The five worst MLB Opening Day starting pitchers

1. Nestor Cortes (New York Yankees)

The Yankees would have been starting Gerrit Cole on Opening Day under normal circumstances. However, he will miss the beginning part of the season due to nerve inflammation in his elbow. Newcomer Marcus Stroman would have made sense, but the Yankees are not taking him off his already-established schedule. 

As such, Opening Day falls to Nestor Cortes, a decision that would have made sense in 2023. Cortes struggled through injuries and ineffectiveness last season, posting a 4.97 ERA and a 1.247 WHiP over his 63.1 innings, striking out 77 batters with 20 walks. While those numbers may be better than some of the other options on this list, the Yankees have higher aspirations than the other teams. Plugging Cortes into that top spot speaks to how thin of a line the Yankees will walk this season.

2. Garrett Crochet (Chicago White Sox)

Crochet could easily become a dominant force in the White Sox rotation. The issue is that he has never started a major-league game before. As Sarah Langs from MLB pointed out on X, Crochet is going to be the ninth pitcher in MLB history to make their first career start on Opening Day. He made just 13 appearances in 2023 as he recovered from Tommy John surgery, posting a 3.55 ERA and a 1.974 WHiP over his 12.2 innings while striking out 12 batters with 13 walks. Crochet has been much better in spring training, firing nine shutout innings as he allowed seven hits with 12 strikeouts, but it is fair to wonder if he can hold up as a full-time starter.

3. Patrick Sandoval (Los Angeles Angels)

The Angels were going to have a significant downgrade with whoever took the ball on Opening Day after Shohei Ohtani departed for the Dodgers. Sandoval posted a 4.11 ERA and a 1.514 WHiP over his 144.2 innings in 2023, striking out 128 batters with 74 walks. Those numbers are fine for a back-of-the-rotation starter. The problem is that the Angels do not have any other options. 

4. Alex Wood (Oakland A's)

Wood had one excellent season over his major-league career, making the All-Star Game in 2017 while leading the majors in winning percentage. He has then battled injuries and ineffectiveness since. Wood was part of a flurry of moves that the A's made during the offseason to attempt to patch together a pitching staff. He bounced between the Giants rotation and bullpen last season, posting a 4.33 ERA and a 1.433 WHiP over his 97.2 innings while striking out 74 batters with 42 walks. Sadly, that is the best that the A's have to offer.

5. Josiah Gray (Washington Nationals)

Gray was a consensus top-100 prospect in 2020 and 2021 and a key part of the return for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner. He has not quite lived up to that billing thus far, though, struggling with home runs and control. Despite making his first All-Star Game in 2023, Gray posted a 3.91 ERA and a 1.459 WHiP over his 159 innings, striking out 143 batters with 80 walks. At least Gray is an upgrade over last year when the Nationals sent Patrick Corbin to the mound for Opening Day.