MLB Opening Day, one of the most anticipated days in the American sporting calendar, is just five days away and each starting pitching matchup has now been set. It will be the beginning of what looks to be an exciting season, with plenty of significant player movement. Will the LA Dodgers, bolstered by the starting pitching additions of Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki, become back-to-back champions? Are the Juan Soto-less New York Yankees still the team to beat in an open American League? Can Soto’s new team, the New York Mets, build on a remarkable 2024 season and threaten the Dodger’s NL crown? There are so many questions and it all begins in less than a week. But first, let’s delve into each team’s Opening Day starter.
New York Yankees vs Milwaukee Brewers
NYY: Carlos Rodon
After ace Gerrit Cole underwent season-ending Tommy John Surgery, the New York Yankees’ Opening Day starter became unclear. Big off-season acquisition Max Fried would have been the next in line to start, but the Yankees were reluctant to stray from his schedule with health paramount. Instead, fellow southpaw Carlos Rodon will take the mound at Yankee Stadium on Thursday afternoon, as he enters Year 3 in pinstripes. A solid season last year helped his side to a World Series berth, but he will hope for an even stronger campaign this season with a greater responsibility.
MIL: Freddy Peralta
It will be righty vs lefty in this matchup, as the Milwaukee Brewers will turn to Freddy Peralta for the second year in a row. Last season, he pitched across town on Opening Day as the Brewers faced the New York Mets. They came away 3-1 winners as Peralta restricted their opponents to just one hit and one run.
Toronto Blue Jays vs Baltimore Orioles
TOR: Jose Berrios
Jose Berrios draws his fifth-ever Opening Day start and third for the Toronto Blue Jays. He faces a divisional opponent in the Baltimore Orioles, who may be without star shortstop Gunnar Henderson. However, there is still plenty of offensive talent in the lineup to navigate, a task trusted to Berrios. Last season, the righty recorded a 3.60 ERA in 192.1 innings pitched.
BAL: Zach Eflin
Zach Eflin will pitch Opening Day against the Blue Jays for the second year in a row, having done so last season for the Rays. He allowed six runs in 5.2 innings as they were defeated. This season he will be taking the mound for the Baltimore Orioles, who acquired him via trade last July. He enjoyed a strong end to the campaign as he recorded a 2.60 ERA in nine starts for the O’s.
Texas Rangers vs Boston Red Sox
TEX: Nathan Eovaldi
For the second year in a row, the Texas Rangers will turn to Nathan Eovaldi on Opening Day. This will be Eovaldi’s fifth Opening Day start of his career and he will hope to help lead his side back to the playoffs after missing out last year. He was a free agent in the off-season but re-signed with the Rangers on a 3-year $75m deal. The 35-year-old has been an important member of the rotation and played a key role in their World Series triumph in 2023.
BOS: Garrett Crochet
The Boston Red Sox’s big off-season trade saw them acquire Garrett Crochet from the White Sox. He immediately slots in as the ace for a team who were desperately in need of starting pitching. It is an impressive addition for a Red Sox side hoping to make a statement in the AL East after finishing bottom of the division in three of the last five seasons. The left-hander was an All-Star last year and was a rare bright spot in a dismal White Sox campaign.
Washington Nationals vs Philadelphia Phillies
WAS: Mackenzie Gore
For the first time in his career, Mackenzie Gore will start on Opening Day for the Washington Nationals. A youthful Nationals team will hope to make some noise in the National League this season and will begin with 26-year-old Gore, the youngest Opening Day starter for the franchise since 2014. Last season, he made 32 starts, pitching to a solid 3.90 ERA.
PHI: Zack Wheeler
Veteran Zack Wheeler gets the nod for the Philadelphia Phillies for the second time, looking to build on an impressive season in which he recorded a 2.57 ERA in 32 starts. He is among the best pitchers in baseball, particularly in the last five seasons where he has accumulated 25.4 WAR, almost 6.0 more than the next pitcher. With two second-place Cy Young finishes in the last four seasons, he will again be in contention for the award.
