Field Level Media
20 Mar 2026, 04:10 GMT+10
(Photo credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images)
Each of the past six straight seasons, Tyler O'Neill has homered on Opening Day in a one-of-a-kind streak in the history of the sport.
The Orioles outfielder, who has been dubbed 'Mr. Opening Day,' admits tacking on another homer will be on his mind when Baltimore hosts the Minnesota Twins on March 26.
Since becoming the record holder, O'Neill says every time he steps into the batter's box on Opening Day, he immediately thinks about the streak and taking a pitch deep.
'It's an elephant in the room,' the 30-year-old O'Neill told reporters Thursday. 'Pressure's off, obviously. I don't really have to prove anything in that regard. But yeah, it's on my mind. Would it be great to push it to seven? Yeah. Of course, it would be.
'And if I get the opportunity to do that, great. But if not, no big deal.'
Before O'Neill blew into history, the top streak was four and shared by Hall of Famers Yogi Berra (1955-58), Gary Carter (1977-80) and a third catcher in Todd Hundley (1994-97).
This season, the first pitcher he faces is slated to be right-hander Joe Ryan of the Twins. O'Neill has faced Ryan in just contest and went 1-for-2 with a homer in 2023
O'Neill's streak started when he homered on Opening Day for the Cardinals in 2020. He did so the next three seasons for St. Louis before breaking the record in the Boston Red Sox's opener in 2024.
Last season, he homered for the Orioles as he smacked a three-run blast in the third inning off right-hander Jose Berrios of the Toronto Blue Jays.
O'Neill was plagued by injuries last season and played in just 54 games for Baltimore. He batted .199 with nine homers and 26 RBIs.
'I'm just going to try and go out and play my game, and whatever the result yields, it is what it is,' O'Neill said.
O'Neill twice has topped 30 homers in his career. His best RBI total was 80 for the Cardinals in 2021.
O'Neill made it clear that the results on Opening Day aren't the only ones that matter.
'We've got 161 games to go after that,' O'Neill said. 'It's just all about having a good time and being with the guys and not making more of it than it is.'
--Field Level Media
Get a daily dose of Calgary Monitor news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Calgary Monitor.
More InformationTehran [Iran], March 20 (ANI): Leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan and the United Kingdom condemened...
Bikaner (Rajasthan) [India], March 20 (ANI): Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of appeasement in...
Jerusalem [Israel], March 20 (ANI): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday (local time) said that Israel independently...
Jerusalem [Israel], March 20 (ANI): As tensions continue to escalate in the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu...
Jerusalem [Israel], March 20 (ANI): Accusing Iran of attempting to 'blackmail the world' by disrupting a key global oil route, Israeli...
The war in the Middle East has made the outlook significantly more uncertain, creating upside risks for inflation and downside risks...
(Photo credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images) Each of the past six straight seasons, Tyler O'Neill has homered on Opening Day in a one-of-a-kind...
(Photo credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images) The Washington Capitals have enjoyed the comforts of home lately and aim to keep doing...
(Photo credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images) The Carolina Hurricanes aim to take another step forward in the race for first place...
(Photo credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images) George Springer belted a grand slam in the fourth inning to highlight his three-hit...
(Photo credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images) Major League Soccer on Thursday announced the format for the 2027 'sprint season'...
RT correspondent Steve Sweeney says an Israeli strike hit a car he and his cameraman were traveling in RT correspondent Steve Sweeney...
