There were 750 active players on Opening Day rosters. They all play baseball better than you or me (unless, say, David Ortiz happens to be reading this article). They all have their interesting and sometimes amusing style of play, and we learn to love all the little quirks of the players on our favorite team.

Some players, however, are certainly more must-watch than others. This is my list of 30 must-watch players for 2017, one for each team. Some are among the best players in baseball. Others are the most exciting or simply the most intriguing for certain reasons. A few are here because I just enjoy their style of play.

American League

Baltimore Orioles: Mark Trumbo

This isn't a knock on Manny Machado. Machado is awesome! He's one of the top 10 players in the game and a bazillion times more fun to watch than Pedro Baez. While we know Machado will be great, Trumbo is compelling because we don't know what he’ll do. Will he hit 47 home runs again? How much outfield will he play?

Boston Red Sox: Chris Sale

Media in Boston and Red Sox fans like to believe playing in Boston is somehow more difficult than playing in other cities (except New York) because of the intense scrutiny. I don't completely buy into that, but you can argue that it adds another dimension to watching Sale this season.

New York Yankees: Greg Bird

He hit .451 in spring training with eight home runs and more walks than strikeouts. He's probably not the next Joey Votto, but maybe he could be?

Tampa Bay Rays: Kevin Kiermaier

Watching this guy play center field just makes me happy. He's won two Gold Gloves in a row and deservedly so, as he catches everything he should catch and then some he shouldn't. He's also improved enough at the plate to become a league-average hitter with the potential to hit 20 home runs.

Toronto Blue Jays: Jose Bautista

I love watching Marcus Stroman pitch, and Josh Donaldson always plays like his pants are on fire, but Bautista's proverbial chip on his shoulder is probably the size of the CN Tower after basically going unwanted as a free agent and being forced back to Toronto. After missing time with injuries in 2016, he'll want to prove he's still the 40-homer guy of 2015.

Chicago White Sox: Tim Anderson

In a rebuilding year, the young shortstop is dynamic and athletic, with the speed and arm strength to make the Derek Jeter-like jump throw from deep in the hole. What we don't know is how good he'll be, particularly if his aggressive approach will ultimately limit his offensive production.

Cleveland Indians: Francisco Lindor

The Indians should run away with the division, and if Mike Trout has a hiccup, Lindor's two-way game could make him a strong MVP candidate. Of course, it's not just that he can hit .300 with developing power while playing Gold Glove defense. He plays the game with the joy of a kid who just hit his first home run in Little League.

Detroit Tigers: Miguel Cabrera

Cabrera has hit .300 or more in 11 seasons now. Nothing particularly unusual there. He's one of 38 players to do that since 1901. If we change the parameters to "since 1947," which is the post-integration era and eliminates a bunch of guys from the 1920s and '30s (when everyone hit .300), that number goes down to 15 players. Just seven of those players were right-handed hitters. Three of those -- Jeter, Paul Molitor and Roberto Clemente -- didn’t have Cabrera's power. So we're really looking at a peer group of Hank Aaron, Vladimir Guerrero and Manny Ramirez (Albert Pujols, Willie Mays and Edgar Martinez are close with 10 .300 seasons). Just another way of saying what you already know: Cabrera is a living legend.

Kansas City Royals: Eric Hosmer

I'm fascinated to not only see what Hosmer does, but to see if he gets traded before hitting free agency after the season. If he hits .300 (which he's done once, back in 2013) with 20-something home runs (which he's done once, last season), he'll get a nice contract. But his career OPS-plus is the same as Kiermaier, and a lot of people think the Rays gave Kiermaier too much in signing him to an extension that could max out at $66.15 million over seven seasons, with a peak salary of $13 million. Note: Hosmer doesn't play center field.

Minnesota Twins: Byron Buxton

He already made two diving catches on Opening Day. With Buxton, Kiermaier, Kevin Pillar and Jackie Bradley Jr., we are in a golden age of defense in center field in the American League. Whether Buxton will hit remains a question, but he was terrific down the stretch last season after returning from the minors (.287 and nine home runs in September).

Houston Astros: Jose Altuve

He's shorter than your grandmother and finished third in the MVP voting!

Los Angeles Angels: Mike Trout

I mean, no offense to C.J. Cron or Ricky Nolasco.

Oakland Athletics: Khris Davis

Ball go far.

