Hunter Greene “Machine” was the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day starter for the second time in three years. On Thursday, Greene who is a leading candidate for the NL Cy Young, dominated on the mound as he accumulates eight strikeouts and only gives up three hits during his five innings, throwing 84 pitches.
Greene left the game up 3-2, but the bullpen surrendered four runs in the ninth inning.
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Cam Smith: Rightfield (Houston Astros)
Astros rightfielder Cam Smith went 1-for-3 in his MLB debut to help the Houston Astros to a 3-1 win over the NY Mets on Opening Day. Smith hit a groundball through the rightside hole on the first pitch he saw in his career. The Astros may have heisted the Kyle Tucker trade by acquiring Smith from the Chicago Cubs in return. The former Florida State Seminole has made the team’s Opening Day roster after playing just 32 minor league games and he looks ready to help the Astros compete for a pennant. Only Texas Rangers slugger Pete Incaviglia in 1986 and Toronto Blue Jays John Olerud in 1990 ascended to the majors faster.
The 22-year-old Lake Worth, Florida kid was the 14th overall pick in the 2024 draft out of FSU and soared up the MLB prospect rankings. Across his brief minor league stint, Smith recorded seven home runs and 24 RBI with a .313 batting average and 1.005 OPS. This spring training he solidified his MLB readiness with four home runs and 11 RBI with a .342 average and 1.130 OPS.
Ryan Bliss: Second Base (Seattle Mariners)
Bliss showed the Mariners enough in 63 at bats last season, to give the 5-foot-7, 165-pounder a real shot at making the team this spring. Bliss played more games than anyone this spring at second base (14). In 17 Cactus League games, Bliss slashed .308/.325/.462 primarily batting in the 7-8-9 spots.
The diminutive dynamo went 0-for-2 with two walks and a stolen base in Opening Day, while forming an All-MLBro tandem up the middle with shortstop JP. Crawford.
Kristian “Red Alert” Campbell: Second Base (Boston Red Sox)
The 22-year-old infielder exploded into contention for an Opening Day start, and he made the most of it, going 1-for-3 with a walk in his MLB, a 5-2 Boston Red Sox win over the Texas Rangers in his debut. Campbell displayed versatility in the field and is expected to play regularly at second base (probably costing David Hamilton valuable time). Despite a rough spring training Campbell showed enough to be promoted to The Show. His rise was swift as he was recognized as Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year, hitting .330 across three levels.
On Monday, Campbell spoke for the first time, recounting the memory of telling his parents the good news over the phone.
“It’s a dream come true for sure,” Campbell said (via NESN on X). “It was really exciting. I had to call my family, call my mom, dad, brother, and sister, let everybody know. But it was cool… They were yelling on the phone. They were super excited for me.”
Drake Baldwin: Catcher (Atlanta Braves)
Drake Baldwin was thrust into the starting catcher’s position and Atlanta Braves history when veteran catcher Sean Murphy suffered a cracked rib during an exhibition game at-bat on Friday. The necessary move made Baldwin the first rookie catcher to start on Opening Day for Atlanta since Alex Jackson in 2020. He’s also one of two Black starting catchers in MLB, along with Bo Naylor of Cleveland. Just 24 years old, Baldwin was a third-round pick by Atlanta in 2022 out of Missouri State. He went 0-2 with a walk in a 7-4 loss to the San Diego Padres.
