MESA, Ariz. -- As Matthew Boyd walked across an agility field at the Cubs’ complex on Thursday morning, he stopped briefly to chat with fellow pitchers Justin Steele and Cade Horton. Steele was Chicago’s Opening Day starter two years ago. Horton might very well have such assignments coming in the future.
This year, it will be Boyd who takes the ball on Opening Day for a Cubs team with World Series aspirations.
“You think about what the journey has been,” Boyd said. “You don’t know if the opportunity is ever going to present itself again. So, it’s an honor.”
Back from his stint with Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, Boyd was named the Cubs’ Opening Day starter on Thursday by manager Craig Counsell. The veteran lefty opened the 2020 and ‘21 seasons with the Tigers, but that was before a series of injury setbacks necessitated what has been an inspirational comeback tale for Boyd.
Boyd began his tenure with the Cubs last season after returning from Tommy John surgery late in the ‘24 campaign with Cleveland. The lefty then authored arguably his most complete season in the Major Leagues, earning his first career All-Star nod and quickly emerging as a steady presence and leader for the North Siders.
“You earn these things,” Counsell said. “And Matthew has earned this with how he’s pitched last year and since coming back from an injury. He had a great season last year. He’s a very important player for us, and we’re excited to give him the ball on Opening Day.”
The Cubs are set to open this season with a 1:20 p.m. CT tilt against the Nationals on March 26 at Wrigley Field, with Boyd starting opposite Washington’s Cade Cavalli. Lefty Shota Imanaga was the Cubs’ Opening Day starter last year when Chicago faced the Dodgers in the Tokyo Series in Japan.
Steele, who started on Opening Day in ‘24, has returned to throwing off a mound, but his comeback from a left elbow injury could linger into May or June. Chicago’s rotation to start the season projects to include (order to be determined) Boyd, Horton, Imanaga, Edward Cabrera and Jameson Taillon.
“All the guys are deserving of this honor on our rotation,” Boyd said. “We have guys that can go deep. We have guys with high-end talent. We have guys that get outs in so many different ways. … Our rotation, I believe, and we collectively believe as a unit, is one of the huge strengths of our team.”
Boyd is just the one being asked to set the tone.
Last season, the 35-year-old Boyd racked up a career-high 14 wins and ended with a 3.21 ERA. His 31 starts and 179 2/3 innings were each his highest total since 2019. He ended with 154 strikeouts -- topping 150 for the third time in his 11-year career. Boyd set a single-season Cubs record with 11 pickoffs and posted a career-best walk rate (5.8%).
Boyd then took the ball for the Cubs in Game 1 of both the NL Wild Card Series against the Padres and the NL Division Series against the Brewers. His 4 2/3 shutout innings in Game 4 of the NLDS helped Chicago force a decisive fifth game, but that was where the Cubs’ October run ended.
Boyd hopes to help this year’s Cubs team get even further.
“We have a chance to do something really special this year,” Boyd said. “I’m just grateful to be part of this group.”
Boyd decided to depart Team USA after making only one appearance in the Classic tournament, logging 2 1/3 innings out of the bullpen on Monday against Mexico. As the lefty discussed his schedule with the Cubs, and weighed that against his expected workload with Team USA, it made more sense to rejoin Chicago and focus on Opening Day.
Boyd can now think about his next outing at Wrigley Field, where he went 12-1 with a 2.51 ERA in 15 starts last year. He will be thinking about the packed houses in the playoffs and how Opening Day is the start of the next journey to get to that stage once again.
“It’s really cool to be out there to start it out,” Boyd said. “To do that at Wrigley is really, really special. To do it in a Cubs uniform is really, really special. Those aren’t things I take lightly. Opening Day should be a holiday in Chicago with the buzz and energy that surrounds the field and the city.”