: Paul Skenes – Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes has emerged as one of the sport’s biggest and brightest young stars. Getting the ball on MLB Opening Day was one of the top stories in the league. While he tallied seven strikeouts against the Miami Marlins, he only went 5.1 innings. He left the game with a 2-1 lead, and the score was pushed to 4-2 in the next inning. Unfortunately, he got a no-decision after his bullpen gave up four runs and cost him and his teammates a win.
Winner: Wilyer Abreu – Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox had one of the stars of MLB Opening Day. Wilyer Abreu was a beast against the Texas Rangers on Thursday. The 25-year-old took a solid step forward in 2024, but he got off to a thunderous start in 2025 by going 3-for-3 with two homers and knocking in all but one of the Sox’s five runs in their 5-2 win.
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Loser: New York Mets Batting Order
The New York Mets are expected to be a title contender in 2025. Their pitching staff is their weakness, while their batting order could be one of the best in baseball. However, it didn’t show up on Thursday. NLV MVP runner-up Francisco Lindor went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. The team struck out seven times and only managed one run against the Houston Astros. It was a disappointing start for a lineup with high expectations (Juan Soto was 1-for-3 with two walks).
Winner: Adley Rutschman – Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles smashed the Toronto Blue Jays‘ pitching staff to the tune of 12 runs on Thursday. But the man with a case for the star of MLB Opening Day 2025 was catcher Adley Rutschman. The two-time All-Star had three hits, two homers, and three RBIs. Having a catcher that can contribute at the plate is a big plus. And the O’s have the best of the best.
Loser: Jose Berrios – Toronto Blue Jays
Speaking of the Jays, Jose Berrios was on the wrong end of an Opening Day slobber-knocking. The two-time All-Star had the best year of his career in 2024, as he won 16 games. However, on Thursday, he gave up six runs on nine hits over five innings. It will be a start he looks to forget.
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Winner: Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox were god awful in 2024, as they broke the modern era record for most losses in a season with 121. They are expected to be bad again this year. However, at least for one day, they gave their suffering fans something to smile about with a dominant 8-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. They may not get many more, but getting a W on the first day of the season is always nice.
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Loser & Winner: Logan Webb – San Francisco Giants
All-Star Logan Webb had one of his best seasons as a pro in 2024. His performances in recent years earned him the ball on MLB Opening Day. Unfortunately, he was shaky on Thursday as he gave up three runs on six hits and walked three over five innings. He seemed headed to an opening day loss, but his San Francisco Giants teammates posted four runs and pulled out a 6-4 victory. It is why Webb was both a loser and winner today.