Welcome to The Opener, where every weekday morning you’ll get a fresh, topical column to start your day from one of SI.com’s MLB writers.
A Major League Baseball game can demand a staggering level of preparation. Analysts, coordinators, various members of the coaching staff: All will collaborate to find the weaknesses of their upcoming opponent and how best to attack them. Just about every aspect of the game can be tailored for the specific match-up. This includes the pitching, obviously, but also the signs, the defensive positioning—almost everything.
The result of all this work is an intricate, ambitious game plan, a series of keys designed to unlock a desired outcome.