List of Arizona Diamondbacks Opening Day starting pitchers
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The Arizona Diamondbacks are a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise based in Phoenix, Arizona. They play in the National League West division. The first game of the new baseball season for a team is played on Opening Day, and being named the Opening Day starter is an honor, which is often given to the player who is expected to lead the pitching staff that season,[1] though there are various strategic reasons why a team's best pitcher might not start on Opening Day.[2] The Diamondbacks have used 10 different Opening Day starting pitchers in their 22 seasons. The 10 starters have a combined Opening Day record of eight wins, eight losses (8–8), and six no decisions.[3][4] No decisions are only awarded to the starting pitcher if the game is won or lost after the starting pitcher has left the game.
Randy Johnson holds the Diamondbacks' record for most Opening Day starts with six, and has an Opening Day record of 3–2. Brandon Webb started four Opening Days, and Ian Kennedy has been the Opening Day starter thrice.[3] Andy Benes, Javier Vázquez, Dan Haren, and Wade Miley have started one Opening Day each.[3] Kennedy has the best winning percentage as the Opening Day starting pitcher with a record of 2–0.[3][5] Benes, Vázquez, and Miley are tied for the worst Opening Day record, at 0–1.[3] Webb is Arizona's only pitcher with multiple no-decisions on Opening Day (three), and Johnson is the only pitcher to have won three or more opening games.[3]
Overall, the Diamondbacks have a record of 8–7 at home on Opening Day, compared to a 4–3 record at away games.[3] The Diamondbacks went on to play in the National League Division Series (NLDS) playoff games in 1999, 2001, 2002, 2007, 2011, 2017, and 2023, winning the National League Championship Series in 2001 and 2023, and the World Series in 2001.
Key
| Season | Each year is linked to an article about that particular Diamondbacks season. |
| W | Win |
| L | Loss |
| ND (W) | No decision by starting pitcher; Diamondbacks won game |
| ND (L) | No decision by starting pitcher; Diamondbacks lost game |
| Pitcher (#) | Number of appearances as Opening Day starter with the Diamondbacks |
| * | Advanced to the postseason |
| ** | Won National League Championship Series |
| † | Won World Series |
Pitchers
Pitchers
Opening Day starting pitchers listed in descending order by the number of Opening Day starts for the Diamondbacks:
| Pitcher | Starts | Wins | Losses | No Decisions | Winning % | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Randy Johnson | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | .500 | 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 |
| Zac Gallen | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .333 | 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 |
| Brandon Webb | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1.000 | 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 |
| Madison Bumgarner | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .000 | 2020, 2021, 2022 |
| Zack Greinke | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .000 | 2016, 2017, 2019 |
| Ian Kennedy | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1.000 | 2011, 2012, 2013 |
| Andy Benes | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 1998 |
| Josh Collmenter | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 2015 |
| Patrick Corbin | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 2018 |
| Dan Haren | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 2010 |
| Wade Miley | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 2014 |
| Javier Vázquez | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 2005 |