Below you will find every starting pitcher for each team in Game 1 of the 2026 season, as announced by the team’s manager. Noted in parentheses is how many times that pitcher has started on Opening Day, including the upcoming '26 start.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25
Yankees at Giants, 8:05 p.m. ET
NYY 2025 OD starter: Carlos Rodón
SF 2025 OD starter: Logan Webb
THURSDAY, MARCH 26
Pirates at Mets, 1:15 p.m. ET
PIT 2025 OD starter: Paul Skenes
NYM 2025 OD starter: Clay Holmes
White Sox at Brewers, 2:10 p.m. ET
CHW 2025 OD starter: Sean Burke
MIL 2025 OD starter: Freddy Peralta
Nationals at Cubs, 2:20 p.m. ET
WSH 2025 OD starter: MacKenzie Gore
CHC 2025 OD starter: Shota Imanaga
Twins at Orioles, 3:05 p.m. ET
MIN 2025 OD starter: Pablo López
BAL 2025 OD starter: Zach Eflin
Red Sox at Reds, 4:10 p.m. ET
Garrett Crochet (BOS, 3rd): Alex Cora wasted no time, naming Crochet on Feb. 10. This will be two years in Boston and two Opening Day starts for Crochet. He will be the fourth pitcher to start Opening Day in each of his first two seasons with the Red Sox, joining 1998-99 Pedro Martínez (did so in all seven seasons with Boston), 1976-77 Ferguson Jenkins and 1923-24 Howard Ehmke.
BOS 2025 OD starter: Crochet
CIN 2025 OD starter: Hunter Greene
Angels at Astros, 4:10 p.m. ET
LAA 2025 OD starter: Yusei Kikuchi
Hunter Brown (HOU, 1st): Coming off a third-place finish in the AL Cy Young Award race a year ago, Brown will get the ball on Opening Day for the first time in his career. Framber Valdez, who signed with the Tigers in free agency, started the previous four season openers for the Astros.
HOU 2025 OD starter: Valdez
Tigers at Padres, 4:10 p.m. ET
Tarik Skubal (DET, 3rd): Skubal will kick off his quest for a third straight AL Cy Young Award by making his third consecutive Opening Day start for the Tigers. The last Tigers pitcher to make at least three straight Opening Day starts? Justin Verlander, who is now Skubal's teammate after signing a one-year deal to return to the Tigers on Feb. 10. Verlander started seven straight season openers for Detroit from 2008-14.
DET 2025 OD starter: Skubal
SD 2025 OD starter: Michael King
Rays at Cardinals, 4:15 p.m. ET
Drew Rasmussen (TB, 1st): The Rays have tabbed Rasmussen as their Opening Day starter after he recorded a 2.76 ERA over 31 starts in 2025, completing a remarkable comeback from his third major elbow surgery. Rasmussen, who underwent an internal brace procedure to repair a torn UCL in his right elbow in July 2023, was limited to 24 appearances (12 starts) across '23-24.
TB 2025 OD starter: Ryan Pepiot
STL 2025 OD starter: Sonny Gray
Rangers at Phillies, 4:15 p.m. ET
TEX 2025 OD starter: Nathan Eovaldi
PHI 2025 OD starter: Zack Wheeler
D-backs at Dodgers, 8:30 p.m. ET
Merrill Kelly (AZ, 1st): The 37-year-old Kelly earns the nod on Opening Day for the first time in his career. Kelly signed a two-year deal to return to Arizona in the offseason after being traded to the Rangers at the Deadline in 2025. Zac Gallen, who is also returning to the D-backs on a one-year deal, started the previous three openers for Arizona.
AZ 2025 OD starter: Zac Gallen
LAD 2025 OD starter: Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Guardians at Mariners, 10:10 p.m. ET
CLE 2025 OD starter: Ben Lively
SEA 2025 OD starter: Logan Gilbert
FRIDAY, MARCH 27
Athletics at Blue Jays, 7:07 p.m. ET
ATH 2025 OD starter: Luis Severino
TOR 2025 OD starter: José Berríos
Rockies at Marlins, 7:10 p.m. ET
COL 2025 OD starter: Kyle Freeland
Sandy Alcantara (MIA, 6th): The Marlins will hand the ball to Alcantara for the sixth time in the last seven seasons, extending a long-held club record -- no other pitcher in Marlins history has made more than three Opening Day starts (Josh Beckett, 2003-05; Josh Johnson, 2010-12).
MIA 2025 OD starter: Alcantara
Royals at Braves, 7:15 p.m. ET
KC 2025 OD starter: Cole Ragans
ATL 2025 OD starter: Chris Sale