Among the many great things about Opening Day, it’s the one day on the MLB calendar when every team, or nearly every team, hands the ball to its ace.
Getting the nod is an honor. For some, 2026 continues an established tradition. For others, it marks their first opportunity to take the mound on the sport’s opening stage.
Here are all 15 Opening Day pitching matchups, ranked:
1. Paul Skenes (Pirates) vs. Freddy Peralta (Mets)
The reigning NL Cy Young winner takes on the Mets’ new ace, who finished fifth in NL Cy Young voting in 2025. Since the start of 2023, only one pitcher has logged more innings while striking out more batters per inning than Freddy Peralta.
Paul Skenes needs little introduction at this point. His first two seasons have been among the most dominant starts to a career we’ve seen from a starting pitcher.
2. Max Fried (Yankees) vs. Logan Webb (Giants)
Logan Webb leads MLB in innings and ranks second in fWAR since the start of 2022. Extend the window back to the shortened 2020 season, and Max Fried ranks eighth in pitching fWAR, with the only pitchers posting a lower ERA over that span throwing at least 300 fewer innings.
Both combine quality stuff with experience and feel on the mound. This sets up as a true pitching duel.
3. Cole Ragans (Royals) vs. Chris Sale (Braves)
Forget Cole Ragans’ 4.57 ERA in 2025. His underlying numbers tell a different story, including a 2.50 FIP and 14.3 strikeouts per nine innings, with no indication that his stuff has slipped.
Chris Sale may be at a different stage of his career, but he remains an elite arm when healthy. The 2024 Cy Young winner has posted a 168 ERA+ since joining Atlanta.
4. Garrett Crochet (Red Sox) vs. Andrew Abbott (Reds)
Two left-handers coming off excellent seasons, this is an easy one to circle.
Garrett Crochet was firmly in the Cy Young conversation, while Andrew Abbott, powered by a strong sweeper and curveball mix, posted a 2.87 ERA and steps in as Cincinnati’s ace with Hunter Greene sidelined.
5. Nathan Eovaldi (Rangers) vs. Cristopher Sanchez (Phillies)
Nathan Eovaldi has aged well. Durability can still be a concern, but when he’s on the mound, he’s still capable of dominating a game.
Since the start of his age-30 season, Eovaldi has posted a 123 ERA+ with just under a strikeout per inning. Cristopher Sánchez, meanwhile, finished as the NL Cy Young runner-up last season, compiling 8.0 bWAR.
6. Joe Ryan (Twins) vs. Trevor Rogers (Orioles)
Trevor Rogers made just 18 starts in 2025 and still received Cy Young votes, a reflection of how dominant he was, posting a 1.81 ERA and 0.90 WHIP.
Joe Ryan, meanwhile, consistently ranks among the league leaders in Stuff+. If the Twins continue their teardown, he could become one of the more notable trade candidates.
7. Tanner Bibee (Guardians) vs. Logan Gilbert (Mariners)
Let’s chalk up Tanner Bibee’s 99 ERA+ last season as an outlier. He owns a 115 ERA+ for his career and posted a 3.64 xERA in 2025.
Logan Gilbert, meanwhile, is firmly among the top tier of starting pitchers in baseball. With his size, velocity, and a potential new splinker in the mix, he has the tools to dominate opposing lineups.
8. Jose Soriano (Angels) vs. Hunter Brown (Astros)
Groundball specialist José Soriano is a sneaky All-Star candidate in 2026. His arsenal is built around a heavy, power sinker that consistently generates weak contact.
Hunter Brown, meanwhile, is a legitimate Cy Young candidate. With the swing-and-miss stuff to pile up strikeouts, he has the potential for a double-digit performance on Opening Day.
9. Tarik Skubal (Tigers) vs. Nick Pivetta (Padres)
At the time of writing, the Padres are the only team yet to announce their Opening Day starter, though all signs point to Nick Pivetta after he posted a 2.87 ERA in 2025.
It’s rare for a back-to-back Cy Young winner to appear this low in rankings like this, which speaks to the overall quality of Opening Day matchups in 2026.
10. Zac Gallen (Diamondbacks) vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Dodgers)
Coming off the worst season of his career, Zac Gallen draws a tough Opening Day assignment against an improved Dodgers lineup and reigning World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
This matchup lands lower on the list largely because it doesn’t project to be especially competitive.
11. Luis Severino (Athletics) vs. Kevin Gausman (Blue Jays)
The 2025 season wasn’t Luis Severino’s best, but the underlying stuff still plays. His fastball remains effective, he pairs it with a wipeout slider, and he showed flashes with two strong outings in the World Baseball Classic.
Kevin Gausman, meanwhile, is one of the more reliable starters in baseball and will be tested against a stacked Athletics lineup.
Severino’s volatility makes this matchup especially interesting. He had 12 starts last season allowing one or fewer earned runs, and nine where he gave up five or more.
12. Shane Smith (White Sox) vs. Jacob Misiorowski (Brewers)
Give us a relatively unproven arm with a 119 Stuff+ in Jacob Misiorowski paired with Shane Smith’s explosive four-seamer.
Misiorowski was appointment viewing in his first few big-league appearances, while Smith remains an intriguing option after posting strong strikeout numbers in the minors.
13. Drew Rasmussen (Rays) vs. Matthew Liberatore (Cardinals)
Drew Rasmussen carries this matchup. Since joining Tampa Bay, he’s quietly been one of the more effective pitchers in the league, posting a 145 ERA+ across 428.1 innings.
Matthew Liberatore, once a highly regarded prospect, has yet to find that same level in the majors, owning an 89 ERA+. He leans heavily on a strong curveball.
14. Cade Cavalli (Nationals) vs. Matthew Boyd (Cubs)
There was always a strong chance the Nationals would land near the bottom. Cade Cavalli has an 81 ERA+ across 11 big-league starts and struggled significantly in Triple-A last season.
Matthew Boyd is coming off a strong season, but fans won’t be rushing to watch this one. It might have been in the top 10 if Washington had kept hold of MacKenzie Gore.
15. Kyle Freeland (Rockies) vs. Sandy Alcantara (Marlins)
The beauty of Opening Day is that even the lowest-ranked matchup still features a former Cy Young winner. Sandy Alcantara’s ERA began with a five in 2025, while Kyle Freeland has posted a 97 ERA+ with underwhelming underlying numbers since his Cy Young-caliber season in 2018.
The most interesting angle here is the potential for an Alcantara resurgence that could lead to a midseason trade. Miami and Colorado may be the NL’s two worst teams.
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