Daily Herald opinion: A time to dream: Opening Day is here, and so is hope, at least for a day or two

Opening day — or Opening Week as it’s packaged now — for Major League Baseball is finally here.

Like that first warm day in March, Opening Day brings the promise of spring and a new beginning. Anything is possible, and hope is in the air.

A White Sox team projected to finish last in the AL Central could go from worst to first.

A Cubs team that failed to live up to expectations last year could exceed them this year and make a deep run in October.

Anything is possible on Opening Day.

A White Sox team that set a modern record for most losses in a season starts with a blank slate and is in first place.

The Cubs lost two games in Japan to the Dodgers to start the season, but if you weren’t awake to watch them, did they really happen?

The White Sox open the season Thursday at Rate Field — Comiskey Park for traditionalists — against the Los Angeles Angels.

On paper, the Sox could definitely use some help from a higher power this season to get to .500. Maybe that higher power will come from the bats of Luis Robert, Andrew Benintendi and Andrew Vaughn.

On the bright side, the Sox are projected to win 62 games, that’s 21 more than last year. If you’re wondering, the Marlins and Rockies are projected to win fewer games than the Sox.

Even if you’re not doing much celebrating during the game, the new Celebration Cake Shake the team is offering might keep you coming back to the Rate.

On the North Side, it’s Central Division champs or bust for Craig Counsell and crew after missing the playoffs for the fourth straight season.

Maybe newly acquired all-star outfielder Kyle Tucker can show the Cubs how to get to October. Maybe Pete Crow-Armstrong and Matt Shaw will break out and reward fans paying attention to the Cubs’ minor-league system.

The Cubs play seven more games away from Wrigley, in Arizona and in Sacramento playing the Oakland A’s, before returning to Chicago for the home opener with the San Diego Padres.

Angels and Padres. Maybe the schedule makers at MLB were trying to tell us something.

If neither team starts strong and we’ve given up hope, we’ll have the Schaumburg Boomers, Kane County Cougars and Chicago Dogs Opening Days for additional chances at success.

Yes, anything is possible on Opening Day.