Opening Day and the start of a new Major League Baseball season are just weeks away, but teams are already announcing plans for who'll take the ball for their maiden voyage in 2026. Traditional MLB Opening Day is set for Thursday, March 26, for the 2026 season, though the Yankees and Giants will get the season started a day earlier with a matchup in San Francisco on March 25.

With that in mind, CBS Sports will use the space below to log every team's Opening Day starting pitcher decision. These things are always subject to change at a later date, be it because of injury or further roster move, but we'll keep this as current as the news cycle allows.

Before we meet this year's crop of Opening Day starters, here's a look at the pitchers who've made the most of these starts in MLB history:

1. Tom Seaver: 16
2. Steve Carlton: 14
3. Jack Morris: 14
4. Randy Johnson: 14
5. Walter Johnson: 14

Boston Red Sox: Garrett Crochet

Crochet will be entering his second season with the Red Sox, and he'll be making his third consecutive (and third overall) Opening Day start. Crochet finished second in American League Cy Young Award voting after compiling a 2.59 ERA (159 ERA+) and a 5.54 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 32 starts. The Red Sox open the season in Cincinnati.

Detroit Tigers: Tarik Skubal

Skubal, winner of two consecutive AL Cy Young awards, will make his third consecutive Opening Day start for the Tigers, tying him for eighth most in franchise history. It's possible this could be Skubal's final Opening Day assignment for Detroit. He's entering his walk year and is expected to receive a massive payday after accumulating a 3.08 ERA (135 ERA+) and a 5.17 strikeout-to-walk ratio over his first 137 big-league appearances. The Tigers will be in San Diego on Opening Day.

Houston Astros: Hunter Brown

The Astros will start someone other than Framber Valdez (now a member of the Tigers) on Opening Day for the first time since 2021. Brown will receive the honors after managing a 2.43 ERA (172 ERA+) and a 3.61 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 31 starts in 2025. He and the Astros will host the Angels on Opening Day.

Miami Marlins: Sandy Alcantara

It was Friday, Feb. 13 when the Marlins announced that Sandy Alcantara would again get the ball on Opening Day. This will be the sixth time in the last seven seasons that he opens the season for the Marlins with 2024 -- when he was recovering from Tommy John surgery -- being the exception. The 2022 Cy Young winner was 11-12 with a 5.36 ERA last season, but he seemed to finally pitch back to form late in the season. He was 5-1 with a 2.68 ERA in the last eight outings. The Marlins start the new season at home against the Rockies.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Zac Gallen

The D-backs originally announced Merrill Kelly as their Opening Day starter, though he came down with an achy shoulder last month, and the team had to shift gears. The season opener will instead go to the recently re-signed Zac Gallen. It will be his fourth straight Opening Day start. Only Hall of Famer Randy Johnson has started more Opening Days in franchise history. The D-backs will face the two-time defending champion Dodgers in Los Angeles when the season begins.

Tampa Bay Rays: Drew Rasmussen

The Rays will send Rasmussen to the bump to start this season March 26 in St. Louis. It'll be the first Opening Day start in the career of the Rays' right-hander. Last season marked the first full season since Rasmussen underwent an internal brace surgery on his right elbow and he made a career-high 31 starts. In those starts, he worked 150 innings, pitching to a 2.76 ERA and 1.02 WHIP with 127 strikeouts against 36 unintentional walks. He made the All-Star team for the first time and finished ninth in Cy Young voting, also accumulating a career-best 4.4 WAR. 

New York Mets: Freddy Peralta

The Mets acquired Peralta from the Brewers via a four-player trade in January, and the right-hander gives New York the reliable frontline presence it sorely needs. Last season, Peralta, a two-time All-Star, deservedly finished in the top five of the NL Cy Young vote. In each of the last three seasons, he's reached at least 30 starts and racked up at least 200 strikeouts, and over that span he boasts an ERA+ of 123. The start -- against the Pirates at Citi Field -- will mark Peralta's third straight Opening Day start. 

Cincinnati Reds: Andrew Abbott

With Hunter Greene's elbow acting up, the Opening Day assignment will fall to Abbott, who is more than worthy. The 26-year-old went to the All-Star Game last year and has a career 3.42 ERA since being called up in June 2023. He finished eighth in the Cy Young voting in 2025. It will be Abbott's first career Opening Day start. The Reds have not had a pitcher earn consecutive Opening Days since Johnny Cueto started four straight from 2012-15. Abbott and the Reds will host the Red Sox to begin the new season.

Chicago White Sox: Shane Smith

From Rule 5 Draft pick to Opening Day starter. Smith was an obvious pick for the ChiSox following his All-Star Game selection and 3.81 ERA in 29 starts as a rookie last season. Chicago took Smith from the Brewers in the December 2024 Rule 5 Draft, and last year he joined Dan Uggla as the only players to go to the All-Star Game the season after getting Rule 5ed. He will be the White Sox's fourth different Opening Day starter in four years. Smith and the ChiSox will open the new season in Milwaukee.

New York Yankees: Max Fried

No surprise here: Fried will start the season opener for New York. He finished fourth in the AL Cy Young last season, his first with the Yankees. Gerrit Cole is on the mend from Tommy John surgery and is expected back in late May or June, so he wasn't an option. Because of Cole's injuries, the Yankees have had four different Opening Day starters in the last four years (Cole in 2023, Nestor Cortes in 2024, Carlos Rodón in 2025, Fried in 2026). They'll begin the season in San Francisco.

Washington Nationals: Cade Cavalli

An impressive second-half return from Tommy John surgery last season has landed Cavalli the Opening Day start in 2026. Washington's first-round pick in 2020 had a 4.25 ERA in 10 starts after returning; six times in those 10 starts, he allowed no more than two earned runs. Cavalli will be the Nats' fourth different Opening Day starter in the last four years, joining Patrick Corbin in 2023, Josiah Gray in 2024, and MacKenzie Gore in 2025. The Nationals will open the season at Wrigley Field.

Chicago Cubs: Matthew Boyd

The 35-year-old lefty in 2025 enjoyed one of the best seasons of his 11-year career, as he pitched to a 3.21 ERA/120 ERA+ with a 3.65 FIP and 154 strikeouts against 42 unintentional walks in 179 ⅔ innings. He also earned his first All-Star selection. For his career, Boyd has an ERA+ of 95 and a WAR of 12.2. His nod on Opening Day will be the 200th start of his MLB career. The Cubs will be home against the Nationals on Opening Day.

Baltimore Orioles: Trevor Rogers

Last year's remarkable finish to the regular season (1.81 ERA in 18 starts) earned Rogers the Opening Day assignment in 2026. Despite making only 18 starts, Rogers finished ninth in the AL Cy Young voting. He will be Baltimore's fifth Opening Day starter in five years, joining John Means (2022), Kyle Gibson (2023), Corbin Burnes (2024), and Zach Eflin (2025). The O's will host the Twins to begin the season.