Opening Day 2024 results and live updates: MLB schedule and ...

By Sahadev Sharma and Levi Weaver

ARLINGTON, Texas — Around 30 minutes before first pitch of their Opening Day tilt against the Chicago Cubs, the Globe Life Field video board showed highlights of the Texas Rangers' run through the 2023 playoffs. A packed ballpark of fans who showed up in droves well before the start of the game roared as they watched video of Corey Seager hit one of his six postseason homers.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy emerged from the home dugout as the reel wrapped. Next to him was reliever Josh Sborz, who threw the final pitch that clinched the title last fall, holding the Commissioner's Trophy. The duo headed for home plate, behind which the trophy would be displayed during introductions, and Bochy spoke briefly to a packed Globe Life Field.

Among the 10 banners hanging in the left field rafters at Globe Life Field, none were for a World Series Championship. Slowly, to the right of the enormous video board, their newest banner unfurled. After over 50 years in Texas, the Rangers finally had the most coveted banner of them all.

For as short and sweet as the Rangers' banner-reveal ceremony was, you'd think they were adhering to the old axiom "Act like you've been there before." Thing is, they haven't ever been here before. After winning the first World Series in franchise history, it was all new territory for the Rangers and their fans.

"Thank you," Bochy said, and then between the raucous crowd and the cavernous echo chamber acoustics of Globe Life Field, the rest of his speech was hard to discern. He acknowledged that it had been a long time coming, and how cool it was to bring a championship back to Arlington.

The whole speech lasted a breezy 31 seconds — after all, Bochy has been here before, having won three titles with the San Francisco Giants between 2010 and 2014.

Then it was time for a five-second countdown, and the crowd thundered when the banner descended from the ceiling in right field (and again when the stuck corner was released).

After that, it was the standard Opening Day fare. Team introductions — the visiting Cubs first, requiring them to stand while the Rangers' whole team, coaching staff and personnel were introduced. The biggest cheers were for the guys you'd expect: Marcus Semien, Seager, Adolis García, Nathan Eovaldi, and rookies Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford.

Then it was time to play ball. The Rangers haven't been here before, but the path to get there again is underway.