Kansas City Royals vs Cleveland Guardians
KCR: Cole Ragans
The Kansas City Royals enjoyed a remarkable season last season, in which they made the playoffs against the odds. The Yankees eliminated them in the ALDS, but they showed great promise as they leaned on the talent of Bobby Witt Jr and their elite pitching staff. Cole Ragans headlined the rotation, and the lefty will start the opener for the second year in a row.
CLE: Tanner Bibee
A divisional matchup opens the season for the Royals and Cleveland Guardians, and the visitors will have Tanner Bibee on the mound. It will be the first Opening Day start of the 26-year-old’s career, as he looks to help lead the Guardians to another AL Central title. Bibee played a huge role in their success last season, leading a rotation which suffered injuries to both Shane Bieber and Gavin Williams.
Houston Astros vs New York Mets
HOU: Framber Valdez
For the fourth year in a row, the Houston Astros named Framber Valdez their Opening Day starter. Last year, he pitched against the Yankees, allowing three runs, five hits and six walks in a 5-4 defeat. This season he will hope for better success against the team across town in the Mets, who will showcase a strengthened offense. Valdez has been a reliable constant for the Astros, pitching a 3.30 ERA during seven seasons with the ball club.
NYM: Clay Holmes
All eyes will be on Soto’s Mets debut, but it is his former Yankees teammate who will be on the mound. Clay Holmes will start on Opening Day for the first time in his career after joining the Mets in the off-season. A long-time reliever turned starter, this will also be his first start in any game for over five years. He struggled last season as the Yankees removed him as their closer, but he will look to reinvent himself this year as a key figure in the injury-depleted Mets rotation.
Cincinnati Reds vs San Francisco Giants
CIN: Hunter Greene
Hunter Greene gets the honor of taking to the mound on Opening Day for the second time in his career. The right-hander had a career year last year, form the Reds will hope he brings and builds on coming into this season. Greene throws hard and efficiently, particularly with his fastball, which has reached 100mph on 472 occasions–the most of any pitcher. His 6.3 WAR led the NL and tied AL Cy Young winner Skubal.
SFG: Logan Webb
The San Francisco Giants made a big free agent signing in Justin Verlander in the off-season but will continue to lean on Logan Webb for the fourth consecutive season. Webb had an excellent season last year as he finished sixth in NL Cy Young voting, having pitched the most innings in the league to a respectable 3.47 ERA. The Giants are looking to make the postseason for the first time since 2021.
San Diego Padres vs Atlanta Braves
SDP: Michael King
A strong debut season with the San Diego Padres has earned Michael King an Opening Day start. He was the main return of the Soto trade to the Yankees and has been a crucial addition to the Padres pitching staff, which got to the NLDS last year. It is a strong rotation which also includes Dylan Cease and Yu Darvish, though the latter will begin the season on the Injured List with elbow inflammation. King and Cease were both worthy of the nod, but this alignment allows them to remain on regular rest to begin the season.
ATL: Chris Sale
The Atlanta Braves unsurprisingly named reigning NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale their Opening Day starter. This will be the sixth opening day start for one of the game’s elite pitchers. Injuries disrupted Sale in previous years, but last season proved an excellent comeback as he dominated throughout with a 2.38 ERA. He also won the NL Triple Crown, leading the league in wins (18), strikeouts (225) and ERA.
Chicago White Sox vs Los Angeles Angels
CWS: Sean Burke
Things can’t get much worse for the Chicago White Sox after 121 losses last season–the most in MLB history. They head into this season desperate for an improvement, beginning with their pitching staff, which will start with Sean Burke. It comes as a surprise, given Burke has started and appeared in just two games in his Major League career, both coming last season. But he has shown enough promise to be tasked with taking the mound on Opening Day.
LAA: Yusei Kikuchi
Yusei Kikuchi joined the LA Angels in the off-season, signing a three-year $63m deal. While he had three-year stints at each of the Mariners and Blue Jays, this will be the first time he gets the start on Opening Day. The Astros traded for Kikuchi mid-season last year, and he pitched well in his 10 starts, recording a strong 2.70 ERA.
Miami Marlins vs Pittsburgh Pirates
MIA: Sandy Alcantara
A simple decision for the Miami Marlins–Sandy Alcantara will pitch on Opening Day. The 29-year-old missed all of last season having undergone Tommy John surgery, but is looking to bounce back stronger than ever in 2025. Alcantara has recorded a sub-3.50 ERA in all but two of his six seasons with the Marlins.
