Stakers love the Yankees: A look back at baseball's opening weekend

Opening weekend of the 2023 MLB season is in the books and it did not disappoint! We got our first look at superstars on new teams, how World Series favorites lived up to the hype, and some initial data on the controversial new rules such as the pitch clock and bigger bases are affecting the game.

It probably isn’t a big surprise that fans and Stakers alike were excited to lock in their wagers on the Yankees when they opened their season against the Giants in the Bronx. The biggest question in the game entering the offseason was of where Aaron Judge was sign, and as we know, while the Giants came oh-so-close to the finish line on a deal with Arson Judge, the reigning AL MVP and home run king ultimately returned to New York. The schedule-makers put some thought into that one.

Giving some extra to buzz to an already-exciting opening series, top prospect Anthony Volpe also made his debut at shortstop at age 21 years, 336 days after growing up just miles away from Yankee Stadium. All the stars were aligned for this series. Naturally, it was far and away the most popular game among Stakers on opening weekend.

Also debuting in 2023 is a set of new rules including a pitch clock, bigger bases, and a ban on significant infield shits. So far, many believe the changes have had a positive impact on the game, cutting overall game times by a full half-hour and generating more exciting stolen base attempts and successes.

While the increase in steals may be fun for fans overall, Stakers were surprised by how big of an impact the bigger bases are having. Among all teams and games last weekend, only 38% of Stakers wagered in favor of successful stolen bases.

It’s still early days yet, and it’ll be interesting to see how these trends continue to develop over the course of the season. Whether any new surprises for Stakers emerge along the way remains to be seen!