Bubba Starling raced out to centerfield and doffed his cap to the sold out Opening Day crowd. Matt Davidson laced a pitch out to deep center, where Bubba raced out, leapt, and snagged the ball before it went over, crashing into the Kauffman Stadium wall. In the bottom of the inning, Starling cranked a James Shields pitch into the fountains, tipping his cap at his family and friends cheering loudly, seated along the first base dugout.
That was supposed to be the scenario in 2018 for Bubba Starling, selected fifth overall by the Royals in the 2011 draft.