# List of New York Giants Opening Day starting pitchers

The New York Giants were a Major League Baseball team that played in Manhattan, New York until moving to San Francisco in 1958. From 1883 until their move to San Francisco, they played their home games at the Polo Grounds. They played in the National League. 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 Giants used 33 different Opening Day starting pitchers in their 75 seasons they played in New York. The Giants won 39 of those games against 35 losses in those Opening Day starts. They also played one tie game.
Carl Hubbell had the most Opening Day starts for the New York Giants with six between 1929 and 1942. Mickey Welch, Amos Rusie and Larry Jansen each had five Opening Day starts for the team. Christy Mathewson, Red Ames, Jeff Tesreau and Bill Voiselle all had four Opening Day starts apiece for the Giants. Ed Doheny and Johnny Antonelli each had three Opening Day starts for the New York Giants and Antonelli also had an Opening Day start for the San Francisco Giants in 1959, giving him a total of four Opening Day starts for the franchise. Antonelli is the only player to have an Opening Day start for both the New York and San Francisco Giants.
Other pitchers who had multiple Opening Day starts for the New York Giants were Hal Schumacher with three such starts, and Joe McGinnity, Rube Marquard, Jesse Barnes, Art Nehf, Virgil Barnes, Bill Walker and Sal Maglie with two apiece. Seven Hall of Fame pitchers made Opening Day starts for the New York Giants — Welch, Tim Keefe, Rusie, Mathewson, McGinnity, Marquard and Hubbell.
The New York Giants won the modern World Series five times, in 1905, 1921, 1922, 1933 and 1954. Their Opening Day starting pitchers in those years were Joe McGinnity in 1905, Phil Douglas in 1921, Art Nehf in 1922, Carl Hubbell in 1933 and Sal Maglie in 1954. In 1904, the Giants won the National League championship but no World Series was played. Christy Mathewson was the Giants' Opening Day starting pitcher that season. The Giants also won the 19th century World Series twice, in 1888 and 1889. Ledell Titcomb and Mickey Welch were the Giants Opening Day starting pitchers in 1888 and 1889, respectively.
Jesse and Virgil Barnes, who each made two Opening Day starts for the New York Giants, were brothers.

## Key

| Season | Each year is linked to an article about that particular Giants season. |
| W | Win |
| L | Loss |
| T | Tie Game; no decision to starting pitcher |
| ND (W) | No Decision by starting pitcher; Giants won game |
| ND (L) | No Decision by starting pitcher; Giants lost game |
| (W) | Giants won game; no information on starting pitcher's decision |
| (L) | Giants lost game; no information on starting pitcher's decision |
| (#) | Number of appearances as Opening Day starter |
| ** | NL Champions |
| # | World Series Champions |

