List of Boston Red Sox Opening Day starting pitchers

The Boston Red Sox are a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise based in Boston, Massachusetts. They have played in the American League since it was founded in 1901, and the American League East since divisions were introduced in 1969. The first game of each baseball season for a team is known as Opening Day, for which being named the starting pitcher is an honor. That honor is often given to the player who is expected to lead the pitching staff that season,[1] although there are various strategic reasons why a team's best pitcher might not start on Opening Day.[2]

Fenway Park, Boston's home ballpark since 1912

Records

Including the team's first 2024 game, the team has had 124 Opening Days. In those Opening Day games:

Results by decade

Nathan Eovaldi was the Red Sox' starting pitcher for Opening Day in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
DecadeTeam
W–L–T
Pitchers'
W–L (ND)
New starters†
1900s‡4–54–54 (Kellum, Young, Winter, Arellanes)
1910s5–4–15–4 (1)6 (Cicotte, Wood, Collins, Shore, Ruth, Mays)
1920s3–73–6 (1)8 (Russell, Jones, Quinn, Ehmke, Ferguson, Harriss, Harriss, Ruffing)
1930s5–54–4 (2)6 (Moore, Andrews, Rhodes, Ferrell, Bagby, Grove)
1940s6–44–4 (2)6 (Wilson, Newsome, Hughson, Terry, Cecil, Dobson)
1950s5–54–4 (2)4 (Parnell, Wight, Sullivan, Brewer)
1960s5–53–4 (3)6 (Sturdivant, Monbouquette, Schwall, Wilson, Lonborg, Ellsworth)
1970s6–45–2 (3)7 (Peters, Culp, Pattin, Tiant, Jenkins, Torrez, Eckersley)
1980s2–82–3 (5)4 (Hurst, Boyd, Stanley, Clemens)
1990s8–26–2 (2)3 (Sele, Gordon, Martinez)
2000s4–63–3 (4)4 (Wells, Schilling, Matsuzaka, Beckett)
2010s5–54–2 (4)5 (Lester, Buchholz, Price, Porcello, Sale)
2020s2–32–2 (1)3 (Eovaldi, Kluber, Bello)
TOTALS60–63–149–45 (30)66

‡ 1900s spans nine seasons, as 1901 was the team's first season.
† Number of pitchers making their first Opening Day start for the Red Sox franchise, along with their surnames. Pitchers' full names appear in the below List.

Pitchers

Cy Young was Boston's Opening Day starting pitcher six times between 1902 and 1908.

Key

SeasonEach year is linked to an article about that particular Red Sox season.
WWin
LLoss
TTie
ND (X)No decision by starting pitcher; (X) indicates game outcome for Red Sox
Pitcher (#)Number of Opening Day starts for the Red Sox, if more than one
*Team advanced to the post-season
**American League (AL) Champions
***World Series Champions

