FSU Baseball: Duo of former Noles ready for 2019 MLB Opening Day

FSU baseball fans will have something to root for this season with three of the best in recent seasons taking the field to start the pro season.

After a month and a half of “work” in Florida and Arizona getting ready for the 2019 season, the 30 teams that make up Major League Baseball are back at it starting Thursday with the opening games of the 2019 season – and with it, two former FSU baseball players will be starting the season with their respective big league clubs.

(No, I’m not counting the two games between Oakland and Seattle in Japan as the official opening day for Major League Baseball – I’m not a purist on a lot of things, but this is one of them).

Of course, the biggest name is arguably the best player in the history of the FSU baseball program in the legendary Buster Posey. Entering his 10th full season with the San Francisco Giants, Posey has been a part of three championship teams as their long time catcher – where he will start the 2019 season – while platooning at first base in the past few seasons as well.

Posey will have something to prove after having surgery on a torn labrum and dealing with hip issues in August – but his teammates know they need to have him back if they want to contend in the NL West and Posey says he just wants to be out on the field to work and get better, according to MLB.com

"“I’d say the main thing that I’m trying to work on right now is just getting back to more of the consistent load that kind of went away,” Posey said. “That kind of plays into the rhythm and timing of things.”"

Posey will face a former FSU baseball star pitcher when he plays divisional games against the Arizona Diamondbacks as Luke Weaver, who spent the last three seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, makes the move where he will be the fourth starter in the rotation to start the season. Weaver went 7-11 in 25 starts last season for the Cardinals.

There is one other former FSU baseball star who is technically on a Major League Roster, but fans of the Toronto Blue Jays will have to wait until the end of May to see infielder Devon Travis back in the lineup after he had surgery Monday on his left knee and was placed on the 6- day disabled list.

Travis, the brother of FSU football transfer quarterback Jordan Travis, has hit .274 over his four seasons in the majors after a standout career with the Seminoles.