Angels-White Sox Opening Day starting pitchers: Kikuchi vs. Burke

The White Sox and Angels lost a combined 220 times during the 2024 season, with Chicago’s total of 121 setting a single-season record in the Modern Era (since 1901). Both teams are hoping for a level of improvement as they meet to start the ‘25 campaign.

Opening Day takes place on March 27 at Rate Field, with a first pitch of 3:05 p.m. CT/1:10 p.m. PT. Manager Ron Washington returns to the helm for the Angels, while Mike Trout returns to their lineup after just 126 plate appearances in 2024. Tim Anderson, a two-time White Sox All-Star, now plays for Los Angeles, while Will Venable takes over as the sixth Chicago manager since ‘20.

Angels: LHP Yusei Kikuchi
Previous Opening Days starts: None
2024 season: 9-10, 4.05 ERA, 175 2/3 innings

The Angels signed Kikuchi to a three-year, $63 million deal in late November, and he was announced as their Opening Day starter early in camp. Washington called it an easy decision, as Kikuchi was brought in to lead the staff and will get the nod in the regular-season opener for the first time in his six-year career. Kikuchi called it an honor and wants to get the Angels off on the right foot to open the year.

Kikuchi, 33, is coming off a solid season, especially after he was traded from the Blue Jays to the Astros at the Trade Deadline. He leaned heavily on his slider in his 10 starts with Houston and posted a 2.70 ERA with 76 strikeouts in 60 innings for the club. He said he plans to utilize his slider often this season and has also incorporated a sweeper into his pitch mix. Kikuchi possesses sneaky good fastball velocity, as it averaged 95.5 mph last season, and he also has a curveball and changeup.

White Sox: RHP Sean Burke
Previous Opening Days starts: None
2024 season: 2-0, 1.42 ERA, 19 innings

Everyone was focused on Davis Martin, Jonathan Cannon and/or Martín Pérez as the White Sox Opening Day starter candidates, but Venable announced the somewhat surprising choice of Burke on Sunday before Cactus League action. Burke doesn’t have the Major League mound experience behind him, with his 19 career innings representing the fewest for any Opening Day starter in franchise history (previous low was 61 from Patsy Flaherty in 1903, per Elias). But the club’s No. 13 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, has the bravado and confidence, dating back to his AAU basketball days, to handle this sort of high-profile situation without flinching.

Burke is just two years removed from being the No. 5 prospect in the White Sox system, only to drop to the No. 30 spot in 2024 following an up-and-down ‘23 season in which he was limited to nine starts with Triple-A Charlotte due to right rotator cuff tendinitis. He’s feeling healthy now, his stuff feels good and he added a two-seamer to his existing repertoire of four-seam, curve, changeup and slider this offseason.

“I’m really excited about all those guys and what they have done and what they have accomplished,” Venable said of his starters. “Special for Sean, but really all these guys were worthy candidates.”