In case y'all forgot, this PEEHS contest has a slight rule tweak from other PEEHS contests on this site where the SHEEP answer (answer with the most total picks) activates a penalty even if it's incorrect.

I feel we need to take a brief detour to explain this... why this rule, which I think is a good one, exists.

Normal PEEHS scoring for any incorrect answer is the SHEEP answer (most popular correct answer) plus the number of correct answers chosen.

Let me give an example. Imagine 11 people chose the same WRONG answer, and the SHEEP answer (most popular correct answer) was only 5. This would mean the incorrect score would have been 5 plus the number of correct answers... let's say 3 different corrects for this example. Even though the multitude among the 11 were wrong, their incorrect score would be 8. If that 11-member answer was CORRECT, then their scores would be 11, which means a correct answer would be more painful than all those people being incorrect!

The idea that sheep-y answers and incorrect scoring could be rewarded flies in the face of all that PEEHS stands for. So some years back, for this contest, we made a rule that if an incorrect answer is sheep-i-er than the correct SHEEP, then pickers of that answer will receive a score of the number that chose that incorrect (the 11), plus the number of corrects submitted.

However, if you missed the question but your answer was LESS sheep-y than that, then your incorrect score is based off the correct SHEEP.

So people that think alike and submit the same answer are punished, while unique incorrects just get the regular treatment.

I hope I've explained this well so that it all makes sense, as well as the reasoning why we went to this rule for a lower-entrant contest like MLB PEEHS.

For this question, we have 17 incorrect answers, and 10 correct answers.

We'll start by reviewing the incorrects first.

Our most popular incorrect answer, activating the scoring penalty, is the Chicago Cubs. Matched up at home against the hapless Pirates, owners of MLB's lowest projected win total? What could go wrong?!?!?

Well, the variance inherent in regular season baseball, that's what. The Buccos went into the Friendly Confines, and something called a Sam Howard is your winning pitcher of record to start the Pirates atop what's sure to be a crazy NL Central!

These 5 players' incorrect score will be 5 plus the number of different corrects submitted.

DrunkIrish05
JMurder3
SeeTheMirage
TheGramuel
Your Mom

Also more than the correct sheep, we have the 3 pickers of the New York Mets. They may have caught a break by missing Scherzer on Opening Day, but ran into the buzzsaw that is the [UNREVEALED CORRECT UNDEFEATED NL EAST DIVISION LEADER]

Even the noted Destroyer of Worlds Jacob deGrom couldn't keep the Mets out of the L column for their first game of the season.

These 3 players' incorrect score will be 3 plus the number of different corrects submitted.

Precept24
redirkulous
wesrwood

All remaining incorrects' score will be based off the correct SHEEP (2) plus the number of different corrects submitted.

Played by 2 contestants, our next incorrect is the Chicago White Sox. Despite the heroics of 28-year old rookie Yermin Mercedes, the Pale Hose fell to the Angels on Opening Day, 4-3.

farmslicer7
mrbaseball

Great start lol

Also played by 2 entrants, the Cleveland Indians look to have real problems scoring runs this season. We all know about their pitching, and it's nice to have Jose Ramirez back, but other than the Franimal, does anyone in this lineup really scare you?

They could only scrape 2 runs across vs the Tigazzzzz and fell behind Shane Bieber on Opening Day, 3-2.

LFC_USA
nails

The remaining incorrects are would-be ace hunters. I am officially 0% worred about my Atlanta Braves. Philly also swept us the first 3 games of last season, and the remaining 57 turned out okay. I have faith that will bear itself out over the next 159. Anyway, the 1-4 hitters going 3-44 on the series is... not optimal.

txdome

Our next incorrect is the Arizona Diamondbacks. Going for the homer pick, in what may become a theme for this entry, they fell to the Padres in a close one, 8-7.

ec_outlaw

Also playing the closest of pure baseball close ones, and coming up just short, are the Miami Marlins. How fluky last season was remains to be seen, but as a guy who watches a ton of NL East baseball, let me tell you, the Marlins can really pitch. They lost a full-blooded struggle to the Rays 1-0 on Opening Day.

thebigeasy59

Our next incorrect is the Boston Red Sox. As of this writing, JD Martinez is hitting over .500, so as a fantasy owner, I'm pleased with early returns. The lineup should score runs, but the pitching leaves a lot to be desired. They got swept (ON THE ROAD!) by the Orioles, losing the first makeup game 3-0.

