| Imagine if the Yankees could finish a season the way that this one started.
There is a natural tendency to overstate the meaning of every MLB game — especially the first one in a 162-game marathon.
But there is no way to exaggerate the significance of what the Yankees did on Opening Day, overcoming a four-run deficit Thursday to beat the Astros, 5-4, after new right fielder Juan Soto threw out the potential tying run at home plate in the ninth inning at Minute Maid Park.
After all the torment caused by the Astros in ending the Yankees' 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2022 seasons in the playoffs, beating the new archnemesis is a big deal whether it happens on March 28, June 15 or Sept. 1. Because it only builds confidence in the minds of players and fans alike that the same thing can happen in October this time around.
This win also included two other confidence-building elements: First, the rally from a 4-0 deficit in the fifth inning. Second, it happened on the road.
 Jose Trevino tags out the Astros' Mauricio Dubon at the plate after a throw by right fielder Juan Soto to preserve the Yankees' Opening Day win in Houston.
Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
When the Yankees overcame a three-run ninth-inning deficit against the Astros to win, 7-6, behind Aaron Hicks' game-tying three-run home run on June 23, 2022, it was at Yankee Stadium. Three days later, the setting hadn't changed when the Yankees overcame a three-run seventh-inning deficit and won on Aaron Judge's walk-off three-run home run.
Thursday's win happened in their house of horrors. That matters.
Here are five other takeaways from MLB Opening Day, leading with more Yankees:
1. Walk this way
There are a lot of reasons the Yankees finished a disastrous 82-80 last season. Toward the top of the list, however, is a lineup that drew 557 walks while striking out 1,427 times.
Well, the new-look lineup featuring the patient Soto and contact-making Alex Verdugo made a difference on Day 1 as the Yankees' walk-to-strikeout ratio (9-to-10) was almost even.
 Juan Soto does the shuffle in drawing a walk during a masterful Yankees debut.
Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
Soto saw 25 pitches over five plate appearances, going 1-for-3 with an RBI, one run scored, two walks and a strikeout. Verdugo went 1-for-3 without a strikeout and matched Soto with his own nice play in left field — a running catch to take away an extra-base hit.
A more comfortable Anthony Volpe walked three times to start his second MLB season.
2. Bravo, bullpen
If there is one area where Yankees general manager Brian Cashman excels year after year, it's building a bullpen.
Credit to starting pitcher Nestor Cortes for settling down after allowing three first-inning runs and making it through five innings, but the Yankees' comeback was made possible because Jonathan Loaisiga, Ian Hamilton and Clay Holmes combined for four scoreless innings. Put an asterisk next to Holmes, who was bailed out from a blown save by Soto's throw.
 Jonathan Loaisiga was pumped up after a strikeout that was part of the Yankees bullpen's four shutout innings.
Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
All in all, not bad for a bullpen that is without Scott Effross, Lou Trivino, Tommy Kahnle and McKinley Moore due to injuries.
3. Rare bird
No one saw the Orioles — winners of 52 games in 2021 — coming as a 101-win American League East champion on Opening Day last season.
One year later, without the element of surprise, the Orioles made the bold move to acquire former Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes from the Brewers in the offseason. After going a combined 27-14 with a 2.62 ERA over 428 2/3 innings from 2020-22, Burnes "slipped" to a 3.39 ERA in 193 2/3 innings in 2023.
Well, Burnes was every bit as good as ever in his Orioles' debut. He struck out 11 and allowed only one baserunner — a solo home run by Mike Trout — over six dominant innings in an 11-3 victory against the Angels.
 Corbin Burnes was lights-out in his Orioles debut.
AP
Burnes is the first pitcher in MLB history to allow no more than one hit, no walks and strike out 10 in an Opening Day start.
Until Gerrit Cole returns from his season-opening elbow injury, there is a new best pitcher in the division.
Yankees beware.
4. The $700 million (or $4.5 million) man?
Who was going to show up for the Dodgers on Opening Day following their sojourn to Korea?
The Shohei Ohtani who commanded a record-setting 10-year, $700 million free-agent contract because of his superstar two-way abilities? Or a lesser version who was distracted by his connection to an illegal sports gambling ring through his accusation that former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara stole $4.5 million from him to cover losses?
The answer: Ohtani went 2-for-3, reached base three times and scored a run as the Dodgers beat the Cardinals, 7-1, in his home debut.
 Shohei Ohtani's home debut for the Dodgers was freighted with another layer of significance in the wake of a mysterious gambling scandal involving Ohtani's former interpreter.