Seattle Mariners: Edwin Diaz

I would not normally consider a closer for this, but Diaz is no normal closer. With a fastball that can click triple digits, he fanned 88 batters in 51 2/3 innings. If you saw him pitching for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, you saw a dynamic, energetic presence on the mound. He’ll have to learn to reign that in a bit over a full season, but the potential is there to become the game's next great closer.

Texas Rangers: Rougned Odor

He’s a fascinating blend of power (33 home runs) and frustration (135 strikeouts against just 19 walks), but he's also just 23 years old. Oh, and you never know when he may punch an opponent in the face.

Rougned Odor's power and temperament make him a must-see player. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

National League

Atlanta Braves: Dansby Swanson

Is he the next great young shortstop?

Miami Marlins: Giancarlo Stanton

RIP, Jose.

New York Mets: Noah Syndergaard

You worry that maybe, like late-career Nolan Ryan, the hype exceeds the actual results. But, like Ryan, Syndergaard is so unique, so potentially dominant, that you feel every outing has the chance to be something wonderful and amazing.

Philadelphia Phillies: Odubel Herrera

Never change, Odubel.

Washington Nationals: Trea Turner/Bryce Harper

TIE. Yeah, so I said one guy per team. Maybe I'll do two Nationals and no Padres. (I kid, Padres fans, I kid.)

Chicago Cubs: Anthony Rizzo

You know, I love watching Addison Russell play shortstop. Javier Baez does things -- like his no-look tag during the World Baseball Classic -- that are half-crazy, half-extraordinary. Kris Bryant is enjoyable simply because he's so good and his eyes are as blue as the Sargasso Sea. Kyle Schwarber plays with his lunch bucket in his back pocket. Jake Arrieta has no-hit potential every time out. But none of them ever made an "Anchorman" reference in the middle of Game 7 of the World Series.

Cincinnati Reds: Joey Votto

I assume most of you might say Billy Hamilton, and there's no doubt Hamilton will make more highlight-reel plays. But on a day-to-day basis, I still appreciate a good base on balls and a guy who can hit .300.

Milwaukee Brewers: Jonathan Villar

Fun with numbers! Players with at least 60 steals, 19 home runs and a .285 batting average in the same season: Villar, Jose Reyes, Rickey Henderson and Joe Morgan. That's like the all-time power-speed awesomeness list (although it should include Eric Davis, who had 27-homer/80-steal and 37-homer/50-steal seasons. And, yes, this absolutely was just an excuse to mention Davis).

Pittsburgh Pirates: Tyler Glasnow

The big right-hander is unhittable at times, holding batters to a .189 average in the minors. He's also Nuke LaLoosh-ian at times with his control, so his range of outcomes ranges from potential No. 1 starter crushing souls of opposing hitters to a future bullpen arm if he can't throw enough strikes.

St. Louis Cardinals: Carlos Martinez

After watching his Opening Day devastation of the Cubs, I'm all in.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Paul Goldschmidt

I know, you probably expected Robbie Ray -- check out that strikeout rate! -- but I have a special affection for a first baseman who steals 32 bases. A short list of players who never stole 32 bases: Bo Jackson, Ken Griffey Jr., Dustin Pedroia, David Eckstein, Andruw Jones, Bernie Williams, Speed Kelly, Horace Speed. Heck, Joe DiMaggio only stole 30 his entire career. He's a lot like new Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell, a guy who turned himself into a great baserunner besides being one of the best hitters in the game and a plus defender.

Colorado Rockies: Nolan Arenado

The Gerardo Parra Fan Club has yet to outnumber the Nolan Arenado Fan Club.

Rich Hill holds his own among the Dodgers' stars. David J. Phillip/AP Photo

Los Angeles Dodgers: Rich Hill

Threw you for a curve there, didn't I? I mean, of course Clayton Kershaw and Corey Seager are awesome, and Joc Pederson is a thrill ride with his "try to hit everything 500 feet" approach. But Kershaw is so good he's almost automatic these days. Hill, on the other hand, is so unique with that big loopy curveball that there's nobody else like him today. Don’t forget that only Kershaw had a lower ERA among pitchers with 100 innings last season.

San Diego Padres: Ryan Schimpf

Hey, he's on my fantasy team. Plus, he was one of the fun stories last year, a 28-year-old who slugged .533 with 20 home runs in 276 at-bats and is listed at 5-foot-9 (Hint: He's not 5-foot-9).

San Francisco Giants: Madison Bumgarner

At least when he's batting, although I guess he's pretty good on the mound as well.