Pedro Martinez has a new league to torment, Washington fields a new team and baseball has a new statistic to track — violators of a toughened steroids policy.

Martinez will throw his first pitch for the rebuilt Mets today in Cincinnati — and he’ll have New York’s other big free-agent acquisition, Carlos Beltran, patrolling center field.

“Pedro’s the type of guy, he elevates everybody. He’s one of the classic stopper guys,” Mets catcher Mike Piazza said.

Ken Griffey Jr., healthy after another injury-interrupted season, is one player not looking forward to seeing Martinez back in the National League.

“You know the numbers,” said Griffey, who is 0-for-12 against Martinez.

Washington again will be focused on baseball — no, not members of Congress asking questions about steroids — but on the Nationals, when the team that moved from Montreal, after three years in limbo, faces the Phillies in Philadelphia.

“It’s a big comfort for the guys,” Nationals manager Frank Robinson said. “It’s a big relief, mentally more than anything else: Finally, they have some place to call home. They’ll have fans behind them. They can settle in.”

Sammy Sosa has a new home, too.

The Seattle Mariners work out at Safeco Field with the Opening Day logo painted behind home plate. Seattle practiced Sunday in preparation for today's season opener against Minnesota.

He joins fellow 500-homer-club member, Rafael Palmeiro, on the Baltimore Orioles, who face the Oakland Athletics. Palmeiro begins the season 78 hits shy of joining Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Eddie Murray in the exclusive 3,000-hit, 500-homer club.

After a bitter end to his stay with the Chicago Cubs, Sosa is ready to begin anew.

“I have to go out there and fight to win the fans,” Sosa said, 26 homers short of 600.

Magglio Ordonez will play the first game of his eight-year career not in a White Sox uniform. When his Detroit Tigers entertain Kansas City, Jeremy Bonderman, at 22 the youngest Opening Day starter since 1986, will take the mound.