## Pitchers

| Year | Pitcher | Decision | Opponent | Location |
| 1883 | Mickey Welch | (W) | Boston Beaneaters | Polo Grounds |
| 1884 | Mickey Welch (2) | (W) | Chicago White Stockings | Polo Grounds |
| 1885 | Mickey Welch (3) | (W) | Boston Beaneaters | Polo Grounds |
| 1886 | Mickey Welch (4) | (W) | Boston Beaneaters | Polo Grounds |
| 1887 | Tim Keefe | (W) | Philadelphia Phillies | Polo Grounds |
| 1888# | Ledell Titcomb | (W) | Washington Nationals | Swampoodle Grounds |
| 1889# | Mickey Welch (5) | (L) | Boston Beaneaters | Oakland Park, New Jersey |
| 1890 | Amos Rusie | (L) | Philadelphia Phillies | Polo Grounds |
| 1891 | Amos Rusie (2) | (L) | Boston Beaneaters | South End Grounds |
| 1892 | Amos Rusie (3) | (W) | Philadelphia Phillies | Huntingdon Grounds |
| 1893 | Silver King | (L) | Boston Beaneaters | Polo Grounds |
| 1894 | Amos Rusie (4) | (L) | Baltimore Orioles | Union Park |
| 1895 | Amos Rusie (5) | (L) | Brooklyn Bridegrooms | Polo Grounds |
| 1896 | Dad Clarke | (L) | Washington Nationals | Boundary Field |
| 1897 | Ed Doheny | (L) | Philadelphia Phillies | Baker Bowl |
| 1898 | Ed Doheny (2) | (L) | Boston Beaneaters | Polo Grounds |
| 1899 | Ed Doheny (3) | (L) | Baltimore Orioles | Union Park |
| 1900 | Bill Carrick | (L) | Brooklyn Superbas | Polo Grounds |
| 1901 | Dummy Taylor | (L) | Boston Braves | South End Grounds |
| 1902 | Christy Mathewson | (W) | Philadelphia Phillies | Polo Grounds |
| 1903 | Christy Mathewson (2) | (L) | Brooklyn Dodgers | Polo Grounds |
| 1904** | Christy Mathewson (3) | (W) | Brooklyn Dodgers | Washington Park |
| 1905# | Joe McGinnity | (W) | Boston Beaneaters | Polo Grounds |
| 1906 | Red Ames | (W) | Philadelphia Phillies | Baker Bowl |
| 1907 | Joe McGinnity (2) | (L) | Philadelphia Phillies | Polo Grounds |
| 1908 | Christy Mathewson (4) | (W) | Philadelphia Phillies | Baker Bowl |
| 1909 | Red Ames (2) | (L) | Brooklyn Dodgers | Polo Grounds |
| 1910 | Red Ames (3) | (L) | Boston Doves | South End Grounds |
| 1911** | Red Ames (4) | L | Philadelphia Phillies | Polo Grounds |
| 1912** | Rube Marquard | (W) | Brooklyn Dodgers | Washington Park |
| 1913** | Jeff Tesreau | (L) | Boston Braves | Polo Grounds |
| 1914 | Rube Marquard (2) | (L) | Philadelphia Phillies | Baker Bowl |
| 1915 | Jeff Tesreau (2) | (W) | Brooklyn Dodgers | Polo Grounds |
| 1916 | Jeff Tesreau (3) | (W) | Philadelphia Phillies | Baker Bowl |
| 1917** | Fred Anderson | (W) | Boston Braves | Braves Field |
| 1918 | Jeff Tesreau (4) | ND (W) | Brooklyn Dodgers | Polo Grounds |
| 1919 | Jesse Barnes | W | Philadelphia Phillies | Baker Bowl |
| 1920 | Jesse Barnes (2) | L | Boston Braves | Polo Grounds |
| 1921# | Phil Douglas | ND (W) | Philadelphia Phillies | Baker Bowl |
| 1922# | Art Nehf | L | Brooklyn Dodgers | Polo Grounds |
| 1923** | Hugh McQuillan | W | Boston Braves | Braves Field |
| 1924** | Rosy Ryan | L | Brooklyn Dodgers | Ebbets Field |
| 1925 | Art Nehf (2) | L | Boston Braves | Braves Field |
| 1926 | Virgil Barnes | L | Brooklyn Dodgers | Polo Grounds |
| 1927 | Virgil Barnes (2) | W | Philadelphia Phillies | Baker Bowl |
| 1928 | Larry Benton | W | Boston Braves | Polo Grounds |
| 1929 | Carl Hubbell | W | Philadelphia Phillies | Baker Bowl |
| 1930 | Bill Walker | W | Boston Braves | Polo Grounds |
| 1931 | Freddie Fitzsimmons | W | Philadelphia Phillies | Baker Bowl |
| 1932 | Bill Walker (2) | L | Philadelphia Phillies | Polo Grounds |
| 1933# | Carl Hubbell (2) | T | Brooklyn Dodgers | Ebbets Field |
| 1934 | Carl Hubbell (3) | W | Philadelphia Phillies | Polo Grounds |
| 1935 | Carl Hubbell (4) | L | Boston Braves | Braves Field |
| 1936** | Hal Schumacher | ND (W) | Brooklyn Dodgers | Polo Grounds |
| 1937** | Hal Schumacher (2) | W | Brooklyn Dodgers | Ebbets Field |
| 1938 | Cliff Melton | W | Boston Bees | Polo Grounds |
| 1939 | Harry Gumbert | W | Brooklyn Dodgers | Ebbets Field |
| 1940 | Carl Hubbell (5) | L | Philadelphia Phillies | Polo Grounds |
| 1941 | Hal Schumacher (3) | ND (W) | Brooklyn Dodgers | Ebbets Field |
| 1942 | Carl Hubbell (6) | L | Brooklyn Dodgers | Polo Grounds |
| 1943 | Bill Lohrman | L | Brooklyn Dodgers | Ebbets Field |
| 1944 | Bill Voiselle | W | Boston Braves | Polo Grounds |
| 1945 | Bill Voiselle (2) | W | Boston Braves | Braves Field |
| 1946 | Bill Voiselle (3) | W | Philadelphia Phillies | Polo Grounds |
| 1947 | Bill Voiselle (4) | L | Philadelphia Phillies | Shibe Park |
| 1948 | Larry Jansen | L | Brooklyn Dodgers | Polo Grounds |
| 1949 | Larry Jansen (2) | L | Brooklyn Dodgers | Ebbets Field |
| 1950 | Larry Jansen (3) | L | Boston Braves | Polo Grounds |
| 1951** | Larry Jansen (4) | W | Boston Braves | Braves Field |
| 1952 | Sal Maglie | W | Philadelphia Phillies | Polo Grounds |
| 1953 | Larry Jansen (5) | W | Philadelphia Phillies | Shibe Park |
| 1954# | Sal Maglie (2) | W | Brooklyn Dodgers | Polo Grounds |
| 1955 | Johnny Antonelli | L | Philadelphia Phillies | Baker Bowl |
| 1956 | Johnny Antonelli (2) | W | Pittsburgh Pirates | Polo Grounds |
| 1957 | Johnny Antonelli (3) | L | Pittsburgh Pirates | Forbes Field |