It's Opening Day for some really good teams

It's Opening Day ... kinda!

Our beloved Colorado Rockies won't get started until tomorrow, of course, but some teams that are actually good / expected to compete are starting off 2016 with a bang in what could be a memorable first day of the season. The Cardinals and Pirates kick things off first on ESPN, followed by the Rays and Blue Jays on ESPN 2.

The Royals and Mets cap off the trio of terrific Opening Day games on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball in a rematch of last year's World Series.

Today should be fun. But tomorrow? The real Opening Day? That's gonna be an absolute blast.

Let's get to some links.

Jordan Lyles starting Rockies home opener | MLB.com
Lyles, who did not look good this spring, is going to be faced with a somewhat high-pressure task to start the season, taking the ball for the Rockies in the opener at 20th & Blake on Friday, writes Thomas Harding. The 25-year-old right-hander battled control problems pretty much from the start and finished the Cactus League slate with an ERA north of 7.00.

But forget all that -- if Lyles performs well enough to get the win in a real baseball game, all will be well.

Harding also included some notes about the Rockies' final additions to the 25-man roster. The full list can be found here.

Newcomer Greinke leads D-backs vs. Rox | rockies.com
Alyson Footer has a preview of the Rockies' opener. Included is the team's projected lineup, which looks just about right.

Nolan Arenado says Rockies have to win to shut up club's many critics - The Denver Post
Everyone thinks the Rockies are bad and the players know it, writes Patrick Saunders. So, I guess there's only one thing left to do ...