Shohei Ohtani will be on the mound and in the lineup on 2023 MLB Opening Day as the Angels face the A's on Thursday night. Ohtani is the Angels Opening Day starter for the second year in a row and is coming off his MVP performance for champion Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
The Angels are trying to end an eight-year postseason drought in 2023, a streak that is tied for the longest in baseball with the Detroit Tigers. The A's, meanwhile, are in the second year of a deep rebuild and are projected to finish last in the AL West.
Here's everything to know about the A's-Angels opener.
A's vs. Angels on Opening Day
- Time: 10:07 p.m. ET | Date: Thursday, March 30
- Location: Oakland Coliseum; Oakland
- Pitchers: Shohei Ohtani (LAA) vs. Kyle Muller (OAK)
- Live stream: fuboTV (try for free) | TV channel: MLB Network, NBC Sports California (OAK), Bally Sports West (LAA)
- Odds: LAA -225; OAK +185; O/U: 7 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Storylines
All eyes will be on Ohtani, who is in line to be a free agent after season's end. It's not clear if Ohtani will be on the Angels next Opening Day, but he is currently focused on helping the franchise end its lengthy playoff drought. Ohtani and Mike Trout are back on the same team again after the former struck out the latter to end the World Baseball Classic earlier this month. The Angels have upgraded at other places on the roster over the winter and are hoping for a healthy season from Anthony Rendon.
Muller, a lefty, gets the ball for the A's in his team debut. He was part of the package Oakland acquired this winter when the team traded catcher Sean Murphy to the Atlanta Braves. Muller made his MLB debut in 2021 and had a 5.14 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 49 innings across 12 appearances for the Braves.
Prediction
It's hard to bet against Ohtani after what he did in the WBC. And it will be hard to bet on the A's in 2023. Pick: Angels 7, A's 2
