O’Neill Sets MLB Record With Home Run On Fifth Straight Opening Day

In the wake of MLB opening day on Thursday, Boston Red Sox outfielder Tyler O’Neill became the first MLB player in history to hit a home run on his fifth consecutive opening day game.

The Red Sox opened their season on Thursday at home against the Seattle Mariners at Fenway Park and had a firm grip on the game heading into the seventh inning up 5-2. When the Mariners scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to bring the score to 5-4, the Red Sox needed a response.

O’Neill was the first at-bat in the top of the eighth and hit a solo home run to right center to give the Red Sox a two-run cushion. The ball left his bat at 104.3 mph and traveled some 394 feet. In the bottom of the ninth closing pitcher Kenley Jansen closed a 6-4 win. The Mariners responded with a much more dull 1-0 win on Friday to split the series 1-1. The series ended up 2-2.

O’Neill, 28, joined the Red Sox in an offseason trade from the St. Louis Cardinals. That was where he hit his four previous home runs from 2020-23. They came against Joe Musgrove and the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cam Bedrosian and the Cincinnati Reds, JT Brubaker and the Pirates, Alex Manoah and the Toronto Blue Jays, and now Cody Bolton and the Mariners.

The Canada native won two Gold Glove awards and finished eighth in the NL MVP voting in 2021 with 34 home runs and .912 OPS. Since then he struggled with injuries, but nothing has stopped him from hitting dingers on opening day.

O’Neill had been tied with three other players for the record for consecutive home runs on opening day games. Yogi Berra (1955-58), Gary Carter (1977-80) and Todd Hundley (1994-97) had each homered on four consecutive opening days in their careers. O’Neill has now homered in five straight opening days from 2020-24 and will look to continue his streak in 2025.

Article by Nathan Weick

USports writing intern and second year student-athlete at Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA pursuing BA in Professional Writing and BA in Spanish/Hispanic Cultures. Juniata College Mens Soccer Captain and former president of the Juniata College Class of 2026.