Garrett Crochet Leads 2026 MLB Opening Day Starters Reveal

Red Sox, Tigers, and Astros name their Opening Day starting pitchers for the 2026 MLB season.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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Major League Baseball teams have begun announcing their Opening Day starting pitchers for the 2026 season. Among the notable names are Garrett Crochet of the Boston Red Sox, Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers, and Hunter Brown of the Houston Astros.

Why it matters

The selection of these pitchers to start on Opening Day reflects their individual achievements and the strategic directions of their teams, signaling important storylines as the new MLB season approaches.

The details

Garrett Crochet will make his third straight Opening Day start for the Red Sox, coming off a season where he finished second in the AL Cy Young voting. Tarik Skubal will tie a franchise record with his third consecutive Opening Day start for the Tigers, having won back-to-back Cy Young awards. The Astros are turning to Hunter Brown as their new Opening Day starter after Framber Valdez departed for Detroit.

  • The 2026 MLB season is approaching in about six weeks.
  • Garrett Crochet, Tarik Skubal, and Hunter Brown are set to start on Opening Day.

The players

Garrett Crochet

A starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox who finished second in the American League Cy Young Award voting last season.

Tarik Skubal

A starting pitcher for the Detroit Tigers who has won back-to-back American League Cy Young awards and is set to make his third consecutive Opening Day start, tying a franchise record.

Hunter Brown

A starting pitcher for the Houston Astros who is taking over the Opening Day starter role from Framber Valdez, who has departed for the Detroit Tigers.

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The takeaway

The selection of these pitchers to start on Opening Day highlights their individual accomplishments and the strategic directions of their teams, signaling an exciting start to the 2026 MLB season.