What are the top 5 MLB Opening Day games in 2023?

Going into the 2023 MLB season, there are a myriad of intriguing storylines. Whether it is the Carlos Correa saga that eventually brought him back to Minnesota, Jacob deGrom leaving New York for the Rangers only to be replaced by Justin Verlander, or the Phillies making a big splash with the signing of Trea Turner, there is sure to be plenty of interesting storylines that will play out this season.

Today, I will look into the 5 most intriguing MLB Opening Day games/series.

5. Twins @ Royals

This game will be billed as the return of Carlos Correa. After the whirlwind of an offseason saw Correa in three different uniforms only to have a surgery from 2014 hinder him from signing with the Mets and Giants, he would eventually end up back in the Twin Cities on a six-year, $200 million deal. The Twins will be looking to get back in the race for the AL Central after a 78-84 record in 2022 saw them miss the playoffs.

On the Kansas City side, it is a story of youth with players like Maikel Garcia and Drew Waters will look to lock up a spot on the Opening Day roster. There is a chance the Royals look to move Bobby Witt Jr. over to third to make room for Garcia.

4. D-Backs @ Dodgers

Though the NL West is most likely to be a two-team race with the Padres and Dodgers battling it out for the division, the under-the-radar offseason for the Diamondbacks could have them secure the third spot in the division and maybe a Wild Card berth.

For Arizona, the first series of the year on the road in Los Angeles will go a long way to show if they have approved enough to be relevant in the West. For the Dodgers, it is just the start of another year vying for another World Series. Though they did have some departures over the offseason, their farm system is more than capable to make up for the pieces lost.

3. White Sox @ Astros

The defending World Series champions open up against the Chicago White Sox at home. The Astros are returning their entire World Series roster aside from Justin Verlander, which will not hinder them the least. The addition of Jose Abreu will be a fun storyline to watch as they hope the 36-year-old first baseman can regain his MVP form from 2020.

The White Sox lost a couple of pieces from last year, but brought in the likes of Andrew Benintendi and Mike Clevinger to again battle for the AL Central with the Twins and Guardians. Clevinger and the Sox are hoping his off-the-field situation doesn’t keep him off the field for the 2023 season as he has an opportunity to make a formidable one-two punch with Lucas Giolito at the top of the rotation.

2. Guardians @ Mariners

Having won the AL Central in 2022, the Guardians come into 2023 with a very similar roster as 2022 while bringing in 30-year-old first baseman Josh Bell. The Guardians will look to ride their stacked rotation to another division championship. The addition of Bell and the extension of Jose Ramirez will pair with Josh Naylor and free agent signing Mike Zunino to add some offense to back up the dominant rotation.

In 2022, the Mariners ended their 20-year playoff drought, which was the longest active drought across all four major sports. Seattle was able to win a series in the playoffs before falling to the eventual World Series champion Astros. Rookie Julio Rodriguez burst on the scene last year hitting .284 with 28 home runs and grabbing 25 stolen bases. They will be an interesting team to watch again this year with youngsters like Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh hoping to bring them to the playoffs once again.