MLB Opening Day: Beavers to Watch

Here are four Beavers to keep an eye on as the baseball season begins.

By John Severs Apr 1, 2021, 8:00am PDT

Major League Baseball’s Opening Day is upon us, and its time to check in on those Beavers who have made the step up to the pros. Here’s who you can watch today.

Michael Conforto - RF, New York Mets

Its going to be a big season for both Conforto and the Mets. Conforto is on a one year contract, and will be an unrestricted free agent after the season. He could be looking to play outside of Queens after 2021, but he needs to put together a strong on the field performance if he wants a big payday. 2020 was his best year in the majors, so if he keeps improving he’ll probably get it.

The Mets, meanwhile, just granted Francisco Lindor a massive, 10 year extension. This is a team that’s going to want to be contending for a playoff spot soon, but after finishing in last place in the NL East during a very disappointing 2020 campaign and failing to land any of the big free agents despite their new, billionaire owner, the future of the Mets is in question. They’ll open the season at Washington, with first pitch set for 4:09 PM PT.

Nick Madrigal - 2B, Chicago White Sox

Madrigal had a solid first season with the White Sox, hitting for a .793 OPS. He did have make some mental mistakes in the playoffs that hurt Chicago, but is still set as a valuable piece for the organization. With the White Sox expected to contend for the postseason again in 2021, Madrigal will have an important role to play. The White Sox open their season in Loa Angeles against the Angels tonight at 7:05 PM PT.

Matthew Boyd - SP, Detroit Tigers

Boyd had a pretty miserable 2020. He went 3-7 as a starter, giving up an ERA of 6.71. Detroit, still in the middle of a rebuild, is hoping Boyd can return to his previous form, and he’s still listed as the first name in the Tigers starting rotation. If Boyd does get the nod as the opening day starter, he and the Tigers will be taking on Cleveland at 10:10 AM PT.

Drew Rasmussen - RP, Milwaukee Brewers

After a few appearances last season, Rasmussen earned an Opening Day roster spot after spring training. He looked impressive during spring, and with a full season in front of him could be a valuable part of the Brewers rotation. Milwaukee will open their season hosting the Minnesota Twins, with the start time set for 11:10 AM PT.

Those are the Beavers currently on Major League rosters. There are quite a few more down in the minors. Most notably, everyone in Corvallis and Baltimore is keeping an eye on Adley Rutschman’s development. Many are expecting him to see the Majors at some point this season. There are a lot of other Beavers working their way up to the majors, including big names like Trevor Larnach, Cadyn Grenier and Brandon Eisert, so hopefully they can make some noise once minor league baseball gets started again.

That’s all for now. Which games are you looking forward to the most today?