The latest MLB season is just around the corner, and baseball fans can finally start looking forward to watching some action again. With the first round of matchup beginning on July 23, these are the opening day games to keep an eye on.

4. Brewers at Cubs

The National League is likely to be a four-horse race, and two of them face off against each other here. Wrigley Field will play host to a finely-balanced matchup that could go either way.

3. Angels at Athletics

This should be a fun matchup because every single game between these two franchises impacts their postseasons. With plenty on the line, it will be fascinating to see how the Angels perform against one of the best rosters in MLB. On the flip side, the Athletics will have to play well to hope they can keep stars like Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon quiet.

2. Twins at White Sox

The Twins and White Sox are like two peas in a pod. The White Sox will be hoping they can follow the same trajectory that saw the Twins win their division in 2019. Chicago will have to perform well to challenge the Twins, and it will be intriguing to see how the plethora of free-agent signings bed into each roster.

1. Yankees at Nationals

MLB fans are in for a treat in what could already be a World Series preview. The Yankees and Nationals are two of the strongest contenders in the league as last year’s champions, and this year’s favorites go head to head. With stars throughout, the most intriguing matchup is the pitching contest between Gerrit Cole and Max Scherzer.

These games should prove to be talking points not just on day one, but how they could impact the rest of the year. With only a shortened 60-game regular season, every result counts, and these are the opening day matchups to make sure you catch.

Baseball is a magnificent sport. As fans, we love majestic diving plays that defy our expectations and the little big moments that you know will live on forever the moment you see them. However, in addition to the soaring home runs and the pitches that make our jaws drop, we sometimes witness the other side of the sport — the whoops, uh-ohs, and the gaffes that make us laugh. Below are five of the latter that happened in the 2021 MLB season.

1. Ke’Bryan Hayes and Adam Duvall Lose Some Home Runs

Baseball isn’t a complicated sport. Players learn the basics early on: after you swing a bat at a pitched ball, you have to step on each base as you pass, and you cannot pass your teammate on the basepaths. Well, even big leaguers like Hayes and Duvall can sometimes fail at remembering these guidelines. The rookie Hayes forgot to touch first base during a game for the Pirates, while Duvall passed his teammate on the basepaths when he got confused about where the ball actually went.

2. Edmundo Sosa’s Ripped Baseball Pants

Wardrobe malfunctions happen to the best of us. When Sosa’s unfortunate accident happened, fans were quick to wonder which was more hilarious — Sosa’s unfazed reaction to a silly mishap, the umpire’s humorous facial expression, or the Cubs shortstop Sergio Alcántara who couldn’t contain his laughter when he saw what happened.

3. Rob Refsnyder Learns the Dimensions of Camden Yards…

While some people like to learn theory, others prefer to do it in practice. Such was the case with the Twins outfielder Rob Refsnyder when Orioles slugger Ryan Mountcastle went deep on the May 31st baseball game between the two teams. While trying to outrun the ball and catch it, Refsnyder literally ran into the walls of Camden Yards. Fortunately, he wasn’t hurt (well, maybe his ego was, but that’s repairable).

4. Luis Robert Puts His Head to Extra Use

Luis Robert, The Panther, is pure excitement on the baseball field. And on April 4th, he reminded us all of why he has that nickname. He showed that his head doubles as an excellent launching pad for baseballs to bounce right off!

5. The Pirates Forget How to Baseball…

We all knew this would be the biggest blooper of the year for baseball the moment it happened. The May 27 game between the Pirates and the Cubs will forever remain a chuckle-worthy moment for all fans of the sport. When Javier Báez hit a grounder to third base, everything seemed normal. It was when first baseman Will Craig received the toss and started following Báez back toward the plate that things got awkward. That allowed Willson Contreras to come around from second base and score. When Báez finally ran to first, the throw went wild, and the Cubs shortstop wound up on second. Yep, baseball sometimes just… fails.