Yankees-Giants Opening Day starters: Fried vs. Webb
The first pitch of the 2026 MLB season will come at Oracle Park, where the Giants and Yankees are set to face off on MLB Opening Night on Wednesday. The clash will be exclusively streamed on Netflix, marking the first time a live MLB game will be carried by the service.
The Giants and Yankees also matched up on Opening Day in 2023, when three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge launched a first-inning home run off Logan Webb to pave the way for the Bronx Bombers’ 5-0 win at Yankee Stadium.
Webb will have a chance to avenge that loss at home this year, though he’ll have to outduel another All-Star starter in Yankees left-hander Max Fried.
Yankees: LHP Max Fried
Previous Opening Day starts: 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
2025 season: 19-5, 2.86 ERA in 32 starts
Fried filled the role of ace for the Yankees last year, but because of the timing of Gerrit Cole’s injury, he didn't receive the honor of starting on Opening Day. That will change this season.
Described as a "stud" competitor by manager Aaron Boone, Fried is entering the second year of an eight-year, $218 million contract. The first season saw Fried set career highs in wins, starts, innings pitched (195 1/3) and strikeouts (189), earning selection as an American League All-Star.
Saying he is looking forward to the season ahead, Fried is ready to lead what he sees as a formidable staff.
“We’ve got a lot of really good, talented arms,” Fried said recently. “Guys are throwing the ball well and feeling good. This time of year, that’s all you can ask for.”
Giants: RHP Logan Webb
Previous Opening Day starts: 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
2025 season: 15-11, 3.22 ERA in 34 starts
Fresh off a dominant showing for Team USA at the World Baseball Classic, Webb is poised to make his fifth consecutive Opening Day start for the Giants, the second-longest streak in franchise history behind Hall of Famer Juan Marichal (6).
Webb has established himself as the premier workhorse in the Majors, finishing fourth in National League Cy Young voting after logging an MLB-high 207 innings in 2025. The 29-year-old right-hander has always excelled at keeping the ball on the ground, but he also started missing a ton more bats last year, leading the NL with a career-high 224 strikeouts.
The Giants have made the playoffs only once in Webb’s first seven seasons, which has given him limited opportunities to showcase his talents in October. But his performance during the WBC served as a reminder that he’s built to thrive on the biggest of stages.
“You’re watching him, and you’d like to be on his team because of the way he competes,” first-year Giants manager Tony Vitello said. “I’ve had a lot of buddies text me and talk about how big of a fan they are of him. It’s like, ‘Yeah, I know, I saw that even before I got here.’ Then when you get to be close with him -- he’s kind of one of the easier guys to form a relationship with, the way he is off the field, too -- it makes you a bigger fan.”