List of New York Yankees Opening Day starting pitchers

Source From Wikipedia English.

The New York Yankees are a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise based in The Bronx, New York City, New York. They play in the American League East division. The first game of the new baseball season for a team is played on Opening Day, and being named the Opening Day starter is an honor, which is often given to the player who is expected to lead the pitching staff that season, though there are various strategic reasons why a team's best pitcher might not start on Opening Day. The Yankees have used 58 different Opening Day starting pitchers in their 110 seasons. Since the franchise's beginning in 1901, the 58 starters have a combined Opening Day record of 58 wins, 36 losses, 1 tie (57–36–1), and 18 no decisions. No decisions are only awarded to the starting pitcher if the game is won or lost after the starting pitcher has left the game. Although in modern baseball, ties are rare due to extra innings, in 1910, New York's Opening Game against the Boston Red Sox was declared a tie due to darkness – at the time, Hilltop Park had lacked adequate lighting.

Yankee Stadium, New York's home field from 1923 to 1973, and 1976 to 2008.

Whitey Ford, Ron Guidry, and Mel Stottlemyre hold the Yankees record for most Opening Day starts with seven. The other pitchers with three or more Opening Day starts for New York are CC Sabathia (6), Lefty Gomez (6), Red Ruffing (5), Jack Chesbro (4), Roger Clemens (4), Bob Shawkey (4), Masahiro Tanaka (4), Ray Caldwell (3), Jimmy Key (3), Vic Raschi (3), and most recently Gerrit Cole (3). Jimmy Key holds the Yankee record for best Opening Day record with a perfect 3–0.

On Opening Day, Yankee pitchers have a combined record of 35–12–1 when playing at home. Of those games, pitchers have a 1–0 record at Oriole Park, a 3–1–1 record at Hilltop Park, a 2–3 record from Polo Grounds, a 28–8 record at Yankee Stadium, and a 1–0 record at Shea Stadium. When on the road for Opening Day, Yankee pitchers have a combined record of 28–27.

During the 1901 and 1902 seasons, the franchise played in Baltimore as the "Baltimore Orioles". The franchise has Opening Day record of 1–1 as Baltimore. After their move to New York in 1903, the franchise was known as the New York Highlanders until 1912. As the Highlanders, they had a 6–3–1 Opening Day record. For seasons in which New York would later win the World Series, the starting pitchers have a 16–8 record.

Key

Season Each year is linked to an article about that particular Yankees season.
W Win
L Loss
ND (W) No decision by starting pitcher; Yankees won game
ND (L) No decision by starting pitcher; Yankees lost game
T Tie
Pitcher (#) Number of appearances as Opening Day starter with the Yankees
* Advanced to the post-season
** American League champions
World Series champions

Pitchers

 
Joe McGinnity pitched on Opening Day for the Baltimore Orioles in 1901.
 
George McConnell was New York's Opening Day starting pitcher in 1913.
 
Ray Caldwell started on Opening Day in 1912, 1916 and 1917.
 
Andy Pettitte started on Opening Day for the New York Yankees in 1998.
 
