Gabbing w/ Gamble: Who impressed you most in the opener?

Hello and welcome back for our first Friday discussion of the 2021 season! The first game of the season did not end as planned unfortunately, but there were some strong performances from a number of their players that are encouraging. My question is this: which Twin impressed you the most in the opener?

There’s a number of guys to choose from. The whole lineup, really, had good at-bats throughout the day, even if they were generally fruitless for a few of the hitters. Kenta Maeda and Tyler Duffey weren’t in peak form, but were able to dance out of trouble fairly well. Even Josh Donaldson, who left the game after one at-bat, stung the ball for a nice double in his limited action.

Hansel Robles, Cody Stashak, and Taylor Rogers (who touched 98 on the gun) all pitched flawless innings. Robles, in particular, was very impressive. If he’s able to keep that up and return to form after a tough 2020 that will be huge for the bullpen.

Max Kepler nearly hit for the cycle in a 3-hit day (but did drop a ball on a tough play in the 9th), and Luis Arraez came up with a clutch RBI single after switching positions from left field to third base. Byron Buxton had a stolen base and an absolute bomb of a home run (456 feet!). Even Jake Cave had some good at-bats and threw an absolute strike to nab a runner at home plate.

All in all, I think that Byron Buxton takes the cake for me, as his mammoth shot was one thing, but his two walks were very impressive in comparison to his track record. If he can become a complete hitter, it makes this lineup very dangerous.

Now, what do you think? Who impressed you the most on Opening Day? Let’s hash it out in the comment section.