Opening Day Showdown: Orioles and Blue Jays Clash in AL East Opener
The 2025 MLB season has officially arrived, with teams gearing up for another exciting slate of Opening Day games on Thursday. The Orioles are looking to put behind their second-half struggles from 2024 when they were eliminated early in the postseason for the second consecutive year. Heading into 2025, Baltimore aims to win their first playoff series since 2014. However, first, they must navigate a competitive 162-game season, beginning Thursday at 3:07 p.m. EDT on the road against the Toronto Blue Jays, starting a four-game series that brings intrigue right from the start.
The Orioles officially learned on Sunday that they will be without their franchise shortstop, Gunnar Henderson, to begin the season, as he will start the year on the IL while recovering from a strained intercostal muscle suffered in Spring Training. As a result, the Orioles will need to adjust quickly to avoid a slow start in a competitive AL East Division. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays enter 2025 looking to put the pieces together with their young talent, after finishing in last place a season ago at 74-88. Rumors continue to swirl around Vladimir Guerrero Jr., regarding whether he will remain part of Toronto’s future or become trade bait if the Blue Jays’ season doesn't go according to plan once again, despite a busy offseason that included notable signings like veteran starting pitcher Max Scherzer and former Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander.
The upcoming four-game series will feature Orioles’ starter Zach Eflin and Blue Jays’ starter José Berríos taking the mound for their respective teams as both aim to start the season on a strong note. Notable impact players in this series include Anthony Santander, who is coming off a 44-homer season with Baltimore in 2024 and now looks to bring his power to the Blue Jays lineup after spending his first eight MLB seasons with the Orioles. Other key players include Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette for Toronto and Adley Rutschman and Tyler O’Neill for Baltimore, among others. As the 2025 season begins, the Orioles vs. Blue Jays matchup on Opening Day promises to be one of the most exciting games to kick off another season of baseball.
