Death, Taxes, and Tyler O’Neill Opening Day Home Runs

Tyler O’Neill has hit a home run on Opening Day in six consecutive seasons. Six. The previous MLB record was four, shared by Todd Hundley, Gary Carter, and Yogi Berra.

Tyler O’Neill broke it in 2024 with the Red Sox and extended it in 2025 when he homered in Toronto in his Orioles debut, doing it in his home country of Canada.

Thursday he goes for seven.

Tyler O’Neill 6th Straight Opening Day Home Run

TYLER O'NEILL HAS HOMERED ON #OPENINGDAY IN SIX STRAIGHT SEASONS! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/0hE5YV87E7

— MLB (@MLB) March 27, 2025

Did Tyler O’Neill hit a HR on Opening Day?

Did Tyler O’Neill hit a HR on Opening Day?

2026 – ?
2025 – Yes
2024 – Yes
2023 – Yes
2022 – Yes
2021 – Yes
2020 – Yes pic.twitter.com/Qqgn53a10J

— SleeperMLB (@SleeperMLB) March 23, 2026

Tyler O’Neill extends record by hitting a home run on 6th straight Opening Day >>

Minnesota is expected to send Joe Ryan to the mound in Baltimore for the opener. O’Neill has faced Ryan exactly once, on August 2nd, 2023, when he was with St. Louis. He went 1-for-2 with a solo home run. The sample size is one at-bat and it already has a homer in it.

Tyler O’Neill is aware of the streak. He called it an elephant in the room and acknowledged it is on his mind every Opening Day. He also said the pressure is off because he does not have anything left to prove in that department. He is not changing his approach. He is not hunting a specific pitch. He is just going out and playing his game and whatever happens, happens.

That philosophy has produced six consecutive Opening Day home runs against six different pitchers for five different teams. At some point the approach and the results are connected.

Last season was rough. O’Neill played only 54 games due to three stints on the injured list and hit .199 with a .684 OPS when he was actually available. That is not what the Orioles signed him for when they gave him three years and $49.5 million before the 2025 season. This spring has looked different. Seven for eleven in Grapefruit League games before he left for Canada to play in the World Baseball Classic and a two-run single when he returned against the Yankees before the game was rained out.

Baltimore overhauled its lineup this offseason after a 75-87 last-place finish. Pete Alonso is in. Taylor Ward was acquired in a trade. If Tyler O’Neill returns to the version of himself that justified the contract, this offense has real depth.

Thursday is Opening Day. Tyler O’Neill is in the lineup. The streak is at six.

Join The Chase