List of New York Yankees Opening Day starting pitchers


The New York Yankees are a Major League Baseball 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, the 58 starters have a combined Opening Day record of 58 wins, 36 losses, 1 tie, and 17 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.
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, Lefty Gomez, Red Ruffing, Jack Chesbro, Roger Clemens, Bob Shawkey, Ray Caldwell, Jimmy Key, Vic Raschi, and most recently Masahiro Tanaka. 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 and 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, the franchise was known as the New York Highlanders until. 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

Pitchers

SeasonPitcherDecisionOpponentLocationRef
1901WBoston AmericansOriole Park
1902LBoston AmericansHuntington Avenue Grounds
1903LWashington SenatorsAmerican League Park
1904 WBoston AmericansHilltop Park
1905 WWashington SenatorsAmerican League Park
1906 WBoston AmericansHilltop Park
1907WWashington SenatorsAmerican League Park
1908WPhiladelphia AthleticsHilltop Park
1909LWashington SenatorsAmerican League Park
1910TBoston Red SoxHilltop Park
1911 WPhiladelphia AthleticsShibe Park
1912LBoston Red SoxHilltop Park
1913LWashington SenatorsGriffith Stadium
1914WPhiladelphia AthleticsPolo Grounds
1915LWashington SenatorsGriffith Stadium
1916 LWashington SenatorsPolo Grounds
1917 LBoston Red SoxPolo Grounds
1918WWashington SenatorsGriffith Stadium
1919 LBoston Red SoxPolo Grounds
1920LPhiladelphia AthleticsShibe Park
1921**WPhiladelphia AthleticsPolo Grounds
1922**LPhiladelphia AthleticsGriffith Stadium
1923 WBoston Red SoxYankee Stadium
1924 WBoston Red SoxFenway Park
1925WWashington SenatorsYankee Stadium
1926** WBoston Red SoxGriffith Stadium
1927WPhiladelphia AthleticsYankee Stadium
1928WPhiladelphia AthleticsShibe Park
1929WBoston Red SoxYankee Stadium
1930 LPhiladelphia AthleticsShibe Park
1931WBoston Red SoxYankee Stadium
1932WPhiladelphia AthleticsShibe Park
1933 WBoston Red SoxYankee Stadium
1934 ND Philadelphia AthleticsShibe Park
1935 LBoston Red SoxYankee Stadium
1936 LWashington SenatorsGriffith Stadium
1937 LWashington SenatorsYankee Stadium
1938 LWashington SenatorsYankee Stadium
1939 WBoston Red SoxYankee Stadium
1940 LPhiladelphia AthleticsShibe Park
1941WWashington SenatorsGriffith Stadium
1942** WWashington SenatorsGriffith Stadium
1943ND Washington SenatorsYankee Stadium
1944WBoston Red SoxFenway Park
1945WBoston Red SoxYankee Stadium
1946WPhiladelphia AthleticsShibe Park
1947 LPhiladelphia AthleticsYankee Stadium
1948WPhiladelphia AthleticsGriffith Stadium
1949WWashington SenatorsYankee Stadium
1950 ND Boston Red SoxFenway Park
1951WBoston Red SoxYankee Stadium
1952 WPhiladelphia AthleticsShibe Park
1953 LPhiladelphia AthleticsYankee Stadium
1954ND Washington SenatorsGriffith Stadium
1955 WWashington SenatorsYankee Stadium
1956WWashington SenatorsGriffith Stadium
1957** WWashington SenatorsYankee Stadium
1958 WBoston Red SoxFenway Park
1959WBoston Red SoxYankee Stadium
1960WBoston Red SoxFenway Park
1961 LMinnesota TwinsYankee Stadium
1962 ND Baltimore OriolesYankee Stadium
1963**WKansas City AthleticsMunicipal Stadium
1964** LBoston Red SoxFenway Park
1965ND Minnesota TwinsMetropolitan Stadium
1966 LDetroit TigersYankee Stadium
1967WWashington SenatorsRobert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
1968 WCalifornia AngelsYankee Stadium
1969 WWashington SenatorsRobert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
1970 LBoston Red SoxYankee Stadium
1971LBoston Red SoxFenway Park
1972 LBaltimore OriolesMemorial Stadium
1973 LBoston Red SoxFenway Park
1974 WCleveland IndiansShea Stadium
1975LCleveland IndiansCleveland Stadium
1976**LMilwaukee BrewersMilwaukee County Stadium
1977 WMilwaukee BrewersYankee Stadium
1978ND Texas RangersArlington Stadium
1979 LMilwaukee BrewersYankee Stadium
1980* ND Texas RangersArlington Stadium
1981**WTexas RangersYankee Stadium
1982 ND Chicago White SoxYankee Stadium
1983 ND Seattle MarinersKingdome
1984 LKansas City RoyalsRoyals Stadium
1985LBoston Red SoxFenway Park
1986 WKansas City RoyalsYankee Stadium
1987ND Detroit TigersTiger Stadium
1988WMinnesota TwinsYankee Stadium
1989WMinnesota TwinsHubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
1990ND Cleveland IndiansYankee Stadium
1991ND Detroit TigersTiger Stadium
1992WBoston Red SoxYankee Stadium
1993WCleveland IndiansCleveland Stadium
1994 WTexas RangersYankee Stadium
1995* WTexas RangersYankee Stadium
1996WCleveland IndiansJacobs Field
1997* LSeattle MarinersKingdome
1998LAnaheim AngelsEdison International Field of Anaheim
1999ND Oakland AthleticsNetwork Associates Coliseum
2000WAnaheim AngelsEdison International Field of Anaheim
2001** WKansas City RoyalsYankee Stadium
2002* LBaltimore OriolesOriole Park at Camden Yards
2003** WToronto Blue JaysSkyDome
2004*LTampa Bay Devil RaysTokyo Dome
2005*WBoston Red SoxYankee Stadium
2006* WOakland AthleticsMcAfee Coliseum
2007*ND Tampa Bay Devil RaysYankee Stadium
2008WToronto Blue JaysYankee Stadium
2009LBaltimore OriolesOriole Park at Camden Yards
2010* ND Boston Red SoxFenway Park
2011* ND Detroit TigersYankee Stadium
2012* ND Tampa Bay RaysTropicana Field
2013 LBoston Red SoxYankee Stadium
2014 LHouston AstrosMinute Maid Park
2015*LToronto Blue JaysYankee Stadium
2016 ND Houston AstrosYankee Stadium
2017* LTampa Bay RaysTropicana Field
2018*WToronto Blue JaysRogers Centre
2019* WBaltimore OriolesYankee Stadium
2020WWashington NationalsNationals Park