List of Cleveland Indians Opening Day starting pitchers


The Cleveland Indians are a Major League Baseball franchise based in Cleveland, Ohio. They play in the American League Central division. The first game of the new baseball season is played on Opening Day, and being named the starter that day 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. Since joining the league in 1901, the Indians have used 58 different Opening Day starting pitchers which includes the Opening Day starting pitchers from the Bluebirds and the Naps. They have a record of 58 wins and 54 losses in their Opening Day games.
The Indians have played in three different home ball parks, League Park from 1901 through 1946, Cleveland Stadium from 1932 to 1993, and Progressive Field since 1994. From 1934 through 1946 some games were played at League Park and some at Cleveland Stadium. They had a record of 11 wins and 4 losses in Opening Day games at League Park, 9 wins and 13 losses at Cleveland Stadium and 2 wins and 4 losses at Progressive Field, for a total home record in Opening Day games of 22 wins and 21 losses. Their record in Opening Day away games is 35 wins and 35 losses.
Bob Feller has the most Opening Day starts for the Indians, with seven. Stan Coveleski had six Opening Day starts for the Indians, Bob Lemon and CC Sabathia each had five Opening Day starts, and Addie Joss, Willie Mitchell, Gaylord Perry and Charles Nagy each had four. Several Baseball Hall of Famers have made Opening Day starts for the Indians, including Feller, Coveleski, Lemon, Joss, Gaylord Perry, Dennis Eckersley and Early Wynn. Brothers Jim Perry and Gaylord Perry each made Opening Day starts for the Indians. Jim Perry started on Opening Day in 1961 and Gaylord Perry made Opening Day starts in 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1975.
The Indians have played in the World Series six times. They won in 1920 and 1948, and lost in 1954, 1995, 1997, and 2016. Coveleski was the Opening Day starting pitcher in 1920, Feller in 1948, Wynn in 1954, Dennis Martínez in 1995, Nagy in 1997, and Corey Kluber. The Indians are five and one in Opening Day games in those seasons, with the only loss coming in 2016. The Indians and the Toronto Blue Jays currently hold the record for the longest Opening Day game in Major League history. They set that record on Opening Day 2012, when the game lasted 16 innings. This broke the previous record of 15 innings between the Indians and the Detroit Tigers in 1960.

Key

WWin
LLoss
TTie game
ND No decision by starting pitcher; Indians won game
ND No decision by starting pitcher; Indians lost game
Indians won game; no information on starting pitcher's decision
Indians lost game; no information on starting pitcher's decision
Final scoreGame score with Indians runs listed first
LocationStadium in italics with for home game
Number of appearances as Opening Day starter with the Indians
*Advanced to the post-season
**American League champions
World Series champions