Opening Day 2004 marked Mike Mussina's first and only Opening Day start for the Yankees.
Season Pitcher Decision Opponent Location Ref(s)
1901 Joe McGinnity W Boston Americans Oriole Park
1902 Tom Hughes L Boston Americans Huntington Avenue Grounds
1903 Jack Chesbro L Washington Senators American League Park
1904 Jack Chesbro (2) W Boston Americans Hilltop Park
1905 Jack Chesbro (3) W Washington Senators American League Park
1906 Jack Chesbro (4) W Boston Americans Hilltop Park
1907 Al Orth W Washington Senators American League Park
1908 Slow Joe Doyle W Philadelphia Athletics Hilltop Park
1909 Doc Newton L Washington Senators American League Park
1910 Hippo Vaughn T Boston Red Sox Hilltop Park
1911 Hippo Vaughn (2) W Philadelphia Athletics Shibe Park
1912 Ray Caldwell L Boston Red Sox Hilltop Park
1913 George McConnell L Washington Senators Griffith Stadium
1914 Marty McHale W Philadelphia Athletics Polo Grounds
1915 Jack Warhop L Washington Senators Griffith Stadium
1916 Ray Caldwell (2) L Washington Senators Polo Grounds
1917 Ray Caldwell (3) L Boston Red Sox Polo Grounds
1918 George Mogridge W Washington Senators Griffith Stadium
1919 George Mogridge (2) L Boston Red Sox Polo Grounds
1920 Bob Shawkey L Philadelphia Athletics Shibe Park
1921** Carl Mays W Philadelphia Athletics Polo Grounds
1922** Sad Sam Jones L Philadelphia Athletics Griffith Stadium
1923 Bob Shawkey (2) W Boston Red Sox Yankee Stadium
1924 Bob Shawkey (3) W Boston Red Sox Fenway Park
1925 Urban Shocker W Washington Senators Yankee Stadium
1926** Bob Shawkey (4) W Boston Red Sox Griffith Stadium
1927 Waite Hoyt W Philadelphia Athletics Yankee Stadium
1928 Herb Pennock W Philadelphia Athletics Shibe Park
1929 George Pipgras W Boston Red Sox Yankee Stadium
1930 George Pipgras (2) L Philadelphia Athletics Shibe Park
1931 Red Ruffing W Boston Red Sox Yankee Stadium
1932 Lefty Gomez W Philadelphia Athletics Shibe Park
1933 Lefty Gomez (2) W Boston Red Sox Yankee Stadium
1934 Lefty Gomez (3) ND (L) Philadelphia Athletics Shibe Park
1935 Lefty Gomez (4) L Boston Red Sox Yankee Stadium
1936 Lefty Gomez (5) L Washington Senators Griffith Stadium
1937 Lefty Gomez (6) L Washington Senators Yankee Stadium
1938 Red Ruffing (2) L Washington Senators Yankee Stadium
1939 Red Ruffing (3) W Boston Red Sox Yankee Stadium
1940 Red Ruffing (4) L Philadelphia Athletics Shibe Park
1941 Marius Russo W Washington Senators Griffith Stadium
1942** Red Ruffing (5) W Washington Senators Griffith Stadium
1943 Tiny Bonham ND (W) Washington Senators Yankee Stadium
1944 Hank Borowy W Boston Red Sox Fenway Park
1945 Atley Donald W Boston Red Sox Yankee Stadium
1946 Spud Chandler W Philadelphia Athletics Shibe Park
1947 Spud Chandler (2) L Philadelphia Athletics Yankee Stadium
1948 Allie Reynolds W Philadelphia Athletics Griffith Stadium
1949 Ed Lopat W Washington Senators Yankee Stadium
1950 Allie Reynolds (2) ND (W) Boston Red Sox Fenway Park
1951 Vic Raschi W Boston Red Sox Yankee Stadium
1952 Vic Raschi (2) W Philadelphia Athletics Shibe Park
1953 Vic Raschi (3) L Philadelphia Athletics Yankee Stadium
1954 Whitey Ford ND (L) Washington Senators Griffith Stadium
1955 Whitey Ford (2) W Washington Senators Yankee Stadium
1956 Don Larsen W Washington Senators Griffith Stadium
1957** Whitey Ford (3) W Washington Senators Yankee Stadium
1958 Don Larsen (2) W Boston Red Sox Fenway Park
1959 Bob Turley W Boston Red Sox Yankee Stadium
1960 Jim Coates W Boston Red Sox Fenway Park
1961 Whitey Ford (4) L Minnesota Twins Yankee Stadium
1962 Whitey Ford (5) ND (W) Baltimore Orioles Yankee Stadium
1963** Ralph Terry W Kansas City Athletics Municipal Stadium
1964** Whitey Ford (6) L Boston Red Sox Fenway Park
