The Philadelphia Phillies opened their season at home with a win over the Texas Rangers, while the New York Mets defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates and pitcher Paul Skenes in New York. Elsewhere in the division, the Washington Nationals pulled off a surprising Opening Day blowout against the Chicago Cubs, leaving only the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins to begin their campaigns on Friday.
By the end of Friday’s games, something remarkable had happened in the NL East. According to OptaSTATS, the division made history by becoming the first in MLB to have every team start the season with a 1-0 record. The Phillies won 5-3, the Mets triumphed 11-7, and the Nationals dominated 10-4. Then, the Marlins edged the Colorado Rockies 2-1, while the Braves shut out the Kansas City Royals 6-0.
With all five teams winning their season openers, the NL East stands alone in MLB history for this achievement. While it may seem surprising that this has never happened before, the explanation is straightforward. Opening schedules have often included games between division rivals, meaning at least one team would inevitably start with a loss, preventing a perfect 1-0 start across an entire division.
