Complete list of every starting pitcher for MLB Opening Day 2025 ft. Tarik Skubal, Paul Skenes, Carlos Rodon, Clay Holmes

On March 27, Aces Tarik Skubal, Paul Skenes, Carlos Rodon, Clay Holmes and others will take the mound, as their teams kick off their 2025 MLB season on opening day.

Tarik Skubal (Detroit Tigers) comes into the new season off the back of an incredible 2024, finishing the regular season with an 18-4 record, a 2.39 ERA and 228 total strikeouts. As a result of his consistent performances, Skubal was awarded the AL Cy Young Award.

Paul Skenes (Pittsburgh Pirates), who also enjoyed tremendous success in what was his rookie season, finished 2024 with an 11-3 record, a 1.96 ERA and 170 total strikeouts. Though his team was unable to clinch qualification to the playoffs, Skenes was awarded the NL Rookie of the Year award for his fine performances.

Carlos Rodon (New York Yankees), who finished with a 16-9 record, along with a 3.96 ERA and 195 total strikeouts, did not have the kind of standout year that the two names preceding him managed. However, the 32-year-old is still quite a reliable arm on his day, and is the safest option for the Yankees to opt for, with Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil dealing with injury issues.

Clay Holmes (New York Mets), interestingly, wasn't even a starting pitcher before 2025. Having spent the previous four seasons with the Yankees, Holmes rose to fame as one of the finest closers in the game, and it will be intriguing to see how the two-time All-Star adapts to his new role.

Here, we take a look at the complete list of pitchers that will be taking the mound for their respective sides on opening day.

Every team's starting pitcher for Opening Day 2025

Tarik Skubal - Detroit Tigers

Paul Skenes - Pittsburgh Pirates

Carlos Rodon - New York Yankees

Clay Holmes - New York Mets

Freddy Peralta - Milwaukee Brewers

Zach Eflin - Baltimore Orioles

Jose Berrios - Toronto Blue Jays

Garrett Crochet - Boston Red Sox

Nathan Eovaldi - Texas Rangers

Zack Wheeler - Philadelphia Phillies

Mackenzie Gore - Washington Nationals

Tanner Bibee - Cleveland Guardians

Cole Ragans - Kansas City Royals

Framber Valdez - Houston Astros

Logan Webb - San Francisco Giants

Hunter Greene - Cincinnati Reds

Chris Sale - Atlanta Braves

Michael King - San Diego Padres

Yusei Kikuchi - Los Angeles Angels

Sean Burke - Chicago White Sox

Sandy Alcantara - Miami Marlins

Pablo Lopez - Minnesota Twins

Sonny Gray - St. Louis Cardinals

Yoshinobu Yamamoto - Los Angeles Dodgers (already pitched in Tokyo Series)

Shota Imanaga - Chicago Cubs (already pitched in Tokyo Series)

Zac Gallen - Arizona Diamondbacks

Luis Severino - Athletics

Logan Gilbert - Seattle Mariners

Kyle Freeland - Colorado Rockies

Shane McClanahan - Tampa Bay Rays

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Pirates skipper backs 'deserving' Paul Skenes for opening day start

Having impressed in 2024, making Paul Skenes the opening day starting pitcher always appeared to be a straightforward choice for the Pirates. Speaking about how the young phenom merited the opportunity, Pirates skipper Derek Shelton said:

"I think he (Paul Skenes) deserves it. Just from what he did last year, the way he’s performed," Shelton told reporters. "I think we have a really good rotation with some other guys who can do it. Mitch has done it in the past and has done a really good job. Just felt like Paul was the best choice."

Paul Skenes in action against the Minnesota Twins - Source: Getty

Skenes looked impressive in his most recent spring training appearance on March 17 against the Minnesota Twins, pitching 4.2 innings and recording seven strikeouts.