Nittery

Our final incorrect for this question is the Minnesota Twins. I think the AL Central will be an interesting race this year, so we'll see how it shakes out. But on Opening Day, the Twins lost to the Brewers in extras, 6-5.

Schlitz mmmm

Here are the unplayed correct answers for this question!

Toronto Blue Jays
Baltimore Orioles
Milwaukee Brewers (we miss you SHOE!)
Pittsburgh Pirates
St. Louis Cardinals
Los Angeles Angels

This is off the top of of my head, but I think the Orioles are something like 8-0 or 9-1 over their last decade of Opening Day starts

And nobody stepped on the Yankees or Dodgers land mines for this question

We have two 2-point SHEEP answers for this question. The first is those NL East leading fightin' Philadelphia Phillies. I'm still not worried for the Braves, but I have taken note of how well the Phillies can apparently pitch. Nola, Wheeler, and Eflin swept the Braves right out of town, and won a close one on Opening Day in extra innings.

GeoffRas22
royalblue

Our other 2-point correct SHEEP answer is the AL Pennant winners, the Tampa Bay Rays. I'm not sure what to make of the Rays this season, as they seemed to have gotten worse over the offseason, and in a competitive division. However, if there's one thing we can be sure of, they'll look to exploit value on the thinnest margins of roster and lineup construction imaginable, all led by sound analytics written by people smarter than anyone.

loosekanen
Vilica

Question 1 closes with 6 aces, so let's start with yours truly! I took note of the offseason the San Diego Padres had, and hope that they can make the NL West race as exciting as it can be this season. They defeated the D-backs on Opening Day, 8-7.

TJ Eckleburg12

I find it amusing that Oakland played Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats" as the Houston Astros' lineup was introduced. However, they were unfazed, and handled their business on Opening Day, and decisively swept the A's (ON THE ROAD!) in the first series.

rickroll

I went to a Catholic High School, where I learned that St. Jude is the Patron Saint of Lost Causes. That's how I feel about this owner of the opening question ace: die hard Chi Sox fan, living near Seattle and slowly yet surely becoming Mariner-curious. But the Seattle Mariners ended all doubts on Opening Day with an extra inning win over the Gigantes.

Bighurt52235

Just a reminder that MLB sent out a memo because every team was stealing signs and they had newly signed gambling deals, and some teams just kept going longer than others.

For our next ace, we have the SECOND-lowest projected win total coming in for the DUB, the Colorado Rockies! There's a huge Rockies fan (they exist!) in one of my fantasy leagues, and he was extremely angry with me when I outbid him for Garrett Hampson in our auction. KyleB may be worth more than the Rockies' entire team payroll, but on Opening Day, the homer pick comes in, slaying the mighty Dodgers!

Couch Cushions

Our penultimate ace for this question, as well as your American Leader in runs scored at this juncture in the season, is of course the Kansas City Royals. They might not be good, (and this might say more about the pitching than the hitting), but if they keep winning 14-10, as they did on Opening Day, they'll certainly be entertaining.

that_pope

Our final ace for this question, the sweetest feeling there is in PEEHS, is when the homer pick comes in for the ACE. The very young Detroit Tigers might be ahead of schedule this year, outdueling the reigning AL Cy Young for the Opening Day win, 3-2.

Booker Wolfbox

With a SHEEP score of 2, and 8 different correct answers submitted, most incorrects will receive a score of 10.

Mets backers will receive a score of 11 (3 + 8).

Cubs backers will receive a score of 13 (5 + 8).

Awesome update, I can already taste the arbys