Spring training is underway and Major League Baseball’s 2025 regular season is just around the corner. As such, it’s never too early to watch each team’s Opening Day starters. These announcements are made during spring training and sometimes even before training camp begins.
With that in mind, here is our real-time file documenting each team’s Opening Day starters. These announcements are tentative, MLB Jersey as sometimes situations change due to injuries, so please check back regularly for updates. We’ll have all the information you need to know about the Opening Day starters right here.
Before we get to the highlights, here is the list of all-time Opening Day starters:
1.Tom Seaver: 16
2.Steve Carlton: 14
3.Jack Morris: 14
4.Randy Johnson: 14
5.Walter Johnson: 14
While Opening Day only counts as one game in the standings, it’s still an honor to be chosen as the starting pitcher for the day. With that in mind, here’s who will be catching in the league’s first game.
Arizona Rattlers: to be determined
Zach Gallen has started the last two Opening Day games for the Rattlers, but it seems most likely that it will be Corbin Burns, the 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner and recipient of a $210 million contract in the offseason. If it’s Burns, it would be his fourth consecutive Opening Day start after he played for the Brewers in 2022-23 and the Orioles in 2024. The Rattlers will host the Cubs in early 2025.
(Sacramento) Athletics: TBD
The Athletics have started six different Opening Day starters over the past seven years, and this year will be the seventh in eight years. It would be wise to bet on Luis Severino to catch after signing a three-year, $67 million contract, the largest in team history. The Athletics will start the season on the road against the Mariners. Their first home game in Sacramento will be Monday, March 31 against the Cubs.
Atlanta Braves: to be determined
It would be a surprise if it wasn’t current NL Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale. Searle has made five Opening Day starts between the White Sox (2013-14, 2016) and Red Sox (2018-19). He pitched 177 ⅔ innings last year and led the MLB in ERA at 2.38. He topped the NL with 225 strikeouts. The Braves will play the Padres on the road in 2025. Spencer Strider, fresh off UCL surgery, will start for Atlanta in 2025.
Baltimore Orioles: TBD
With Corbin Burnes leaving as a free agent and no big-name starter brought in to replace him, Zach Eflin seems likely to make his Orioles’ Opening Day start.Eflin, who moved from the Rays at least by the summer transfer deadline, has a 2.60 ERA in 55 ⅓ innings with the Orioles.He was Tampa’s Opening Day starter last year. The Orioles will travel to Toronto to face the Blue Jays on Opening Day.
Boston Red Sox: TBD
Brayan Bello made his Opening Day debut with the Boston Red Sox last season, but Paul Skenes Jersey, who was traded for in the offseason, is expected to start here. Crochet had a great first year as a major league starting pitcher, striking out 209 batters in 146 innings with a 3.58 defensive rating. that earned him a spot in the All-Star Game. The Red Sox will start the regular season in Texas against the Rangers.
Chicago Cubs: Shota Imaga
Shota Imaga will be recognized in his home country as the Cubs begin the season with a two-game set against the Dodgers on March 18-19 in Tokyo. The team announced on February 18th. Shota Imaga pitched 173 ⅓ innings in 2024 with a 2.91 defensive rating, finishing fourth in Rookie of the Year voting and fifth in Cy Young Award voting. He will become the fourth different Opening Day starting pitcher for Chicago in four years, and it will be his first Opening Day start in his second season in MLB.
Colorado Rockies: to be determined
Kyle Freeland and Herman Marquez have combined to start the last six Opening Day games (three each) for Colorado. Marquez, who recovered from Tommy John surgery last July, made just one start before elbow inflammation put him back on the disabled list. It’s a good bet that either he or Freeland will start the Opening Day game again in 2025. The Rockies will visit the Rays to start the season. This will be the first MLB regular season game at Tampa’s 2025 home, George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Detroit Tigers by Tariq Skubal
It was only a matter of time before Coach A.J. Hinch officially announced the appointment of the current American League Cy Young Award winner as the club’s Opening Day starter. He announced the decision on Feb. 26, calling it “the easiest decision a coach has to make.” Skubal made his Opening Day debut last season and went on to pitch 192 innings with a 2.39 defensive rating and an MLB-best 228 strikeouts, en route to earning top pitcher honors in the league. The Tigers and Skubal will face the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Opening Day.
Frequently Asked Questions
1.Who is the most anticipated Opening Day starter this year?
It’s hard to pick just one, but the Houston Astros’ starter is definitely generating a lot of buzz!
2.Are there any rookies starting on Opening Day?
Several teams are rolling out promising young pitchers who are ready to make their mark.
3.Which team has the most experienced Opening Day starter?
The St. Louis Cardinals are bringing a veteran pitcher with decades of experience to the mound.
4.How important is the Opening Day starter’s performance for the season?
It sets the tone and can give a team momentum. But it’s just the beginning – there’s a long season ahead!
5.Who will have the toughest job on Opening Day?
The pitchers facing the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers will definitely have their work cut out for them!