Pitchers

SeasonPitcherDecisionFinal
score
OpponentLocationRef
1901Chicago White SoxSouth Side Park
1902St. Louis BrownsSportsman's Park
1903Detroit TigersBennett Park
1904Chicago White SoxSouth Side Park
1905 Detroit TigersLeague Park
1906St. Louis BrownsSportsman's Park
1907Detroit TigersBennett Park
1908 St. Louis BrownsLeague Park
1909 St. Louis BrownsSportsman's Park
1910 Detroit TigersBennett Park
1911St. Louis BrownsSportsman's Park
1912Detroit TigersLeague Park
1913Chicago White SoxLeague Park
1914 Chicago White SoxComiskey Park
1915 Detroit TigersNavin Field
1916 St. Louis BrownsLeague Park
1917Detroit TigersNavin Field
1918 Detroit TigersLeague Park
1919 Detroit TigersNavin Field
1920 WSt. Louis BrownsLeague Park
1921 LSt. Louis BrownsSportsman's Park
1922WDetroit TigersLeague Park
1923 ND Chicago White SoxLeague Park
1924LDetroit TigersNavin Field
1925ND St. Louis BrownsSportsman's Park
1926WDetroit TigersNavin Field
1927 WChicago White SoxLeague Park
1928 WChicago White SoxComiskey Park
1929ND Detroit TigersLeague Park
1930Chicago White SoxComiskey Park
1931WChicago White SoxLeague Park
1932 WDetroit TigersNavin Field
1933WDetroit TigersNavin Field
1934WSt. Louis BrownsLeague Park
1935WSt. Louis BrownsSportsman's Park
1936 Detroit TigersLeague Park
1937 Detroit TigersNavin Field
1938St. Louis BrownsLeague Park
1939WDetroit TigersCleveland Stadium
1940 WChicago White SoxComiskey Park
1941 Chicago White SoxCleveland Stadium
1942WDetroit TigersTiger Stadium
1943 WDetroit TigersCleveland Stadium
1944Chicago White SoxComiskey Park
1945Chicago White SoxCleveland Stadium
1946 WChicago White SoxComiskey Park
1947 Chicago White SoxComiskey Park
1948 WSt. Louis BrownsCleveland Stadium
1949 St. Louis BrownsSportsman's Park
1950Detroit TigersCleveland Stadium
1951 WDetroit TigersBriggs Stadium
1952WChicago White SoxComiskey Park
1953 WChicago White SoxCleveland Stadium
1954** WChicago White SoxComiskey Park
1955 WChicago White SoxCleveland Stadium
1956 LChicago White SoxComiskey Park
1957LChicago White SoxCleveland Stadium
1958 LKansas City AthleticsCleveland Stadium
1959WKansas City AthleticsMunicipal Stadium
1960 ND Detroit TigersCleveland Stadium
1961WDetroit TigersTiger Stadium
1962WBoston Red SoxFenway Park
1963WMinnesota TwinsMetropolitan Stadium
1964 ND Minnesota TwinsCleveland Stadium
1965WCalifornia AngelsDodger Stadium
1966WWashington SenatorsRobert F. Kennedy Stadium
1967 ND Kansas City AthleticsMunicipal Stadium
1968WChicago White SoxComiskey Park
1969LDetroit TigersTiger Stadium
1970 LBaltimore OriolesCleveland Stadium
1971LDetroit TigersTiger Stadium
1972LMilwaukee BrewersCleveland Stadium
1973 WDetroit TigersCleveland Stadium
1974 LNew York YankeesYankee Stadium
1975 WNew York YankeesCleveland Stadium
1976LDetroit TigersCleveland Stadium
1977 ND Boston Red SoxFenway Park
1978WKansas City RoyalsCleveland Stadium
1979LBoston Red SoxFenway Park
1980LCalifornia AngelsAnaheim Stadium
1981LMilwaukee BrewersCleveland Stadium
1982LTexas RangersCleveland Stadium
1983WOakland AthleticsOakland Coliseum
1984 WTexas RangersArlington Stadium
1985 ND Detroit TigersTiger Stadium
1986WBaltimore OriolesMemorial Stadium
1987LToronto Blue JaysExhibition Stadium
1988 ND Texas RangersArlington Stadium
1989WMilwaukee BrewersCleveland Stadium
1990ND New York YankeesYankee Stadium
1991 LKansas City RoyalsKauffman Stadium
1992LBaltimore OriolesCamden Yards
1993 LNew York YankeesCleveland Stadium
1994ND Seattle MarinersJacobs Field
1995** WTexas RangersRangers Ballpark in Arlington
1996* LNew York YankeesJacobs Field
1997** ND Oakland AthleticsOakland Coliseum
1998* ND Seattle MarinersKingdome
1999*ND Anaheim AngelsAngel Stadium of Anaheim
2000WBaltimore OriolesCamden Yards
2001* LChicago White SoxJacobs Field
2002 WAnaheim AngelsAngel Stadium of Anaheim
2003ND Baltimore OriolesCamden Yards
2004 ND Minnesota TwinsHubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
2005LChicago White SoxComiskey Park
2006 ND Chicago White SoxComiskey Park
2007* WChicago White SoxComiskey Park
2008 ND Chicago White SoxProgressive Field
2009LTexas RangersRangers Ballpark in Arlington
2010 LChicago White SoxU.S. Cellular Field
2011LChicago White SoxProgressive Field
2012ND Toronto Blue JaysProgressive Field
2013* WToronto Blue JaysRogers Centre
2014 ND Oakland AthleticsO.co Coliseum
2015LHouston AstrosMinute Maid Park
2016** LBoston Red SoxProgressive Field
2017 ND Texas RangersGlobe Life Park in Arlington
2018 LSeattle MarinersSafeco Field