Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell has named pitcher Matthew Boyd as the team’s Opening Day starter for the 2026 season.
Boyd, coming off one of the best seasons of his career, will get the ball on March 26 when the Cubs open the season at Wrigley Field against the Washington Nationals.
In 31 starts last season, Boyd posted a record of 14-8 with a 3.21 ERA. He struck out 154 batters and walked just 42 in 179.2 innings of work, the most he had thrown in a season since 2019 with the Detroit Tigers.
The Nationals named Cade Cavalli as their Opening Day starter earlier this month.
Boyd was instrumental to the Cubs reaching the playoffs for the first time since the 2020 season, and was named an All-Star for the first time in his career.
Boyd will become the fourth different pitcher to start on Opening Day for the Cubs in the last four seasons. Shota Imanaga got the ball to start the 2025 season, while Justin Steele pitched on Opening Day in 2024.
Imanaga will still be in the Cubs’ rotation for the 2026 campaign, while Steele, still working his way back from Tommy John surgery, will join the team later in the spring, according to the club.
Cade Horton, Jameson Taillon and Edward Cabrera are all shoo-ins for the rotation, leaving the Cubs with an interesting question once Steele rejoins the mix later in the year.
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