# Opening Day Reactions: Skenes Struggles, Tigers Make a Statement & Historic Rookie Debuts

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/flippin-bats-with-ben-verlander-3663614/opening-day-reactions-skenes-struggles-tigers-make-a-statement-historic-rookie-debuts
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/flippin-bats-with-ben-verlander-3663614/opening-day-reactions-skenes-struggles-tigers-make-a-statement-historic-rookie-debuts.md
Podcast: [Flippin' Bats with Ben Verlander](https://stenobird.com/podcast/flippin-bats-with-ben-verlander-3663614)
Published: 2026-03-27T21:48:00+00:00
Episode link: https://pdst.fm/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.megaphone.fm/RLDER3370103096.mp3
Audio file: https://pdst.fm/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.megaphone.fm/RLDER3370103096.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/flippin-bats-with-ben-verlander-3663614/episodes/opening-day-reactions-skenes-struggles-tigers-make-a-statement-historic-rookie-debuts
Duration seconds: 1253

## Resource

Opening Day is in the books and it delivered chaos, surprises, and some BIG early storylines across Major League Baseball. Paul Skenes had a tough first outing and didn’t make it out of the 1st inning... but there’s more to the story than the box score. On the other side, Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers looked dominant, raising the question: are they already the team to beat in the American League? We also break down one of the most impressive Opening Days for rookies in recent memory. Kevin McGonigle’s historic debut, JJ Wetherholt going deep early, Chase DeLauter’s two-homer performance, and Carson Benge making an instant impact all headline a wave of young talent making noise right away. Plus, Shohei Ohtani sets the tone for the Dodgers’ season with a powerful message to his teammates, the Mets’ revamped offense shows real promise, and several standout moments around the league. From overreactions to real takeaways, this episode covers everything you need to know from an unforgettable Opening Day. Be sure to follow/subscribe so you don’t miss upcoming episodes throughout the season. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:35 New Look Mets 1:53 Paul Skenes tough luck 5:03 Detroit Tigers look LEGIT 09:55 Dodgers are as advertised 13:02 Murakami homers in MLB debut 14:37 Rookies shined on opening day 19:13 ABS System Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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## Transcript

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