PIT: Paul Skenes
The most exciting and electric young pitcher in the sport, Paul Skenes, has earned his first Opening Day start for the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was a foregone conclusion that Skenes would take the mound for the first game, and he will be a strong candidate for the NL Cy Young award. From being selected first overall in the 2024 draft, it has been a rapid rise to the top for the 22-year-old, who not only debuted last year but also started in the All-Star game.
St Louis Cardinals vs Minnesota Twins
STL: Sonny Gray
The veteran Sonny Gray is entering his second season with the St Louis Cardinals. Injuries have set him back at times, including what would have been an Opening Day start last season. But now he will get the opportunity for the fourth time in his career, looking to replicate the strong start he enjoyed last year.
MIN: Pablo Lopez
This will be the third consecutive Opening Day start for Pablo Lopez since joining the Minnesota Twins in 2023. Lopez helped his side win in his two previous starts and will hope to make it three in a row at the Cardinals. The right-hander has been reliable during his Twins tenure, pitching in at least 180 innings in each of the last three seasons.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs Detroit Tigers
LAD: Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Yoshinobu Yamamoto has already pitched this season in the opening game of the Tokyo Series last week. He pitched five innings, allowing three hits and one earned run in a 4-1 win. The Japanese pitcher will hope to build on an impressive debut season in MLB, in which he ended as a World Series champion. He will be a major part of what should prove to be a stacked Dodgers rotation as they look to repeat.
DET: Tarik Skubal
A tough Opening Day assignment awaits Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, but the reigning AL Cy Young winner is well-equipped to take it on. Skubal will face the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, but was the most impressive pitcher in all of baseball last season. He will be among the favorites to win the award once more this year, following a 2.93 ERA campaign.
Arizona Diamondbacks vs Chicago Cubs
ARI: Zac Gallen
Despite the addition of Corbin Burnes in the off-season, the Arizona Diamondbacks will continue to lean on ace Zac Gallen, as they have for the last two seasons. Gallen has cemented himself as one of the stronger pitchers in the game, recording a career 3.29 ERA across seven seasons in the big leagues. After helping the Diamondbacks to the World Series in 2023, Gallen will hope to get them back into the playoffs, having missed out last year.
CHC: Justin Steele
Justin Steele was the opposing pitcher in the second game of the Tokyo Series for the Chicago Cubs and will take the ball once more in the opener against the Diamondbacks. Steele was on the end of a defeat to the Dodgers in his last start, as he gave up five runs on five hits, including two home runs.
Seattle Mariners vs Athletics
SEA: Logan Gilbert
The Seattle Mariners boast one of the league’s most impressive rotations, and Logan Gilbert will lead them into the season for the first time. The 27-year-old faced tough competition from Luis Castillo but earned the nod off the back of a strong season in which he recorded a 3.23 ERA in 33 starts, including one complete game.
ATH: Luis Severino
The Athletics gave Luis Severino the largest contract in their history, a 3-year, $67 million deal during the off-season, so it’s no surprise they awarded him the Opening Day start. This season marks the first of at least three in which the A’s will play in their temporary home in Sacramento. But their first game of this campaign will be in Seattle, where Severino will hope to make the perfect start to life with his new team. This will be the second time Severino will take the ball on Opening Day, having done so for the Yankees in 2018.
Tampa Bay Rays vs Colorado Rockies
TBR: Shane McClanahan
Two-time All-Star Shane McClanahan will make his comeback this season after missing the entirety of the 2024 campaign following Tommy John Surgery. The Tampa Bay Rays will continue to show faith in their ace, as they adjust to new surroundings in their temporary home at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Since his 2021 debut, McClanahan’s rise to the top was inevitable, and he will face no restrictions upon his return to the mound.
COL: Kyle Freeland
Left-hander Kyle Freeland will make his fourth Opening Day start for the Colorado Rockies–a franchise record. In eight seasons with the Rockies, Freeland has pitched a lifetime 4.48 ERA in 205 starts, though has only posted a sub-5.00 ERA once in the last three seasons. The Rockies have finished bottom of the NL West in each of the last three seasons.
