The Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise based in Los Angeles. 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, though there are various strategic reasons why a team's best pitcher might not start on Opening Day. The Dodgers have used 27 different Opening Day starting pitchers in their 68 seasons in Los Angeles. The 27 starters have a combined Opening Day record of 30 wins, 27 losses and 10 no decisions.
The Dodgers started playing in Los Angeles in 1958, after moving from Brooklyn. The first Opening Day game for the Dodgers in Los Angeles was played in San Francisco against the San Francisco Giants on April 15, 1958. California native Don Drysdale was the Dodgers' Opening Day starting pitcher that day, in a game the Dodgers lost 8–0. Dodgers starting pitchers won both of their Opening Day starts in their first home ballpark in Los Angeles, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Clayton Kershaw's nine Opening Day starts for the Dodgers from 2011 to 2018 and 2021 are the most ever by a Dodgers starter, two more than Don Drysdale and Don Sutton. Fernando Valenzuela, Ramón Martínez and Orel Hershiser have had at least four Opening Day starts, with six, five and four respectively. Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax, who won three Cy Young Awards during the 1960s, only made one Opening Day start for the Dodgers, in 1964. Drysdale and Kershaw are also tied for the Los Angeles Dodgers record for most wins as an Opening Day starter, with five wins. They both also have two losses.
Koufax (1964), Chan Ho Park (2001), Brad Penny (2008), Hiroki Kuroda (2009), Julio Urías (2023) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2025) are the only Los Angeles Dodgers Opening Day starting pitchers to have won all their Opening Day decisions, Martinez and Derek Lowe share the Los Angeles Dodgers record for most Opening Day losses, with three. The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series championship in 1959, 1963, 1965, 1981, 1988 and 2020, 2024 and 2025 World Series. Drysdale (1959, 1963 and 1965), Valenzuela (1981 and 1988), Dustin May (2020), Tyler Glasnow (2024) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2025) were the Dodgers' Opening Day starting pitchers those years. The 2024 Dodgers opened their season in Korea for the Seoul Series, and Glasnow was the starter for the Dodgers’ home opener in LA as well. The Dodgers' starting pitcher won the Opening Day game in 1963, 1965, 1981 and the home opener in 2024, but lost in 1959 and 1988. In 2020 and the 2024 season opener, the starter did not factor in the decision.
Key
SeasonEach year is linked to an article about that particular Dodgers season.Pitcher Number of appearances as Opening Day starter with the DodgersWWinLLossND (W)No decision by starting pitcher; Dodgers won gameND (L)No decision by starting pitcher; Dodgers lost gameFinal scoreGame score with Dodgers runs listed firstLocationStadium in italics for home game*Advanced to the post-season**NL Champions†World Series Champions
Pitchers
SeasonPitcherDecisionFinalscoreOpponentLocationRef(s)1958LSan Francisco GiantsSeals Stadium1959† LChicago CubsWrigley Field1960 WChicago CubsLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum1961 WPhiladelphia PhilliesLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum1962LCincinnati RedsDodger Stadium1963† WChicago CubsWrigley Field1964WSt. Louis CardinalsDodger Stadium1965† WNew York MetsShea Stadium1966**WHouston AstrosDodger Stadium1967LCincinnati RedsCrosley Field1968 LPhiladelphia PhilliesDodger Stadium1969 WCincinnati RedsDodger Stadium1970 LCincinnati RedsDodger Stadium1971LHouston AstrosAstrodome1972WCincinnati RedsRiverfront Stadium1973 LSan Diego PadresSan Diego Stadium1974** WSan Diego PadresDodger Stadium1975 ND (L)Cincinnati RedsRiverfront Stadium1976 LSan Francisco GiantsCandlestick Park1977** WSan Francisco GiantsDodger Stadium1978** WAtlanta BravesAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium1979 ND (L)San Diego PadresDodger Stadium1980 LHouston AstrosAstrodome1981†WHouston AstrosDodger Stadium1982ND (W)San Francisco GiantsDodger Stadium1983* ND (W)Houston AstrosAstrodome1984 LSt. Louis CardinalsDodger Stadium1985* LHouston AstrosAstrodome1986 WSan Diego PadresDodger Stadium1987LHouston AstrosAstrodome1988† LSan Francisco GiantsDodger Stadium1989LCincinnati RedsRiverfront Stadium1990 ND (W)San Diego PadresDodger Stadium1991 WAtlanta BravesAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium1992LSan Francisco GiantsDodger Stadium1993 LFlorida MarlinsJoe Robbie Stadium1994 ND (W)Florida MarlinsDodger Stadium1995* WFlorida MarlinsJoe Robbie Stadium1996* WHouston AstrosAstrodome1997 LPhiladelphia PhilliesDodger Stadium1998 LSt. Louis CardinalsBusch Memorial Stadium1999ND (W)Arizona DiamondbacksDodger Stadium2000 WMontreal ExposOlympic Stadium2001WMilwaukee BrewersDodger Stadium2002 LSan Francisco GiantsDodger Stadium2003WArizona DiamondbacksBank One Ballpark2004* LSan Diego PadresDodger Stadium2005LSan Francisco GiantsSBC Park2006* LAtlanta BravesDodger Stadium2007 LMilwaukee BrewersMiller Park2008*WSan Francisco GiantsDodger Stadium2009* WSan Diego PadresPetco Park2010 LPittsburgh PiratesPNC Park2011 W San Francisco GiantsDodger Stadium2012 ND (W) San Diego PadresPetco ParkGurnick, Ken. (2012-04-06) Kershaw's moxie sets tone as LA tops Friars . Losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com. Retrieved on 2012-04-06.2013* W San Francisco GiantsDodger Stadium 2014* W Arizona Diamondbacks Sydney Cricket Ground 2015* ND (W) San Diego Padres Dodger Stadium 2016* W San Diego Padres Petco Park 2017** W San Diego Padres Dodger Stadium 2018** L San Francisco Giants Dodger Stadium 2019 * W Arizona Diamondbacks Dodger Stadium 2020 † ND (W) San Francisco Giants Dodger Stadium 2021 * L Colorado RockiesCoors Field 2022 * W Colorado RockiesCoors Field2023 * W Arizona DiamondbacksDodger Stadium2024 † ND (W) San Diego Padres Gocheok Sky Dome2025 †W Chicago CubsTokyo Dome 2026 W Arizona DiamondbacksDodger Stadium
References
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