Spring training is underway and Major League Baseball’s 2025 regular season is fast approaching. As such, it is never too early to keep tabs on each team’s Opening Day starter. These announcements come in throughout spring training and sometimes before camp even opens.
With that in mind, here is our living document chronicling every team’s Opening Day starter situation. These announcements are tentative because sometimes things change due to injury, so check back regularly for updates. We’ll have everything you need to know about Opening Day starters right here.
Before we get to the good stuff, here is the all-time Opening Day start leaderboard:
- Tom Seaver: 16
- Steve Carlton: 14
- Jack Morris: 14
- Randy Johnson: 14
- Walter Johnson: 14
While it’s true that Opening Day counts for only one game in the standings, it’s still an honor to be tabbed as the starting pitcher for that day. With that in mind, here’s who’s getting the ball in Game 1 around the league.
Zac Gallen has started the last two Opening Days for the D-backs, though it seems likely the nod will go to Corbin Burnes, the 2021 NL Cy Young winner and recipient of a $210 million contract this offseason. If it is Burnes, it would be his fourth straight Opening Day start, following 2022-23 with the Brewers and 2024 with the Orioles. The D-backs will host the Cubs to begin 2025.
The A’s have used six different Opening Day starters in the last seven years and this year will make it seven in eight years. The smart money is on Luis Severino getting the ball after signing a three-year, $67 million contract that is the largest in franchise history. The A’s will begin the season on the road against the Mariners. Their first home game in Sacramento will be Monday, March 31, against the Cubs.
It will be a surprise if it’s anyone but reigning NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale. Sale has made five career Opening Day starts between the White Sox (2013-14, 2016) and Red Sox (2018-19). Last year he threw 177 ⅔ innings with an MLB-leading 2.38 ERA. He struck out an NL-best 225 batters. The Braves will open 2025 on the road against the Padres. Spencer Strider, who is coming off UCL surgery, started Opening Day for Atlanta in 2025.
With Corbin Burnes leaving as a free agent and no big-name starter imported to replace him, Zach Eflin seemed likely to get the Opening Day start for the O’s. Sure enough, he will. Acquired from the Rays at least summer’s deadline, Eflin had a 2.60 ERA in 55 ⅓ innings for the Orioles. This will be his second consecutive Opening Start, as he received the honors for Tampa Bay last year. The O’s will be in Toronto to face the Blue Jays on Opening Day.
Brayan Bello started Opening Day for the BoSox last season, though offseason trade pickup Garrett Crochet figures to get the call here. Crochet had a terrific first year as a big league starter, striking out 209 batters with a 3.58 ERA in 146 innings. That earned him a spot in the All-Star Game. The Red Sox will begin the regular season in Texas against the Rangers.
Imanaga will indeed get the nod in his home country when the Cubbies begin the new season with two games against the Dodgers in Tokyo from March 18-19. The team announced it Feb. 18. Imanaga threw 173 ⅓ innings with a 2.91 ERA in 2024, and finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting and fifth in the Cy Young voting. He’ll be be Chicago’s fourth different Opening Day starter in four years, and this will represent his first Opening Day start in just his second season in MLB.
Garrett Crochet, last year’s Opening Day starter and breakout player, was traded over the winter. The Opening Day assignment could fall to veteran Martín Pérez, who is entering his 14th big-league season. It would be his first Opening Day start. The ChiSox will host the Angels on Opening Day as they look to improve upon last year’s historic 121-loss season.
Although Nick Martinez had a terrific 2024, the young ace Greene will get the Opening Day nod after finishing eighth in the NL Cy Young voting a year ago. He started the season opener for Cincinnati in 2023. Frankie Montas, now with the Mets, was their Opening Day starter in 2024. The Reds will take on the Giants at home to begin the new season. The 25-year-old Greene last season had a 2.75 ERA in 26 starts. His 6.3 WAR led all NL pitchers.
Shane Bieber has started the last five Opening Days for Cleveland, and although he re-signed with the club this offseason, he won’t make a sixth straight as he rehabs from Tommy John surgery. Tanner Bibee, the club’s best pitcher last year and their No. 1 starter in the postseason, is the obvious candidate to start Game 1 in Bieber’s place.
The Guardians will be playing the Royals in Kansas City on Opening Day. Aaron Nola’s streak of six consecutive Opening Day starts came to an end last season, with Zack Wheeler taking the mound in Game 1. This year, Wheeler will once again be the Opening Day starter for the Phillies as he enters the first year of his three-year, $126 million extension. Coming off a stellar season where he was the NL Cy Young runner-up, Wheeler posted a 2.57 ERA with 224 strikeouts in 200 innings. The Phillies will kick off their season on the road against the Nationals.
Meanwhile, the Pirates will turn to Paul Skenes to start on Opening Day, ending Mitch Keller’s two-year run. Skenes, the top pick in the 2023 draft, was named NL Rookie of the Year last season and finished third in the NL Cy Young voting. He made a significant impact after arriving in May, tallying 170 strikeouts in 133 innings with a remarkable 1.96 ERA. The Pirates will face the Marlins in Miami to start their season.
For the Cardinals, Sonny Gray is expected to be the Opening Day starter if he remains healthy through spring training. Gray, who has three career Opening Day starts under his belt, was sidelined last year due to a hamstring injury, leading to Miles Mikolas taking the mound instead. St. Louis will take on the Twins in their season opener.
In San Diego, the Padres are contemplating between Dylan Cease and Michael King for the Opening Day start, with Yu Darvish likely to step aside. Cease, who was the Padres’ top starter last October, is a strong candidate despite being a trade target. The Padres will host the Braves on Opening Day.
Over in San Francisco, Logan Webb is set to make his fourth consecutive Opening Day start for the Giants. Webb finished sixth in the NL Cy Young voting last season after compiling a 3.47 ERA in 204 2/3 innings. The Giants will face the Reds on the road to kick off their season.
The Mariners are expected to choose between Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert, and George Kirby for their Opening Day starter, with Castillo having the edge with his experience in Game 1 starts. Seattle will host the A’s to begin their season.
The Rays will welcome back Shane McClanahan from Tommy John surgery, handing him his third Opening Day start. McClanahan performed well in his last healthy season, posting a 3.29 ERA with 121 strikeouts in 115 innings. Tampa Bay will host the Rockies in their season opener.
The Rangers have options in Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob deGrom for their Opening Day starter, with Eovaldi returning to Texas on a lucrative contract. DeGrom, a two-time Cy Young winner, could also be a strong choice. Texas will face the Red Sox at home in their season opener.
The Blue Jays have the luxury of choosing between José Berríos and Kevin Gausman for their Opening Day starter. Berríos, who started the last two openers for Toronto, and Gausman, a two-time Opening Day starter, are both viable options. The Blue Jays will host the Orioles to start their season.
Lastly, the Nationals are likely to give the Opening Day nod to MacKenzie Gore, with Josiah Gray rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. Last season was the first time in a decade that someone other than Patrick Corbin, Max Scherzer, or Stephen Strasburg started the opener for Washington. The Nationals will face the Phillies at home to begin the new season. text in a more concise manner:
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