1965 Jim Bouton ND (L) Minnesota Twins Metropolitan Stadium
1966 Whitey Ford (7) L Detroit Tigers Yankee Stadium
1967 Mel Stottlemyre W Washington Senators Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
1968 Mel Stottlemyre (2) W California Angels Yankee Stadium
1969 Mel Stottlemyre (3) W Washington Senators Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
1970 Mel Stottlemyre (4) L Boston Red Sox Yankee Stadium
1971 Stan Bahnsen L Boston Red Sox Fenway Park
1972 Mel Stottlemyre (5) L Baltimore Orioles Memorial Stadium
1973 Mel Stottlemyre (6) L Boston Red Sox Fenway Park
1974 Mel Stottlemyre (7) W Cleveland Indians Shea Stadium
1975 Doc Medich L Cleveland Indians Cleveland Stadium
1976** Catfish Hunter L Milwaukee Brewers Milwaukee County Stadium
1977 Catfish Hunter (2) W Milwaukee Brewers Yankee Stadium
1978 Ron Guidry ND (L) Texas Rangers Arlington Stadium
1979 Ron Guidry (2) L Milwaukee Brewers Yankee Stadium
1980* Ron Guidry (3) ND (L) Texas Rangers Arlington Stadium
1981** Tommy John W Texas Rangers Yankee Stadium
1982 Ron Guidry (4) ND (L) Chicago White Sox Yankee Stadium
1983 Ron Guidry (5) ND (L) Seattle Mariners Kingdome
1984 Ron Guidry (6) L Kansas City Royals Royals Stadium
1985 Phil Niekro L Boston Red Sox Fenway Park
1986 Ron Guidry (7) W Kansas City Royals Yankee Stadium
1987 Dennis Rasmussen ND (W) Detroit Tigers Tiger Stadium
1988 Rick Rhoden W Minnesota Twins Yankee Stadium
1989 Tommy John W Minnesota Twins Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
1990 Dave LaPoint ND (W) Cleveland Indians Yankee Stadium
1991 Tim Leary ND (L) Detroit Tigers Tiger Stadium
1992 Scott Sanderson W Boston Red Sox Yankee Stadium
1993 Jimmy Key W Cleveland Indians Cleveland Stadium
1994 Jimmy Key (2) W Texas Rangers Yankee Stadium
1995* Jimmy Key (3) W Texas Rangers Yankee Stadium
1996 David Cone W Cleveland Indians Jacobs Field
1997* David Cone (2) L Seattle Mariners Kingdome
1998 Andy Pettitte L Anaheim Angels Edison International Field of Anaheim
1999 Roger Clemens ND (L) Oakland Athletics Network Associates Coliseum
2000 Orlando Hernandez W Anaheim Angels Edison International Field of Anaheim
2001** Roger Clemens (2) W Kansas City Royals Yankee Stadium
2002* Roger Clemens (3) L Baltimore Orioles Oriole Park at Camden Yards
2003** Roger Clemens (4) W Toronto Blue Jays SkyDome
2004* Mike Mussina L Tampa Bay Devil Rays Tokyo Dome
2005* Randy Johnson W Boston Red Sox Yankee Stadium
2006* Randy Johnson (2) W Oakland Athletics McAfee Coliseum
2007* Carl Pavano ND (W) Tampa Bay Devil Rays Yankee Stadium
2008 Chien-Ming Wang W Toronto Blue Jays Yankee Stadium
2009 CC Sabathia L Baltimore Orioles Oriole Park at Camden Yards
2010* CC Sabathia (2) ND (L) Boston Red Sox Fenway Park
2011* CC Sabathia (3) ND (W) Detroit Tigers Yankee Stadium
2012* CC Sabathia (4) ND (L) Tampa Bay Rays Tropicana Field
2013 CC Sabathia (5) L Boston Red Sox Yankee Stadium
2014 CC Sabathia (6) L Houston Astros Minute Maid Park
2015* Masahiro Tanaka L Toronto Blue Jays Yankee Stadium
2016 Masahiro Tanaka (2) ND (L) Houston Astros Yankee Stadium
2017* Masahiro Tanaka (3) L Tampa Bay Rays Tropicana Field
2018* Luis Severino W Toronto Blue Jays Rogers Centre
2019* Masahiro Tanaka (4) W Baltimore Orioles Yankee Stadium
2020* Gerrit Cole W Washington Nationals Nationals Park
2021* Gerrit Cole (2) ND (L) Toronto Blue Jays Yankee Stadium
2022* Gerrit Cole (3) ND (W) Boston Red Sox Yankee Stadium
2023 Gerrit Cole (4) W San Francisco Giants Yankee Stadium
2024 Nestor Cortés Jr. ND (W) Houston Astros Minute Maid Park

References

General
  • "All-Time Opening Day line-ups" (PDF). Major League Baseball. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
Specific