Though Opening Day is seven days delayed from where we thought it would be before the lockout, the Major League Baseball season in 2022 will still feature a 162-game regular season. Things will kick off on Thursday, April 7, when 18 of the 30 teams take part in Opening Day and then the remaining 12 teams get things going on Friday, April 8.
For the first time ever, there will be a 12-team playoff field and it is the largest field ever in a full season. In theory, at least, that should mean more teams than ever realistically have a chance at winning the pennant heading into Opening Day.
As the season nears, we'll start to hear who the starting pitchers will be for each team in their 2022 opener. We'll keep updating below with the news as it happens.
The Opening Day starter role is coveted among starting pitchers and has been for decades. By no means does it really define anything predictive moving forward, but it's an honor. Here's the all-time leaderboard for Opening Day starts:
Tom Seaver: 16Steve Carlton: 14Jack Morris: 14
Randy Johnson: 14
Walter Johnson: 14
And now here's who will get the ball for their teams to start 2022.
Opening Day starting pitchers