2025 MLB Opening Day starters

Below you will find every starting pitcher for each team in Game 1 of the 2025 season, as announced by the club. Noted in parentheses is how many times that pitcher has started on Opening Day, including the upcoming '25 start.

TUESDAY, MARCH 18

Dodgers at Cubs, 6:10 a.m. ET in Japan

Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD, 1st): Dodgers manager Dave Roberts indicated on Feb. 12 that the team is planning for Yamamoto to start the first game of the 2025 season, which will be played in the right-hander's home country of Japan. Yamamoto is entering the second season of a 12-year, $325 million deal with the Dodgers, having recorded a 3.00 ERA over 90 innings as a rookie in 2024. He spent seven seasons pitching for the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball.
LAD 2024 OD starter: Tyler Glasnow

Shota Imanaga (CHC, 1st): Like his countryman Yamamoto, Imanaga will have the opportunity to begin his second Major League season pitching on his native soil. After spending eight seasons with the Yokohama Bay Stars of NPB, the left-handed Imanaga arrived in the Majors last year and immediately established himself as one of the top starters in the National League. Imanaga boasted a sub-1.00 ERA after his first nine starts and ended with a 2.91 mark, third-best in the NL. He was a first-year All-Star and finished among the top five in the NL Cy Young and NL Rookie of the Year voting.
CHC 2024 OD starter: Justin Steele

THURSDAY, MARCH 27

Brewers at Yankees, 3:05 p.m. ET

Freddy Peralta (MIL, 2nd): Peralta, who took up the ace mantle last season after the Brewers traded Corbin Burnes, is set to make his second straight Opening Day start. He opened the 2024 campaign by tossing six innings of one-run ball in a win over the Mets and finished the season with a 3.68 ERA and 200 K's across 173 2/3 frames.
MIL 2024 OD starter: Peralta

NYY 2024 OD starter: Nestor Cortes

Orioles at Blue Jays, 3:07 p.m. ET

BAL 2024 OD starter: Corbin Burnes

TOR 2024 OD starter: Jos�� Berr��os

Red Sox at Rangers, 4:05 p.m. ET

BOS 2024 OD starter: Brayan Bello

TEX 2024 OD starter: Nathan Eovaldi

Phillies at Nationals, 4:05 p.m. ET

Zack Wheeler (PHI, 2nd): The 2024 NL Cy Young Award runner-up will get the ball on Opening Day for the second straight year. Wheeler tossed six shutout innings against the Braves in a no-decision to begin last season. His first test in 2025 will come against the Nationals, a team he handled well in '24. Wheeler made three starts against Washington last year and recorded a 2.29 ERA with 23 strikeouts and five walks over 19 2/3 frames.
PHI 2024 OD starter: Wheeler

WSH 2024 OD starter: Josiah Gray

Guardians at Royals, 4:10 p.m. ET

CLE 2024 OD starter: Shane Bieber

KC 2024 OD starter: Cole Ragans

Mets at Astros, 4:10 p.m. ET

NYM 2024 OD starter: Jose Quintana

HOU 2024 OD starter: Framber Valdez

Giants at Reds, 4:10 p.m. ET

Logan Webb (SF, 4th): The Giants will give the ball to Webb on Opening Day for the fourth straight season. In the 2023 season opener, Webb struck out 12 batters against the Yankees, setting a franchise record for the most K's in an Opening Day game. The 28-year-old has earned Cy Young votes in each of the past three years, posting a collective 3.22 ERA over an MLB-leading 613 innings in that span.
SF 2024 OD starter: Webb

Hunter Greene (CIN, 2nd): Greene will get another shot at Opening Day having garnered mixed results in his first attempt against the Pirates in 2023 (3 1/3 IP, 5 hits, 3 runs, 3 walks, 8 K's.) Two years later, the Reds are handing the ball to a guy coming off a breakout 2024 season in which he posted a 2.75 ERA with a 1.02 WHIP and 169 strikeouts over 150 1/3 innings and led all NL pitchers with a 6.3 bWAR.
CIN 2024 OD starter: Frankie Montas

Braves at Padres, 4:10 p.m. ET

ATL 2024 OD starter: Spencer Strider

SD 2024 OD starter: Yu Darvish

Angels at White Sox, 4:10 p.m. ET

Yusei Kikuchi (LAA, 1st): Kikuchi's first season with the Angels will also bring his first Opening Day start. He's 2-2 with a 4.85 ERA in six career starts (29 2/3 innings) against the White Sox. Last season, he made one start against Chicago, allowing five hits and two earned runs over six innings in a loss. Overall last season, Kikuchi combined for 32 starts with the Blue Jays and Astros, compiling a 9-10 record and a 4.05 ERA.
LAA 2024 OD starter: Patrick Sandoval

CHW 2024 OD starter: Garrett Crochet

Pirates at Marlins, 4:10 p.m. ET

PIT 2024 OD starter: Mitch Keller

Sandy Alcantara (MIA, 5th): Alcantara��s streak of four straight Opening Day starts (a franchise record for pitchers) came to an end last year, as he missed the entire season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in October 2023. Now healthy, the ��22 NL Cy Young Award winner is set to return to his typical spot atop the Marlins�� rotation. Alcantara has posted a 2.31 ERA over 23 1/3 innings in his Opening Day starts.
MIA 2024 OD starter: Jes��s Luzardo

Twins at Cardinals, 4:15 p.m. ET

Pablo L��pez (MIN, 3rd): L��pez will be making his third consecutive Opening Day start for the Twins. He��ll be the first Twins pitcher to start Opening Day for Minnesota in three or more straight seasons since Brad Radke made seven straight from 1999-2005. The Twins are looking to win at least three straight Opening Day games for the first time since 2001-04.
MIN 2024 OD starter: L��pez

STL 2024 OD starter: Miles Mikolas

Tigers at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m. ET

Tarik Skubal (DET, 2nd): The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner was an easy choice for Tigers manager A.J. Hinch. Skubal began his historic 2024 season by allowing three hits and no walks over six scoreless innings in a Detroit victory on Opening Day. That win came against the White Sox. Skubal's first test in 2025 -- a road date versus the World Series champions -- is a can't-miss matchup.
DET 2024 OD starter: Skubal

Cubs at D-backs, 10:10 p.m. ET

AZ 2024 OD starter: Zac Gallen

Athletics at Mariners, 10:10 p.m. ET

ATH 2024 OD starter: Alex Wood

SEA 2024 OD starter: Luis Castillo

FRIDAY, MARCH 28

Rockies at Rays, 4:10 p.m. ET

COL 2024 OD starter: Kyle Freeland

Shane McClanahan (TB, 3rd): This will be McClanahan's first career appearance against the Rockies and his first appearance in a Major League game since Aug. 2, 2023. The left-hander underwent Tommy John surgery later that month and spent last season rehabbing. McClanahan was the Rays' Opening Day starter in 2022 and '23. He didn't allow a run in either of those outings, which collectively spanned 10 1/3 innings.
TB 2024 OD starter: Zach Eflin