AP
The cloud of suspicion over whether Ohtani was involved — did he pay off Mizuhara's debt, as the interpreter originally suggested? — and whether MLB games were included in the bets will linger until there are more answers in the criminal and MLB investigations. Can he keep blocking out the noise?
Still, when was the last time there was a better top third of an MLB lineup than the Dodgers' trio of former MVPs Mookie Betts, Ohtani and Freddie Freeman? Ever?
5. Cruz control
Two of the most exciting young players in MLB are Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz (25) and Reds shortstop Elly de la Cruz (22), who each entered the season with fewer than 430 career plate appearances.
Cruz hit the game-tying solo home run in the eighth inning, helping the Pirates rally for a 6-5 win in the 12th inning against the Marlins. If the Pirates get off to a fast start, their No. 1 prospect, pitcher Paul Skenes (better known as gymnast Olivia Dunne's boyfriend), could get called up sooner rather than later.
 Of course Yankees bust Frankie Montas excelled as the Opening Day starter for the Reds.
Getty Images
De la Cruz did his part in the Reds' 8-2 win against the Nationals, adding a single, a walk, a stolen base and two runs scored to back … Frankie Montas?
Yes, Montas, the Yankees' prize trade-deadline acquisition in 2022 who became an injury-plagued disappointment, tossed six scoreless innings on Opening Day for the Reds. Major Sonny Gray vibes.
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Inside the Rutgers Pro Day Rutgers produced two NFL Draft first-round picks in a span of two hours on April 23, 2010.
In the 13 drafts since then, the number of Rutgers first-round picks is a combined zero.
Cornerback Max Melton is threatening to end the drought after he continued to boost his draft stock Thursday by participating in the three-cone drill, short shuttle and position drills at Rutgers Pro Day — in front of 40 NFL talent evaluators representing 30 different teams. He sat on his time of 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash from the NFL Combine in early February.
 Max Melton works out in front of NFL evaluators at Rutgers' Pro Day on Thursday.
Ariel Fox/Rutgers Athletics
"I feel like I should be the first corner off the board based upon my production, versatility and how valuable I am," Melton said afterward.
Most analysts think the first cornerback selected will be either Alabama's Terrion Arnold or Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell, but Melton was included in the first round (No. 31 overall) on NFL.com's latest mock draft.
One league source told The Post the second round now is considered Melton's floor. He commonly was projected as a third-rounder before the Combine.
Vikings defensive backs coach Daronte Jones and Eagles defensive backs coach Christian Parker ran the defensive back drills Thursday, which usually is a strong indication of a team wanting a closer look at a particular prospect.
"I think Max has all the tools to be a really, really good cornerback in the NFL," Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano said. "He plays inside, he plays outside. He's a great special-teams player, and he loves football. When you take all that into account and you know that he's got an older brother already playing in the league [Packers receiver Bo Melton], as an NFL team, I'm sure that makes them feel comfortable with Max."
 Melton is vying to become the first Rutgers player to be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft since 2010.
Ariel Fox/Rutgers Athletics
Nine of Rutgers' 26 draft picks since 2009 — near the end of Schiano's first tenure at Rutgers (2001-11) before was hired as Buccaneers head coach — are defensive backs.
The list includes stars Jason McCourty and Devin McCourty, longtime high-caliber players Logan Ryan and Duron Harmon, and last year's Jaguars rookie Christian Braswell, whom Schiano coached after his return to Piscataway in 2020.
"I can't tell you why it is other than that's where I grew up coaching," said Schiano, who was a young defensive backs coach for the Bears in the 1990s. "I coached the secondary my whole life, so I probably put more emphasis on it than other positions. We've been blessed to have a lot of really fine players come at that position to Rutgers. There is a tradition of defensive backs playing in the league, and I'm really convinced that Max is going to be the next really fine one."
Melton is represented by Legend Agency CEO Pat Capra, along with a team that includes agent Ari Nissim and agency partner Kevin Malast, a former NFL and Rutgers linebacker. Legend also represents the retired McCourtys as NFL media personalities.
Fittingly, Devin McCourty was Rutgers' last first-round draft pick — No. 27 to the Patriots, 16 picks after the 49ers selected offensive tackle Anthony Davis.
 Kessawn Abraham, a defensive back from Brooklyn, goes through his paces at Rutgers' Pro Day.
Ariel Fox/Rutgers Athletics
Other highlights of Pro Day included an incredible falling one-handed catch by receiver Isaiah Washington, which caused one scout to mumble, "Holy crap," under his breath. And Trevor Yeboah-Kodie — a former four-year Brown University lacrosse player who transferred to Rutgers and played one year on special teams — running an unofficial 4.39-second 40-yard dash.