List

George Winter pitched on Opening Day for the Boston Americans in 1903.
Smoky Joe Wood was the Opening Day starter three times, 1911–1913.
Babe Ruth started on Opening Day in 1916, 1917, and 1918.
In 1923, 1924, and 1926, Howard Ehmke started on Opening Day for the Red Sox.
Mel Parnell started four Opening Day games for the Red Sox, all in the 1950s.
Dennis Eckersley made five consecutive Opening Day starts for Boston, 1979–1983.
Roger Clemens was Boston's Opening Day starting pitcher eight times between 1988 and 1996.
From 1998 through 2004, Pedro Martínez was Boston's Opening Day starting pitcher.
Jon Lester was Opening Day starting pitcher for Boston from 2011 through 2014.
SeasonPitcherW/LOpponentLocationRef(s)
1901Win KellumLBaltimore OriolesOriole Park[4][5]
1902Cy YoungWBaltimore OriolesHuntington Avenue Grounds[6][7]
1903***George WinterWPhiladelphia AthleticsHuntington Avenue Grounds[8][9]
1904**Cy Young (2)LNew York HighlandersHilltop Park[10][11]
1905Cy Young (3)LPhiladelphia AthleticsColumbia Park[12][13]
1906Cy Young (4)LNew York HighlandersHilltop Park[14][13]
1907Cy Young (5)WPhiladelphia AthleticsColumbia Park[15][16]
1908Cy Young (6)WWashington SenatorsHuntington Avenue Grounds[17]
1909Frank ArellanesLPhiladelphia AthleticsShibe Park[18]
1910Eddie CicotteND (T)New York HighlandersHilltop Park[19]
1911Joe WoodLWashington SenatorsGriffith Stadium[20]
1912***Joe Wood (2)WNew York HighlandersHilltop Park[21]
1913Joe Wood (3)LPhiladelphia AthleticsFenway Park[22]
1914Ray CollinsLWashington SenatorsFenway Park[23]
1915***Ernie ShoreLPhiladelphia AthleticsShibe Park[24]
1916***Babe RuthWPhiladelphia AthleticsFenway Park[25]
1917Babe Ruth (2)WNew York YankeesPolo Grounds[26]
1918***Babe Ruth (3)WPhiladelphia AthleticsFenway Park[27]
1919Carl MaysWNew York YankeesPolo Grounds[28]
1920Allen RussellWWashington SenatorsFenway Park[29]
1921Sam JonesWWashington SenatorsGriffith Stadium[30]
1922Jack QuinnLPhiladelphia AthleticsFenway Park[31]
1923Howard EhmkeLNew York YankeesYankee Stadium[32]
1924Howard Ehmke (2)LNew York YankeesFenway Park[33]
1925Alex FergusonND (L)Philadelphia AthleticsFenway Park[34]
1926Howard Ehmke (3)LNew York YankeesFenway Park[35]
1927Slim HarrissLWashington SenatorsGriffith Stadium[36]
1928Danny MacFaydenWWashington SenatorsGriffith Stadium[37]
1929Red RuffingLNew York YankeesYankee Stadium[38]
1930Danny MacFayden (2)ND (W)Washington SenatorsGriffith Stadium[39]
1931Wilcy MooreLNew York YankeesYankee Stadium[40]
1932Danny MacFayden (3)LWashington SenatorsGriffith Stadium[41]
1933Ivy AndrewsLNew York YankeesYankee Stadium[42]
1934Gordon RhodesND (L)Washington SenatorsFenway Park[43]
1935Wes FerrellWNew York YankeesYankee Stadium[44]
1936Wes Ferrell (2)WPhiladelphia AthleticsFenway Park[45]
1937Wes Ferrell (3)WPhiladelphia AthleticsShibe Park[46]
1938Jim BagbyWNew York YankeesFenway Park[47]
1939Lefty GroveLNew York YankeesYankee Stadium[48]
1940Lefty Grove (2)WWashington SenatorsGriffith Stadium[49]
1941Jack WilsonND (W)Washington SenatorsFenway Park[50]
1942Dick NewsomeWPhiladelphia AthleticsFenway Park[51]
1943Tex HughsonWPhiladelphia AthleticsShibe Park[52]
1944Yank TerryLNew York YankeesFenway Park[53]
1945Rex CecilLNew York YankeesYankee Stadium[54]
1946**Tex Hughson (2)WWashington SenatorsGriffith Park[55]
1947Tex Hughson (3)ND (W)Washington SenatorsFenway Park[56]
1948Joe DobsonLPhiladelphia AthleticsFenway Park[57]
1949Joe Dobson (2)LPhiladelphia AthleticsShibe Park[58]
1950Mel ParnellND (L)New York YankeesFenway Park[59]
1951Bill WightLNew York YankeesYankee Stadium[60]
1952Mel Parnell (2)WWashington SenatorsGriffith Stadium[61]
1953Mel Parnell (3)ND (W)Philadelphia AthleticsShibe Park[62]
1954Mel Parnell (4)LPhiladelphia AthleticsShibe Park[63]
1955Frank SullivanWPhiladelphia AthleticsShibe Park[64]
1956Frank Sullivan (2)WBaltimore OriolesFenway Park[65]
1957Tom BrewerWBaltimore OriolesMemorial Stadium[66]
1958Frank Sullivan (3)LWashington SenatorsGriffith Stadium[67]
