That's the lineup I've been waiting for, with Bo for Hedges eventually of course and Brennan/Fry platoon (via DH, Laureano probably 80% starter for now). No cheap outs, runners on base, 8 runs on 11 hits with doubles and a Jose triple.
Some observations:
Kwan:
I've already noticed in ST games that the more aggressive and pull happy approach will lead to a lot more pop ups from Kwanee. He's emulating Jose and it will be a mental test both for him and the fanbase if he/they can accept those ugly looking outs in favorable counts. If he doesn't get rewarded fairly soon, this could become problematic as he'll naturally revert back to his former approach/swing or worse, be caught in between. Just something to monitor. He faced a lefty yesterday, hopefully he rips some extra base hits this series to make him fully commit to this approach change. I think it can work and he can become a light version of Jose, but this adjustment comes with risk.
Freeman/Rocchio:
Confidence is even more important for those two, so it's nice to see them start off good. Freeman should have had at least 3 hits, got robbed twice. Just nice to see some competent ABs from them. I hope Vogt rewards him with another start vs RHP today and doesn't bench him (maybe at DH?). Tyler didn't get tested in CF, Rocchio made a routine play unnecessarily more complicated with a low throw, but that's a ball Naylor usually catches.
Bieber was just wow. He's noticeably added stuff to his plus plus pitchability and command. That's elite territory. Just stay healthy Shane.
Hedges is a huge component to Bieber's game, they're a perfect fit. With this being his walk year, I wouldn't sweat if Hedgie catches all of his games. And Austin looks better at the plate, as he did in ST. ABs are just more competitive, he makes more contact and I think it will translate into decent and improved (for him) performance.
Good win. I'm not used to a W on opening day. Feels like we've lost most of these under Tito. But it's a marathon. Rookie manager with a very young roster is a risky combination. I hope for a season with meaningful games into September. I've read somewhere that 2/3 of their first 60+ games are against teams with a projected record under 500, so we need to be more than just 500ish through May this year. Looking forward to an eventful 2024 season.