New Baltimore Orioles Slugger Discusses Insane Opening Day Streak

Baltimore Orioles new star outfielder has been historically good on Opening Day.

Feb 27, 2025; Sarasota, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles outfielder Tyler O'Neill (9) hits a 3-run home run during the second inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Ed Smith Stadium. / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles lost a great slugger this offseason in Anthony Santander, but they gained a new one in Tyler O'Neill.

O'Neill, 29, has been one of the best power hitters in baseball over the last few seasons.

He's topped 30 homers twice in the last four years and has gone deep on five straight Opening Days, which is an MLB record.

After spending last season with the Boston Red Sox, O'Neill decided to stay in the AL East, signing a three-year, $49.5 million contract with the Orioles.

On Wednesday, the two-time Gold Glover joined MLB Network to discuss his historic Opening Day performance.

"Maybe I wasn't going up there looking to walk four times in that game." 😂@Orioles marquee offseason signing Tyler O'Neill joins us on #MLBNHotStove to discuss his active Opening Day home run record and what drew him to this Baltimore team. pic.twitter.com/xnovXeCklI

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 12, 2025

O'Neill said he's been aware of his home run streak for several years now, but he emphasized the importance of being aggressive rather than trying to hit homers.

That mindset helped him launch his record-setting blast against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park last Opening Day, breaking a four-way tie with Todd Hundley (1994-1997), Gary Carter (1977-1980) and Yogi Berra (1955-1958).

"Maybe I wasn't going up there looking to walk four times in that game," O'Neill laughed. "I went into Opening Day with an aggressive mindset, obviously. A lot of friends and family for me in Seattle last year. Just a very special moment for me."

O'Neill went on to lead the Red Sox in homers (31) last year despite playing in just 113 games due to injuries, nearly matching his career-high of 34 dingers with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2021.

Heading into his first Opening Day with Baltimore, O'Neill isn't putting too much pressure on himself to extend his streak now that he has the record to himself.

"We'll see what happens this year," O'Neill said. "I'm just gonna try to go out and play a good ballgame and not do too much. The record's already mine anyways."

That said, the veteran outfielder is well-positioned to go yard against the Toronto Blue Jays on March 27.

The Canadian star has six homers in 18 career games against the Blue Jays, including three long balls in eight games at the Rogers Centre.

He's also been crushing the ball in spring training, batting .286/.375/.571 with a home run and three RBI in six games. If he keeps it up, he should be ready to hit the ground running when the season starts in two weeks.

"It's fun to be able to show up on day one of the season," O'Neill said. "Obviously it's something I take pride in now."

Recommended Articles

feed