1959Tom Brewer (2)LNew York YankeesYankee Stadium[68]
1960Tom SturdivantLWashington SenatorsGriffith Stadium[69]
1961Bill MonbouquetteLKansas City AthleticsFenway Park[70]
1962Don SchwallLCleveland IndiansFenway Park[71]
1963Bill Monbouquette (2)LLos Angeles AngelsChavez Ravine[72]
1964Bill Monbouquette (3)ND (W)New York YankeesYankee Stadium[73]
1965Bill Monbouquette (4)WWashington SenatorsRobert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium[74]
1966Earl WilsonND (L)Baltimore OriolesFenway Park[75]
1967**Jim LonborgWChicago White SoxFenway Park[76]
1968Dick EllsworthWDetroit TigersTiger Stadium[77]
1969Jim Lonborg (2)ND (W)Baltimore OriolesMemorial Stadium[78]
1970Gary PetersWNew York YankeesYankee Stadium[79]
1971Ray CulpWNew York YankeesFenway Park[80]
1972Marty PattinLDetroit TigersTiger Stadium[81]
1973Luis TiantWNew York YankeesFenway Park[82]
1974Luis Tiant (2)ND (W)Milwaukee BrewersCounty Stadium[83]
1975**Luis Tiant (3)WMilwaukee BrewersFenway Park[84]
1976Ferguson JenkinsLBaltimore OriolesMemorial Stadium[85]
1977Ferguson Jenkins (2)ND (L)Cleveland IndiansFenway Park[86]
1978Mike TorrezND (L)Chicago White SoxComiskey Park[87]
1979Dennis EckersleyWCleveland IndiansFenway Park[88]
1980Dennis Eckersley (2)ND (L)Milwaukee BrewersCounty Stadium[89]
1981Dennis Eckersley (3)ND (L)Chicago White SoxFenway Park[90]
1982Dennis Eckersley (4)WBaltimore OriolesMemorial Stadium[91]
1983Dennis Eckersley (5)LToronto Blue JaysFenway Park[92]
1984Bruce HurstLCalifornia AngelsAngel Stadium of Anaheim[93]
1985Oil Can BoydWNew York YankeesFenway Park[94]
1986**Bruce Hurst (2)ND (L)Detroit TigersTiger Stadium[95]
1987Bob StanleyLMilwaukee BrewersCounty Stadium[96]
1988*Roger ClemensND (L)Detroit TigersFenway Park[97]
1989Roger Clemens (2)ND (L)Baltimore OriolesMemorial Stadium[98]
1990*Roger Clemens (3)WDetroit TigersFenway Park[99]
1991Roger Clemens (4)WToronto Blue JaysSkyDome[100]
1992Roger Clemens (5)LNew York YankeesYankee Stadium[101]
1993Roger Clemens (6)WKansas City RoyalsKauffman Stadium[102]
1994Roger Clemens (7)ND (W)Detroit TigersFenway Park[103]
1995*Aaron SeleWMinnesota TwinsFenway Park[104]
1996Roger Clemens (8)LTexas RangersRangers Ballpark in Arlington[105]
1997Tom GordonND (W)Anaheim AngelsAngel Stadium of Anaheim[106]
1998*Pedro MartinezWOakland AthleticsNetwork Associates Coliseum[107]
1999*Pedro Martinez (2)WKansas City RoyalsKauffman Stadium[108]
2000Pedro Martinez (3)WSeattle MarinersSafeco Field[109]
2001Pedro Martinez (4)ND (L)Baltimore OriolesOriole Park at Camden Yards[110]
2002Pedro Martinez (5)ND (L)Toronto Blue JaysFenway Park[111]
2003*Pedro Martinez (6)ND (L)Tampa Bay Devil RaysTropicana Field[112]
2004***Pedro Martinez (7)LBaltimore OriolesOriole Park at Camden Yards[113]
2005*David WellsLNew York YankeesYankee Stadium[114]
2006Curt SchillingWTexas RangersRangers Ballpark in Arlington[115]
2007***Curt Schilling (2)LKansas City RoyalsKauffman Stadium[116]
2008*Daisuke MatsuzakaND (W)Oakland AthleticsTokyo Dome[117]
2009*Josh BeckettWTampa Bay RaysFenway Park[118]
2010Josh Beckett (2)ND (W)New York YankeesFenway Park[119]
2011Jon LesterND (L)Texas RangersRangers Ballpark in Arlington[120]
2012Jon Lester (2)ND (L)Detroit TigersComerica Park[121]
2013***Jon Lester (3)WNew York YankeesYankee Stadium[122]
2014Jon Lester (4)LBaltimore OriolesOriole Park at Camden Yards[123]
2015Clay BuchholzWPhiladelphia PhilliesCitizens Bank Park[124]
2016*David PriceWCleveland IndiansProgressive Field[125]
2017*Rick PorcelloWPittsburgh PiratesFenway Park[126]
2018***Chris SaleND (L)Tampa Bay RaysTropicana Field[127]
2019Chris Sale (2)LSeattle MarinersT-Mobile Park[128]
2020Nathan EovaldiWBaltimore OriolesFenway Park[129]
2021*Nathan Eovaldi (2)LBaltimore OriolesFenway Park[130]
2022Nathan Eovaldi (3)ND (L)New York YankeesYankee Stadium[131]
2023Corey KluberLBaltimore OriolesFenway Park[132]
2024Brayan BelloWSeattle MarinersT-Mobile Park[133]

References