The order of the Angels' rotation is yet to be determined, but one official item was settled Monday:?Dylan Bundy?will get the Opening Day nod against the White Sox at Angel Stadium on April 1.

Manager Joe Maddon announced the news to reporters prior to the Angels¡¯ game with the Reds on Monday.

¡°He¡¯s very pleased about it,¡± Maddon said. ¡°We¡¯re excited about doing that. And he went out yesterday and showed all the different reasons why we thought that, and so he¡¯s going to rock and roll that first game.¡±

Maddon informed Bundy about the decision just before the pitcher took the mound against the Cubs on Sunday. Bundy?held the Cubs scoreless?through 4 2/3 innings, allowing two hits. For the spring, he¡¯s worked 6 2/3 scoreless frames, allowing two hits across two starts.?

This will be Bundy¡¯s second Opening Day start. He first received the honors in 2018 while with the Orioles.?

¡°There's 30 teams and there¡¯s 30 Opening Day starters, so it's definitely an honor and it humbles you,¡± Bundy said. ¡°Not many people get that opportunity. You¡¯ve just kind of got to cherish it and basically go out there and treat it like an everyday start and compete. That's really all you can do.¡±?

A good spring can¡¯t hurt a pitcher¡¯s chances in terms of Opening Day honors, but in Bundy¡¯s case, that didn't drive Maddon¡¯s decision. Bundy had a strong year in 2020, posting a 3.29 ERA and 1.04 WHIP over 11 starts.?Maddon also likes the matchup with Bundy and the White Sox lineup, which is mostly right-handed.

?¡°That was part of it. Part of it is how well he has done, what he looks like this spring, all of that,¡± Maddon said, adding that Andrew Heaney will also pitch in the first series. ¡°Dylan is really demonstrating a kind of leadership role among the staff, and a consistency. I think that's probably the best way to describe him. As we line up the rest of them, all six, the word 'trust' pops in my head -- trust them all.¡±

Opening Day starts are a part of the pageantry of a new season, and managers understand that getting the nod to take the mound for game No. 1 is a significant honor for the pitcher who earns it. But everyone in uniform, including the pitcher, knows there¡¯s more involved when filling out a rotation order than just Opening Day.

Maddon tasked the Angels¡¯ analytical department with examining all of April to determine ¡°how the whole month shakes out.¡± Opponent matchups can be scrutinized far ahead of time, and the right decisions in that respect can make a difference. That will be a factor when the Angels line up the rest of the rotation.

¡°It's not just about the first time through once this thing gets rolling,¡± Maddon said. ¡°It's an honor always [to be the] first starting pitcher to get the nod. I get that. But after that, you're after the last guy in the rotation, and it's your turn [again]. So I did ask for that.¡±

Bundy echoed similar sentiments when addressing the significance of an Opening Day start.

¡°I like to think everybody is the number one on the day they pitch,¡± he said. ¡°It doesn't really matter the order once the season gets going. You¡¯ve just got to go out there and compete each and every game whenever it's your turn to pitch."

Maddon lauded Bundy as a leader on the pitching staff, one who sets a tone with how he prepares more than what he says out loud.

¡°You don't want to let him down because you know he's so prepped,¡± Maddon said. ¡°If you're playing behind him, this is one of those dudes that you really get into it because you know what he's all about. You know his preparation; you know how much he cares and that no-nonsense approach that he has.¡±

Maddon described Bundy as having ¡°this quiet, stoic method¡± and someone who doesn¡¯t talk just for the sake of talking. When he does speak up, the words carry significant weight. That can resonate with a team -- and a rotation -- in transition.

¡°When he says something, it¡¯s got some pertinence to it,¡± Maddon said. ¡°And I think players have already figured that out. If he smiles -- my goodness, it must have been a great joke.¡±