Acquired this offseason in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals , Boston Red Sox outfielder Tyler O’Neill wasted no time making history in his new uniform.
In the eighth inning versus the Seattle Mariners, O’Neill smashed a home run to right center and became the first player in major league history to hit a home run on Opening Day in five consecutive seasons.
Dealt from the Cardinals after struggling with injuries over the last two seasons, the 28-year-old outfielder hopes to put those woes behind him and produce at the level he did when last healthy in 2021.
The Red Sox will also hope that he can regain the form that saw him slash .286/.352/.560 with 34 home runs and 80 RBI while winning a second straight Gold Glove in left field for the Cardinals.Â
Due to becoming an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career after the season, look for O’Neill to have a bounce-back year while patrolling right field for Boston with hopes of cashing in on a nice payday with the Red Sox or elsewhere.
In an American League East division stacked from top to bottom, the Red Sox will need all the help they can get if they hope to keep pace and make a run at the playoffs in 2024.Â
