Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

There was plenty to celebrate in Thursday night’s long awaited opener to the Mets’ 2022 season. First and foremost, not only did we have actual, meaningful baseball, but the Mets were able to string together nine sound innings on both sides of the plate to the tune of a 5-1 victory. There were contributions from the entire lineup as the Mets 1-9 hitters scattered hits, runs, RBIs, and HBPs galore.

Tylor Megill and the bullpen filled in plenty of zeros on their end of the box score. We even saw Robinson Cano bunt for a hit when the Nats played a shift on him. But here are five takeaways from the opener that you won’t see in the box score.

Tribute to the Max

As should have been expected, the Nationals organization put together a fitting tribute for the return of their Hall of Fame bound former ace, Max Scherzer. The crowd chipped in with a rousing appreciative applause of their own and Max fittingly took it all in.

Buck Stops Here

Buck Showalter continues to prove how refreshing it is to have an experienced, sage manager at the helm. Living up to his attention to detail reputation, Buck was seen conversing thoroughly with the umpire crew just before first pitch. It was clear he was trying to get a clear grasp on the ground rules at Nationals Park. This is something we’re not accustomed to witnessing during the past few managerial tenures.

The Ruling on the Field

There was a resounding feeling of “finally!” from Gary Cohen and the booth when the umpires took the next step into the 21st century as they exhibited the new communication technology similar to that of the NFL. While it did not proceed without hiccups, the paying customers and the viewing audience were able to get a clear and concrete understanding of what the rulings were on managerial challenges.

PitchCom

In another effort to use new technology to speed up the pace of play, MLB instituted the option for clubs to use PitchCom, a digital means of communication between pitcher, catcher, and a limited number of fielders in terms of pitch selection. While it seemed the Mets did not utilize the new equipment yesterday, the Nationals gave it a trial run. The narrative from the players’ side is that they seem to be welcoming the added option.

A Starling is Born

While you may see a “caught stealing” and several “5-unassited”s if you were scoring at home, the added presence of Starling Marte was clear in Thursday night’s opener. There was an effervescent energy that even the booth could not ignore. He exhibited an infectious smile and enthusiasm we saw in a young Jose Reyes. He was the same base running nuisance we saw early on with Jose. Marte packs on a few more pounds of muscle and was suitably seen barking in the Nats’ direction after Pete Alonso was scarily upended by a HBP to the face. Fortunately Pete was protected by the face guard of the helmet, but that didn’t stop an animated Marte from making his newfound presence known as a passionate spokesman on behalf of his new brethren.