Dozens of scouts waited around to talk to Yeboah-Kodie, whose father briefly played in the NFL in the mid-1990s, after Pro Day ended. No doubt gathering information to fill out a previously blank profile, including what position he might be best suited to play.
Shuffle the ace When Jose Quintana takes the mound Friday at 1:40 p.m. against the Brewers, he will be the Mets' third different Opening Day starter in three years, following Max Scherzer in 2023 and injury fill-in Tylor Megill in 2022.
The honor went to Jacob deGrom in each of the previous three years (2019-21) and to Noah Syndergaard in back-to-back years (2017-18) before deGrom.
 The Mets will turn to journeyman lefty Jose Quintana to make the start on Opening Day.
Corey Sipkin for the NY Post
Now, the Mets are halfway back to the age when they had six different Opening Day starters in as many seasons: Mike Pelfrey (2011), Johan Santana (2012), Jon Niese (2013), Dillon Gee (2014), Bartolo Colon (2015) and Matt Harvey (2016).
The 35-year-old Quintana, who is filling the ace role in lieu of the injured Kodai Senga, is a free agent after the season, so odds are strong that — whether it's Senga or someone else — the Mets will have four Opening Day starters in four years come 2025.
The revolving door just further underscores the need for the Mets to better develop starting pitchers in the minors, where only one of their top nine prospects as ranked by MLB Pipeline is a pitcher (No. 5 Christian Scott at Double-A). If the Mets are going to buy front-line starters in free agency … well, they learned the injury risks in that methodology after signing Scherzer and Justin Verlander in consecutive offseasons.
By comparison, the rival Braves and Phillies are both changing Opening Day starters and ending past streaks — but because of growth, not because of necessity.
 Can Christian Scott develop into a homegrown option to start a future Mets opener?
Corey Sipkin for the NY Post
Max Fried, who started three straight Opening Days for the Braves, will go head-to-head with Aaron Nola, who started six straight Opening Days for the Phillies, in the second game of the season. Spencer Strider (Braves) and Zack Wheeler (Phillies) have ascended to the ace mantles, and will square off Friday.
Whether it's finding their Wheeler — ironic, because he left the Mets for the Phillies as a free agent — or developing their Fried, Strider or Nola, the Mets have about one year from now to make sure to upgrade over Quintana for what will be a higher-stakes Opening Day.
UConn't be stopped? The UConn Invitational — sometimes called the men's basketball NCAA Tournament — continued Thursday with four Sweet 16 games.
The defending national champions won their ninth straight game — each by at least 13 points — over the past two NCAA Tournaments, routing San Diego State, 82-52, to reach the East Regional final. It was the second time in that stretch that UConn demolished San Diego State: The other was in the 2023 national championship game (76-59).
So, can anyone beat the Huskies?
This answer might surprise you: Yes.
 Donovan Clingan (right) celebrates with teammates as UConn continued to steamroll the men's NCAA Tournament, beating San Diego State, 82-52, in the Sweet 16.
Getty Images
The Huskies are about to play Terrence Shannon Jr. and No. 3 Illinois, arguably their best opponent during this run of blowouts.
The Huskies have played the following seeds, dating to the 2023 first round: No. 13, No. 5, No. 8, No. 3, No. 5, No. 5, No. 16, No. 9 and No. 5. Only once in their seven non-first-round games did they face the highest possible seed for that matchup — or what we call the "chalk" team.
UConn is rightly considered the favorite to win it all. Betting against the champs at your own risk.
But let's see Saturday how a team not used to playing close games reacts to an opponent in its own weight class.
What we're reading 👀 💰 Swing and a miss! How A-Rod's plans to take over as owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx fell apart in embarrassing fashion.
⚾ Edwin Diaz is back to spearhead a new-look Mets bullpen, and his preparations for 2024 included cutting down on candy and trying a salad.
🏀 Get to know Kiki Rice, the superb sophomore point guard for UCLA who has ties to the White House and MSG.
🏈 Big Blue's new hope, dull due diligence or smokescreen season? The Giants are dating some top quarterback prospects.
🏒 The Rangers beat another playoff-caliber foe, rocking the Avalanche, 3-2, in a shootout behind a brilliant Igor Shesterkin.
🏒 Semyon Varlamov backstopped the Islanders to a potentially season-saving win — and they might have to stick with him over Ilya Sorokin.
🏀 For his latest Knicks trick, Miles McBride is shooting 3-pointers like some long-long Splash Brother.
⚽ Days since USWNT drama: 0.
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