SARASOTA, Fla. -- Opening Day always has a special feel to Tyler O'Neill, who has a deep love for baseball. It surely helps that the 29-year-old outfielder owns the AL/NL record for consecutive Opening Days with at least one home run, an active streak of five he¡¯ll be taking into his first opener with the Orioles.
But this year, Opening Day will mean even more to the native of Burnaby, British Columbia.
For the first time in eight years in the big leagues, O¡¯Neill is set to open the season in his home country. On Thursday, the Orioles will begin the 2025 campaign with a matchup vs. the American League East rival Blue Jays at Rogers Centre in Toronto.
That will mean family, friends and some Tim Hortons for O¡¯Neill. A lot of Tim Hortons, actually.
¡°They¡¯re awesome donuts,¡± O¡¯Neill said of the food at the Canadian coffeehouse chain. ¡°I really try to wear myself out when we¡¯re up there. I want to be leaving and be sick of Tim Hortons, because we don¡¯t have it all the time.¡±
O¡¯Neill¡¯s hometown is on the western side of Canada near Vancouver. So it¡¯s easier for family and friends to attend his games when his team is playing in Seattle (where the Orioles will be from June 3-5).
But nobody is going to miss a chance to see Opening Day O¡¯Neill -- practically a superhero at this point, considering the near-guarantee of hitting a home run -- in his home country.
Among those in attendance will be: O¡¯Neill¡¯s parents, Terry and Marilyn; his wife, Stephanie; his 2-year-old daughter, Audrie; extended family members on both his and Stephanie¡¯s side; and groups of friends.
O¡¯Neill serves as a good host to his teammates during Toronto trips. He bought donuts and coffee from Tim Hortons and brought it to the ballpark for the Red Sox last season, and he plans to do the same for the Orioles on Opening Day.
¡°I¡¯ll definitely try and spread around the love in the clubhouse,¡± O¡¯Neill said.
While O¡¯Neill has impressed his new club with his ripped physique, his quality at-bats and his Grapefruit League numbers during Spring Training, he has been a strong addition to the clubhouse, too.
Manager Brandon Hyde is thrilled with how the slugger -- who signed a three-year, $49.5 million deal in December -- has fit onto his club this spring.
¡°What a great professional. He comes to the park with a great attitude every day. Ton of energy. Loves being with the guys. Loves to play,¡± Hyde said. ¡°He can really play defense, and he¡¯s a big-time threat at the plate to beat you in a lot of different ways. He¡¯s been wonderful so far this camp, and I¡¯m really happy to have him.¡±
Given his track record, O¡¯Neill shouldn¡¯t take long to make an impact for the Orioles.
O¡¯Neill first realized he had an historic Opening Day home run streak going in 2023, when he swatted a homer in the Cardinals¡¯ first game of the season for the fourth straight year. He tied a record shared by Todd Hundley (1994-97), Gary Carter (1977-80) and Yogi Berra (1955-58).
On March 28, 2024, O¡¯Neill broke the record by homering in Boston¡¯s Opening Day victory in Seattle -- also with plenty of family and friends in attendance.
¡°Pretty cool to be a part of history in that way. But it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going up there trying to hit a home run or anything crazy like that,¡± O¡¯Neill said. ¡°Last year, going into it, I knew what was at stake and might have tried a little harder last year compared to the other years. But regardless, we got it done, and most importantly, we got a win.¡±
This year, O¡¯Neill will take the same approach. He wants to identify pitches in the strike zone, execute his swing and drive the ball. He¡¯ll be happy to hit another Opening Day home run, but he would be content with a few non-homer hits as well.
It will be a memorable weekend for O¡¯Neill in Toronto regardless, and especially if the Orioles start off strong -- the most important component to his team-first mentality.
¡°It¡¯s going to be special opening in Canada, north of the border, playing a divisional rival. Really happy everyone wants to make it out, and we¡¯ll see what we can do,¡± O¡¯Neill said. ¡°Hopefully, we take four games up there.¡±