There is something perfect about Opening Day, where all 30 teams go, as it will be on Thursday.
And getting on the mound as Oris’ day starter is an honor like no other. Now that MLB announces all the pitchers on the first day of the season, we know the matchups. They will all be fun, but here we present the order.
(All times are Eastern Time)
1) Mets vs. Marlins, 4:10 p.m
Maximilian Scherzer vs. Sandy Alcantara
You’d be fooled into thinking this is a matchup of two recent Cy Young Award winners, but Justin Verlander will start the Mets’ home opener on April 6. Then Scherzer, who has captured three Cy Young Awards, will face Alcantara, who will start the Marlins on Opening Day for the fourth straight season. With these two pitchers and pitching, is this game going to be in two hours?
2) Yankees, 1:05 p.m
Logan Webb vs
This is the kind of classic opening day matchup that would have been unthinkable two decades ago. Now that it’s a daily play, this is the kind of matchup we look forward to every year. Webb is one of the lesser rotten pitchers in the majors, but Cole is the Yankees ace, and more pressure is on him now that luxury signing (and former Giants) Carlos Rodon is starting the year in the league injured. But the Yankees and the Giants at Yankee Stadium? It indicates that the time has started.
3) Sons vs. Rangers, 4:05 pm
Jacob deGrom Aaron Nola vs
What does deGrom look like in a Rangers uniform? For what does it look like? Remember: he was healthy at the end of 2012, but not like Jacob de Grom. Rangers will have to wait the next five years to see the real deGro. Nola, the essence, is the opposite of deGrom cado: certain, stable and constant, changing from moment to moment. Nola will be on the opening day mound for the sixth straight season, the longest active streak in the majors.
4) Guardians vs. Sailors, 10:10 am
Shane Bieber Luis Castillo vs
On Thursday night, two of the best pitchers in the last five years meet, featuring two teams that reached the American League Division Series last year. Shane Bieber will start in Cleveland for the fourth straight season; Castello receives the recommendation for the third time in his career, having done so twice in Cincinnati. Both teams are very dependent on those pitchers this season.
5) Angels vs Atléticos, 10:07
Shohei Ohtani vs. Kyle Müller
With all due respect to Kyle Muller, it’s Ohtani who stands here. Mike Trout will be happy to leave the field behind him rather than stop him at bat. Now the problem will be Oakland hitters.
6) D-back vs. Dodgers, 10:10 p.m
Zac Gallen vs. Julius Cesar Urías
Madison Bumgarner pitched Arizona on Opening Day the past three years (and San Francisco five times before that), but Gallen is the club’s ace. The best situation here is that the Dodgers have used the first five days in five distinct years: Hyun Jin Ryu, Dustin Major, Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler and now Urías … who belonged to the rotation of Los Angeles for each one. in the last five seasons.
7) White Sox vs. Astros, 7:08 p.m
Dylan stop vs. Framber Valdez
Lucas Giolito has pitched on Open Day the past three seasons for the White Sox, but it’s hard to argue against giving the ball to Cessare, who took the last year off to become one of the better starters in the majors. Dominican Valdez will start the season for the Astros for the second consecutive year; in 2022, it was Valdez, not Verlander, who pitched on Opening Day.
8) Brewers vs. Cubs, 2:20 am
Corbin Burns vs. Marcus Stroman
Burning is looking to finish in the top 10 of the NL Cy Young votes for the fourth straight hour. Stroman will try to be the Cubs contact they are looking for. Remember, he was the last World Classic MVP until Ohtani.
9) Rockies vs. Padres, 4:10 p.m
German Marquez vs. blake snell
With Joe Musgrove still recovering from a broken thumb and Yu Darvish pitching after the World Classic, Snell will be called to the mound. Whoever does it, Petco Park is probably on fire for that game. Remember that the Padres had to sell tickets because of the amount of demand. Flint and the Venezuelan Márquez will meet very aggressively.
10. Cardinals, 4 p.m
Alek Manoah Miles Mikolas vs
Adam Wainwright’s injury will prevent him from starting the opening game at home; which he did many times in his life. Mikolas, who was famous in the Classics, will start the second day. He will be the starter for the Blue Jays stars who finished third in the Cy Young voting, and who seems to be starting at the age of twenty-five.
11) Gemini vs. Royal, 4:10 am
Pablo Lopez vs. Zack Greinke
The twins had several options, but finally opted for the Venezuelan; Their latest acquisition is from Miami, and they love to see it as a new accelerator. But the biggest party here is provided by Greinke, who will open the season for the Royals for the second straight year and third in his career (his first was in 2010). It’s his eighth Opening Day start overall, and probably his last, in what may also be his last career season. Enjoy a second while it lasts.
12) Braves vs. National, 1:05 am
Max Friedl vs
This will be the second straight season that Corbin has opened the season for Nationals, though he probably talks more about rebuilding Nationals than Corbin does. For Fried-Dies, the straight start will be his third start. Since then he started (and won) the definitive game of the World Series and came close to Cy Young the following year.
13) Orioles vs. Red Sox, 2:10 p.m
Kyle Gibson Corey Kluber vs
Gibson turned out to be a heavyweight for the Orioles in the offseason, and if they wanted to do more, Gibson is a solid pitcher who will provide valuable innings for Baltimore’s young pitching staff. Kluber will take the ball ahead of Chris Sale, who did not start opening day for the Red Sox in 2019; the same year that Kluber did the same thing … in Cleveland.
14) Tigers vs. Rays, 3:10 p.m
Eduardo Rodriguez vs. Shane McClanahan
The Tigers can only do better this year, and they will probably expect the Venezuelan to spend as many innings as possible from day one. McClanahan was a Cy Young contender in the first half of last season, before slipping back a bit, but he was solidified as Tampa Bay’s No. 1 rotation.
15) Pirates vs. Reds, 4:10 am
Mitch Keller vs
He’s talking volumes about Opening Day, which offers our lowest matchup set to get excited about the season. Cincinnati usually opens the season at home. Cellar once again leaves the ground with Pittsburgh, but the most exciting thing here is Greene; One of the best starters in baseball last year went down the stretch. The Reds hope this is his first of many Oris Days starts.
