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MLB Opening Day 2023: Ranking all 30 Opening Day starters from worst to best

By Zachary Rotman

Sep 30, 2022; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara (22) delivers a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers in the seventh inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 30, 2022; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara (22) delivers a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers in the seventh inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 7, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Corbin Burnes against the Chicago White Sox during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

Ranking every Opening Day pitcher: 5. Max Scherzer – New York Mets

Max Scherzer is trying to defeat father time, as he is still one of the best pitchers in baseball at 38 years old. In his first season with the Mets Scherzer went on the Injured List twice with oblique injuries, but when he was healthy he was dominant in the regular season. He had a 2.29 ERA in 23 starts and 145.1 innings pitched. He struck out 10.7 batters per nine while walking only 1.5/9. Had he stayed healthy, he could’ve easily been in the discussion for his fourth Cy Young award.

Ranking every Opening Day pitcher: 4. Shohei Ohtani – Los Angeles Angels

There is a very good chance that at the end of this season, Shohei Ohtani ranks even higher on this list. How he’d do that while still hitting 30 home runs I’ll never quite understand, but Shohei Ohtani is like nothing we’ve ever seen before. He had a 2.33 ERA in 28 starts and 166 innings pitched last season. He led the league with an 11.9 K/9 while lowering his walks to 2.4/9. Ohtani faces a poor Oakland lineup in his first start of 2023.

Ranking every Opening Day pitcher: 3. Sandy Alcantara – Miami Marlins

It might be unfair of me to put the reigning NL Cy Young award winner at number three on this list, but that’s what I’m doing. Alcantara won the award unanimously as he should have after he posted a 2.28 ERA in 32 starts and 228.2 innings pitched. He led the league in innings by far, and looked like he never broke a sweat doing it. The right-hander did this in arguably the toughest division in baseball with the Mets, Braves, and Phillies all winning games with good offenses. Sandy faces the Mets at home on Opening Day.

Ranking every Opening Day pitcher: 2. Corbin Burnes – Milwaukee Brewers

No, Brewers. Corbin Burnes was not the reason your team missed the playoffs in 2022. Burnes was the best player on the Brewers by far and remains in my opinion, the second best pitcher in the game. Burnes posted a 2.94 ERA in a league-leading 33 starts while leading the league in strikeouts with 243. Burnes will pitch in a tough atmosphere at Wrigley Field in front of 40K+ Cubs fans.

Ranking every Opening Day pitcher: 1. Jacob deGrom – Texas Rangers

That felt weird to write out, but yes, Jacob deGrom is a Texas Ranger. I get it if you don’t want to put him at number one because of the injuries, but he’s healthy now and taking the ball on Opening Day against a familiar foe, the Philadelphia Phillies. deGrom was still doing super-human things on the mound last season when healthy, striking out 102 batters in 64.1 innings pitched (14.3 K/9). If he can just stay healthy deGrom will remind the world how insane he truly is.

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