MLB Opening Day roster to present eight Cy Young Award winners

Eight former Cy Young Award winners are scheduled to start on Opening Day next Thursday, including a matchup between National League winner Sandy Alcantara and three-time winner Max Scherzer, who travels to the New York Mets to take on the Miami Marlins.

Major League Baseball teams announced their Opening Day start on Friday as part of the league’s attempt to generate interest in the first game of a transformational season in which the game will include a pitch clock.

The roster features many first-rate duels—and will include two-time winner Jacob DeGrom, whose debut with the Texas Rangers was in doubt after left-side tightness delayed his first spring training run. Newly-emerged Philadelphia Phillies ace Aaron Nola will make his sixth straight Opening Day start—the current longest active streak—and oppose two-time Cy Young winner in a pair of NL East foes.

Nine teams announced their starts before Friday. This list includes the Los Angeles Angels, with Shuhei Otiani taking home the World Baseball Classic MVP award, as well as the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants, who will face Gerrit Cole against Logan Webb.

Some of the other best matches include:

Other Cy Young winners who will start their team’s season include:

• Milwaukee’s Corbin Burns, an All-Star in both of his last two seasons and a 2021 NL Cy Young winner, will face Marcus Stroman of the Chicago Cubs, a former Opening Day starter twice;

• 2018 AL winner Blake Snell gets San Diego’s start in a packed Petco Park against Colorado’s German Marquez, who will have his third third possession of the ball on Opening Day;

• two-time winner Corey Kluber, who will host the Boston Red Sox’ Kyle Gibson of Baltimore;

• Opposing Kansas City’s third Opening Day starter Zack Greinke and fifth overall will be Pablo Lopez of the Minnesota Twins, who will get on the mound for the first time to start a season.

Max Fried of Atlanta and Patrick Corbin of Washington will each make their third start on Opening Day as the Nationals host the Braves. The rest of the games feature at least one pitcher starting the season for the first time: