Major League Baseball’s 2025 Opening Day is less than a week away. As such, it is never too early to keep tabs on each team’s Opening Day starter. These announcements have come in throughout spring training, but there are still plenty of decisions to be made.
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 and now he’ll get a third, beating out the newly signed Corbin Burnes for the honor. Gallen went 14-6 for the Diamondbacks in 2024, putting up a 3.65 ERA in his fifth full season with the team. The D-backs will host the Cubs to begin 2025.
(Sacramento) Athletics: Luis Severino
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. Luis Severino gets 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 would have been a surprise if it was anyone but reigning NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale. No surprises here. 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, 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.
Offseason trade pickup and new Boston ace Garrett Crochet gets the call. Crochet had a terrific first year as a big-league starter, striking out 209 batters with a 3.58 ERA in 146 innings for the White Sox. That earned him a spot in the All-Star Game. The Red Sox acquired the lefty in a December five-team swap with Chicago. The Red Sox will begin the regular season in Texas against the Rangers. Brayan Bello started Opening Day for the BoSox last season
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 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 instead goes to rookie Sean Burke, who has thrown just 19 innings in the majors. In four MLB games last year (three starts), Burke struck out 22 of the 76 batters he faced and allowed three earned runs. 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 started the last five Opening Days for Cleveland, and although he re-signed with the club this offseason, he is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and won’t be available for the season opener.
Bieber’s injury paved the way for Bibbee to be named the Guardians’ Game 1 starter for Opening Day against the Royals in Kansas City. On the other hand, Freeland will lead the Rockies in their season opener against the Rays in Tampa. Skubal, the reigning AL Cy Young winner, will start for the Tigers against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Valdez will make his fourth consecutive Opening Day start for the Astros as they take on the Mets at home. Ragans will start for the Royals against the Guardians. Kikuchi will get the nod for the Angels against the White Sox in Chicago. Yamamoto will start for the Dodgers in their games against the Cubs in Tokyo. Alcantara, the Marlins’ 2022 NL Cy Young winner, will start against the Pirates in Miami. Peralta will take the mound for the Brewers against the Yankees in New York. López will make his third consecutive Opening Day start for the Twins against the Cardinals. Holmes will start for the Mets against the Astros in Houston as Manaea is sidelined due to injury. Rodón will start for the Yankees in place of Cole, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery. The new season will kick off with the Yankees hosting the Brewers. Last season, Aaron Nola’s streak of six consecutive Opening Day starts ended, with Wheeler taking the mound instead. This year, Wheeler will once again lead the Phillies as the Opening Day starter, coming off a stellar performance last season where he was the NL Cy Young runner-up. The Phillies will face the Nationals on the road in their season opener.
Over in Pittsburgh, the young ace Skenes has taken over the Opening Day start from Mitch Keller. Skenes, the NL Rookie of the Year last season, will lead the Pirates against the Marlins on Opening Day. In St. Louis, Sonny Gray will get the nod as the Opening Day starter after missing out last year due to injury. The Cardinals will take on the Twins in their season opener.
In San Diego, Michael King will be on the mound for the Padres on Opening Day, stepping into the role previously held by Yu Darvish. The Padres will host the Braves to start the new season. Meanwhile, in San Francisco, Logan Webb will make his fourth consecutive Opening Day start for the Giants as they face the Reds on the road.
In Seattle, Logan Gilbert will take the mound for the Mariners on Opening Day, replacing Luis Castillo. The Mariners will host the A’s in their season opener. The Rays were set to have McClanahan start on Opening Day, but an injury has shifted the responsibility to Ryan Pepiot as they face the Rockies at home.
The Rangers will have Nathan Eovaldi as their Opening Day starter for the second year in a row, facing the Red Sox at home. José Berríos will lead the Blue Jays against the Orioles in their season opener. And in Washington, MacKenzie Gore will start for the Nationals against the Phillies on Opening Day, continuing the trend of new Opening Day starters for the team. sentence: “I need to finish my homework before dinner.”
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