Baseball fans congregated in ballparks all across the US on Thursday as Major League Baseball celebrated Opening Day of the league's season.
Over the course of 162 games, 30 MLB teams will jockey for playoff positions before competing for the World Series in November, which the Atlanta Braves won last year.
Here are five things to know for Opening Day 2022:
1. A delayed start to the season
This year's MLB season began a week later than scheduled after a 99-day lockout that began in December, MLB's first work stoppage since 1994-95. It was the second-longest lockout in the league's history and the first to compromise the season.
Major League Baseball's owners' and players' union fought over several issues in the collective bargaining agreement that eventually raised the minimum player salary to $700,000 per year and includes measures to curb anti-competitive behaviour.
Commissioner Rob Manfred had previously cancelled the first two weeks of games before a deal was reached on March 12
2. Muslim executive is making waves in the front office
Canadian-American executive Farhan Zaidi was voted 2021 MLB Executive of the Year after the San Francisco Giants won a franchise-record 107 games.
Mr Zaidi, born to Pakistani parents, is one of two Muslim executives in MLB and has been the Giants' President Of Baseball Operations since 2018.
Mr Zaidi, whom the Giants pried away from rivals Los Angeles Dodgers, made a series of moves ahead of July 2021's trade deadline that propelled the Giants into an unlikely 107-win season. It was the first time the team had a winning record since 2016.
3. Unvaccinated players can't play in Toronto
Players who do not have a Covid-19 vaccination won't be able to play road games against the Toronto Blue Jays, Canada's only MLB team. The Canadian government requires travellers to have received a second vaccination dose 14 days prior to entering the country.
Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo is unfazed by teams that could be impacted by the Canadian vaccine mandate.
"Rules are rules," he told reporters during spring training.
4. Shohei Ohtani looks for an encore
Japanese two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani is arguably MLB's most exciting player. The Los Angeles Angels is a superstar slugger and pitcher and was named the American League MVP after a historic season in which he hit 46 home runs as a designated hitter and struck out 156 batters as a pitcher.
Such is the uniqueness of Ohtani that MLB created a new rule to be implemented this season. Nicknamed the "Shohei Ohtani rule", a player can start a game as both pitcher and designated hitter and continue to bat after he is pulled from pitching duties.
The Angels named Ohtani as their Opening Day starter.
5. World series favourites
The Dodgers are most experts' picks to win the 2022 World Series after signing long-time Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman in the offseason. The team already had a star-studded team with Mookie Betts and Trea Turner, but now have the most intimidating lineup in the entire league.
Other teams favoured to contend for the title include the Blue Jays, Chicago White Sox and defending World Series Champions Atlanta Braves.
No team has successfully defended a World Series title since 2000.
