In 2018, the Tampa Bay Rays introduced the opener. Yep, that’s right, the Rays have been using the opener since 2018. What’s the problem with the opener you ask? Well I’ll tell you, to start off the title “starting pitcher” would not make any sense because when you look at a lineup card it says the starting pitcher for that game at the bottom of the card. Teams would have to say something like this “your opener for today’s game is” instead of “your starting pitcher for today’s game is.” I think that would be a little odd. This would also slow down the pace of the game because after the first inning, teams would make a pitching change then the television break. Now I realize that this is only adding a few more TV commercials, but I thought they were trying to speed up the pace of the game? That would slow down the pace of the game. The next reason the opener is a bad idea is that it might increase the chances of injuries. The chances of injuries would only increase slightly but the chances would still increase. This might also force teams to burn through their bullpen earlier. The next reason is my biggest reason. Some teams are wrapped up in big contracts with starting pitchers. Those pitchers are expected to go deep into games to rest the bullpens. These are the reasons why I am against the opener. Let’s hope the Royals don’t go this route!
