Germán Márquez and Blake Snell have renewed their status as Opening Day starters in 2023. For M¨¢rquez, he¡¯s set to take the ball in the opener for the first time since ¡®21. For Snell, it¡¯s his first since ¡®19 -- and his first Opening Day start as a Padre.

It should make for a fun opener at Petco Park on Thursday (7:40 p.m. MT, 6:40 p.m. PT) -- two high-octane starters with some of the sport¡¯s nastiest breaking pitches. Here¡¯s a look at what to expect from next week¡¯s M¨¢rquez-Snell showdown:

RHP Germ¨¢n M¨¢rquez
Previous Opening Day starts: 2
2022 Season: 9-13, 4.95 ERA, 4.71 FIP, 1.365 WHIP, 150 strikeouts in 181 2/3 innings

After a year plus of struggle and what he felt was a much-needed adjustment to his pitch strategy, M¨¢rquez believes he is capable of repeating the first half of the 2021 season -- when he earned an All-Star Game invitation.

Since basking in the applause of the Coors Field fans after his Midsummer Classic inning, M¨¢rquez is a pedestrian 17-18 with a 4.70 ERA. But there were hot streaks within those 44 starts, and M¨¢rquez should be at the point where he shows growth.

From his entry into the Rockies¡¯ rotation in 2017, M¨¢rquez has flashed the ability to dominate the zone with his four-seam fastball that can exceed 97 mph and his knuckle curve that drops dramatically, pitches that can garner him strikeouts or ground balls. But living with two arm-side pitches -- outside to right-handed batters -- required pinpoint location. However, he tends to miss over the plate. Those pitches are hit, often hard, despite the pitch action.

M¨¢rquez went into last season planning to use a sinker on the other side of the plate -- a logical move for a pitcher wanting to take the next step in his career. But the beginning of the new M¨¢rquez was rough -- a 6.71 ERA through his first 10 starts. He posted a 4.26 ERA in his final 21 starts, with some solid stretches but also some clunkers.

M¨¢rquez did not give up a run in his first three Cactus League outings this year, with 13 strikeouts to two walks. He yielded two runs in three innings against Mexico in a World Baseball Classic exhibition but noted that he devoted the entire outing to pitching inside -- a fact a strong lineup also noted. M¨¢rquez, though, felt some hard-hit balls gave him valuable information.

Is M¨¢rquez back to All-Star form? Opening Day is the start of his answer.

LHP Blake Snell
Previous Opening Day starts: 1
2022 Season: 8-10, 3.38 ERA, 2.80 FIP, 1.203 WHIP, 171 strikeouts in 128 innings

It should say everything about this Padres roster that Snell was seemingly the team¡¯s third choice for the role. Snell, of course, is a certifiable ace with a Cy Young Award to his name. But entering camp, Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove seemed poised to battle it out for the Game 1 start.

Musgrove, however, fractured his left big toe when he dropped a weight on it in the team¡¯s weight room. He¡¯s expected to begin the season on the injured list. Darvish, meanwhile, had a bit of a scattershot spring with Team Japan at the World Baseball Classic, and upon his return, the team restructured its plans to ensure Darvish got a spring start.

So the Opening Day role falls to Snell, who is more than capable. The 30-year-old left-hander is coming off a brilliant second half of his 2022 season, in which he posted a 2.19 ERA. If Snell can carry that success into the ¡®23 season -- his last before free agency -- he could be in for a major payday next winter.

Easier said than done. Snell has been plagued by slow starts in his Padres tenure, twice entering the All-Star break with an ERA north of 4, then twice dominating in the second half. He has spoken repeatedly about his desire to shift that narrative. There¡¯s no better time to start than with an Opening Day start.

"I can't wait," Snell said. "I love the crowd, I love pitching in San Diego, I love that stadium -- it's my favorite one. So I don't take it for granted."