It will be a full-circle moment for Sonny Gray, whose first Opening Day start with the Cardinals will come against his former club, the Twins, who he left to sign with St. Louis as a free agent prior to the 2024 season.
St. Louis and Minnesota open the season on March 27 at 3:15 p.m. CT at Busch Stadium -- the Cards' earliest Opening Day in club history (they opened the season on March 28 twice, most recently last year in Los Angeles). Following a scheduled off-day on Friday, the three-game series between St. Louis and Minnesota wraps up on Saturday and Sunday.
Gray, who was slated to get the nod last year before a right hamstring injury forced him to begin the season on the injured list, has quite the r¨¦sum¨¦ from his two years in Minnesota. He led the Twins to the playoffs in 2023 before finishing second in the balloting for the American League Cy Young Award. That season, Gray went just 8-8, but he posted a stellar 2.79 ERA, struck out 183 hitters in 184 innings pitched and allowed just eight home runs.
Taking the mound for the Twins will be Pablo L¨®pez, who finished seventh in AL Cy Young voting in 2023, his first year with Minnesota. Last season L¨®pez went 15-10, though his ERA jumped to 4.08. Nonetheless he struck out 198 batters over 185 1/3 innings while making 32 starts for a third straight season.
Gray, 35, will be making his fourth Opening Day start, while the 29-year-old Lopez will be making his third.
RHP Pablo López
Previous Opening Day starts: 2023-24
2024 season: 15-10, 4.08 ERA, 185 1/3 innings pitched, 198 strikeouts
When the Twins acquired L¨®pez from the Marlins for Luis Arraez prior to the 2023 season, it¡¯s fair to say reaction was mixed. The deal looks pretty good now. The right-hander has established himself as a rock in Minnesota's rotation, clubhouse and the Twin Cities community. He¡¯s a reliable workhorse who, at his best, throws strikes, misses bats and pitches deep into games.
L¨®pez was outstanding on Opening Day last year, but after that, he spent much of the first half in a bit of a funk. He finished the first half with strange stats -- a 5.11 ERA but excellent strikeout (121) and walk (23) numbers -- before looking like himself down the stretch. L¨®pez limited the home runs in the second half (eight, vs. 18 in the first half) and cut his ERA almost in half (to 2.77) after the break.
For most of his career, L¨®pez has dominated right-handed hitters, but they saw more success against him in 2024. Partly in response to that, L¨®pez has shifted from the first-base side of the rubber to the third-base side, which should allow him to pitch inside more effectively and consistently to righties.
As he begins his third year in Minnesota, L¨®pez fronts a rotation that should be one of the better ones in the league. He may not have the dark-horse Cy Young talk that someone like Joe Ryan receives, but his reliability and durability are critical for a team that hopes to return to the postseason in 2025.
RHP Sonny Gray
Previous Opening Day starts: 2014-15, '20
2024 season: 13-9, 3.84 ERA, 166 1/3 innings pitched, 203 strikeouts
Gray was just the ace the Cardinals needed in 2024 as he set new franchise records for the highest single-season strikeouts per nine innings (10.98) and the highest single-season strikeout percentage (30.3%).
A year after allowing just eight home runs while pitching with the Twins, Gray surrendered 21 long balls in 2024 as opposing batters feasted on his four-seam fastball. The same thing has been an issue early in the spring as Gray gave up five homers in his first two starts.
The Cardinals have brought Gray along slowly this spring in hopes of avoiding some of the wear and tear that bothered him last season. Over his final 11 starts last season, Gray pitched to a 4.59 ERA and allowed 13 of the 21 homers he surrendered on the season. He also ended the season on the injured list with a right forearm flexor tendon injury.
As expected, Gray was good at spacious Busch Stadium last season, and he is the logical Opening Day starter in front of the home fans. Gray was 9-5 with a 2.79 ERA in St. Louis last season -- notably better than his 4-4 record and 5.20 ERA on the road.