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👑 Thursday, April 3 • Opening Day Game 1 👑

Minnesota Twins at Kansas City Royals | Kauffman Stadium
Weather: Partly cloudy, 44°F, wind out to LF (10 mph) | Attendance: 37,574 | First pitch: 3:10 PM CT

There's a certain kind of quiet that exists only before the gates open at Kauffman—the kind where you can hear the grounds crew dragging the infield and your own thoughts growing louder. I’m wearing both hats again this year, and Opening Day always reminds me why that’s both a privilege and a challenge. The GM in me wants efficient processes and long-term plans; the manager in me wants that first win, right now, in front of our people.

Pregame Memo (Manager’s Desk)

Owner’s note arrived in my inbox this morning—simple and to the point: stay competitive, stay steady, and keep the season from tipping early. That’s the right kind of pressure. Today was about setting a tone rather than chasing a stat line.
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Series Snapshot — Minnesota Twins (3 Games)

Projected pitching matchups (our pitcher listed first):

• LHP J. Montgomery (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs RHP P. Lopez (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
• RHP Z. Eflin (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs RHP J. Ryan (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
• LHP C. Ragans (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs RHP C. Paddack (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Twins players we circled on the first prep sheet:

• 1. CF Byron Buxton (Age: 31, Overall: 70, Potential: 4.0)
• 2. CL Jhoan Duran (27, 70, 4.0)
• 3. SP Pablo Lopez (29, 65, 4.0)
• 4. SS Carlos Correa (30, 65, 3.5)
• 5. SP Chris Paddack (29, 60, 3.5)

Matchup board is clear: Jordan Montgomery versus Pablo López. My role on days like this is to keep the room calm and the plan strong—attack the strike zone, make precise reads on contact, and prevent the Twins from turning early traffic into momentum. If we stick to our game plan for nine innings, the outcome will take care of itself.
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Game Day Log — Royals vs. Twins (Game 1)

Manager’s Clipboard

Keep the first inning boring. Make them earn every extra base. Our plan is simple: quality at-bats early, pressure on the corners, and let Jordan set the tone with strikes. If the crowd is going to carry anything tonight, let it be our pace.

Inning-by-Inning Beats (Dugout View)

1st Inning
Montgomery started strong—fast tempo, firm edges. The Twins didn’t look comfortable seeing him land early strikes. Offensively, we didn’t score yet, but the at-bats were patient enough to start shaping López’s pitch count.

2nd Inning
This is when the game started feeling like ours. Davis Schneider led off with a double to spark things, and the lineup stayed on schedule. We didn’t need a homer—just smooth sequencing. We scored two runs with pressure baseball (and forced them to defend every 90 feet). Early lead, early breath of relief.

3rd Inning
Montgomery kept the Twins quiet—no free bases turning into stress. On our side, we continued making contact and forcing their infield to work. Not every inning needs to produce runs; some are about maintaining control.

4th Inning
The first real moment where Minnesota tried to build something. Montgomery didn’t flinch. When they reached, we responded with execution—double-play baseball and quick outs. That’s how you win in April: shorten innings before they turn into problems.

5th Inning
Still steady. Our dugout felt settled—no chasing, no panic swings. Bobby Witt Jr. was seeing the ball like a beach ball and kept generating quality contact. We didn’t break it open yet, but we were controlling the pace of the game.

6th Inning
We added two more runs and made it hurt even more. This was the inning where Minnesota’s cracks started to show—two errors on their side (Stott and Wade Jr.) revealed who was cleaner. We took what they gave us, stayed aggressive on the bases, and forced them to get outs the hard way. When the inning ended, it felt like we’d taken their air.

7th Inning
Montgomery’s last frame—and he finished like an ace. Seven scoreless innings, 10 strikeouts, just two hits allowed. That’s not just a good start; it’s a tone-setter for the whole staff. I let him own the moment, then took him off the field with the lead protected.

8th Inning
We went to the bullpen and stayed composed. Minnesota finally got their loudest contact—Luke Voit doubled (off Brazoban)—but we didn’t give them anything else. The bottom half was the inning that turned a win into a statement: with two outs and runners on base, Michael Massey launched a three-run homer off José Ruiz. The crowd erupted, the dugout exploded, and the scoreboard finally matched how the day felt.

9th Inning
Jalen Beeks handled the final outs with a clean, professional finish. No drama. No leaks. Just a firm close.
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Final

Royals Top Twins, 7-0, Behind Montgomery

The box score looks impressive, but what I’ll remember is how controlled it was—13 hits, 6 walks, and no panic. Witt (3 hits) and Schneider (3 hits + that early double) kept the offense moving; Pasquantino drove in crucial runs and played solid first base; Isbel scored twice. Even Salvador’s line doesn’t stand out—3 strikeouts, many runners left on base—but the at-bats mattered more than the totals suggest. That’s Opening Day baseball: not perfect, but intentional.



We walked out of the park with the exact kind of first win I want as a manager: controlled, efficient, and loud at the right moments. And as the GM, I walked out with something just as important—confirmation that the roster decisions from March weren't just theories.

Kansas City Pitching Scoreline

Pitcher               IP  H  R  ER  BB  K  HR  P-S
Jordan Montgomery     7.0  2  0  0  3  10  0  94-56
Huerter Brazoban      1.0  2  0  0  0   2  0  21-13
Jalen Beeks           1.0  0  0  0  0   1  0   7-6

From the GM's perspective, this game matters more than just a score of “1–0.” Montgomery represents a commitment you can see on the ledger and feel in the clubhouse—six years, $100 million is a bet on stability, and today he paid the first installment in full. The shutout also gives us flexibility for the next two games of this series: the bullpen remains fresh, the defense held strong, and we didn’t burn through any resources we’ll need later in the week. Opening Day is just one page, but it sets the tone for what kind of team you’re willing to be all season. Today, we looked like a team that expects to win at home.
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Around the League — Opening Day Noise

The first prospect list of the new year arrived on my desk before lunch—another reminder that each club operates in two timelines simultaneously. Here’s the top of the board making the early headlines:

1) CF Roman Anthony, 20, Boston Red Sox
2) CF Walker Jenkins, 20, Minnesota Twins
3) RHP Juan Garcia, 16, San Diego Padres
4) C Ethan Salas, 18, San Diego Padres
5) C Samuel Basallo, 20, Baltimore Orioles
6) 2B Termarr Johnson, 20, Pittsburgh Pirates
7) LHP Robby Snelling, 21, San Diego Padres
8) RHP Humberto Jaime, 16, San Francisco Giants
9) RHP Owen Murphy, 21, Atlanta Braves
10) C Kyle Teel, 23, Boston Red Sox

And while we were preparing to close up the clubhouse for the night, the league already delivered a shock:

• Excitement filled Oakland Coliseum as Cleveland Guardians pitcher Gavin Williams threw a rare no-hitter.
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👑 FOR THE CROWN — ALWAYS 👑

Kansas City Royals | Opening Day 2025 - Game 1



(OOTP25 Royals Journey — GM/Manager's Dual Log)