# List of Nashville Sounds Opening Day starting pitchers

The Nashville Sounds Minor League Baseball team has played in Nashville, Tennessee, since being established in 1978 as an expansion team of the Double-A Southern League. They moved up to Triple-A in 1985 as members of the American Association before joining the Pacific Coast League in 1998. With the restructuring of the minor leagues in 2021, they were placed in the Triple-A East, which became the International League in 2022. The first game of the new baseball season for a team is played on Opening Day, and being named the Opening Day starting pitcher is an honor which is 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 Sounds have used 43 different Opening Day starters in their 46 seasons.
Nashville's first Opening Day game was played against the Memphis Chicks at Tim McCarver Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 15, 1978. Bill Dawley was their starting pitcher that day; he took the decision in a game the Sounds lost, 4–2. Their first Opening Day game held at home was an 8–7 win against the Birmingham Barons at Herschel Greer Stadium on April 9, 1981. Starter Jamie Werly, who went on to win the Southern League Most Outstanding Pitcher Award that season, did not figure in the decision. On April 4, 2013, starter Tyler Thornburg took a no decision in the final Opening Day game at Greer Stadium, a 5–4 Sounds win. The team left Greer after the 2014 season, but did not play their first Opening Day game at First Horizon Park, their new facility then known as First Tennessee Park, until two years later. In that game, held on April 7, 2016, Sounds starting pitcher Chris Smith was charged with the loss in a 5–0 shutout by the Oklahoma City Dodgers.
Nashville's Opening Day starting pitchers have a combined Opening Day record of 11 wins, 16 losses, and 19 no decisions. At Greer Stadium, they had a record of 5 wins, 4 losses, and 8 no decisions in 17 Opening Day starts. At First Horizon Park, they have 0 wins, 2 losses, and 2 no decisions in 4 Opening Day starts. They have an aggregate record of 5 wins, 6 losses, and 10 no decisions in 21 Opening Day starts at home. Nashville starters have a record of 6 wins, 10 losses, and 9 no decisions in 25 Opening Day starts on the road.
The only Sounds pitchers with more than one Opening Day start are Bill Dawley (1978 and 1979), Rodney Imes (1990 and 1991), and Zach Jackson (2007 and 2008), each with two starts. Three Sounds Opening Day starters have also started Opening Day games in Major League Baseball: Bob Milacki for the Baltimore Orioles in 1990, Wily Peralta for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2016, and Chris Bassitt for the Oakland Athletics in 2021.

## Pitchers

Key :
| Pitcher (#) | Number indicates multiple appearances as a Sounds Opening Day starter |
| Score (#) | Game score with Sounds runs listed first; number of innings in a game that was shorter or longer than 9 innings in parentheses |
| Location | Stadium in italics denotes a Sounds home game |
| W | Win earned by starting pitcher; Sounds won game |
| L | Loss earned by starting pitcher; Sounds lost game |
| ND (W) | No decision by starting pitcher; Sounds won game |
| ND (L) | No decision by starting pitcher; Sounds lost game |
Pitchers :
| Season | Pitcher | Decision | Score | Opponent | Location |
| 1978 | Bill Dawley (1) | L | 2–4 | Memphis Chicks | Tim McCarver Stadium |
| 1979 | Bill Dawley (2) | L | 1–7 | Jacksonville Suns | Sam W. Wolfson Baseball Park |
| 1980 | Tom Filer | L | 4–6 | Columbus Astros | Golden Park |
| 1981 | Jamie Werly | ND (W) | 8–7 | Birmingham Barons | Herschel Greer Stadium |
| 1982 | Stefan Wever | ND (L) | 9–10 (13) | Columbus Astros | Golden Park |
| 1983 | Mark Shiflett | L | 4–5 | Orlando Twins | Tinker Field |
| 1984 | Jim Deshaies | W | 7–3 | Orlando Twins | Tinker Field |
| 1985 | Randy O'Neal | W | 3–1 | Buffalo Bisons | Herschel Greer Stadium |
| 1986 | Bryan Kelly | ND (W) | 6–3 | Indianapolis Indians | Herschel Greer Stadium |
| 1987 | Scott Terry | W | 8–4 | Omaha Royals | Herschel Greer Stadium |
| 1988 | Norm Charlton | ND (W) | 7–6 | Indianapolis Indians | Herschel Greer Stadium |
| 1989 | Jack Armstrong | L | 2–4 | Indianapolis Indians | Bush Stadium |
| 1990 | Rodney Imes (1) | ND (L) | 6–8 | Omaha Royals | Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium |
| 1991 | Rodney Imes (2) | ND (W) | 2–1 | Omaha Royals | Herschel Greer Stadium |
| 1992 | Gino Minutelli | L | 2–6 | Denver Zephyrs | Mile High Stadium |
| 1993 | Larry Thomas | ND (W) | 8–5 | Iowa Cubs | Herschel Greer Stadium |
| 1994 | Steve Schrenk | W | 10–4 | Oklahoma City 89ers | All Sports Stadium |
| 1995 | Brian Keyser | ND (W) | 6–3 | Buffalo Bisons | North AmeriCare Park |
| 1996 | Luis Andújar | L | 5–8 | Buffalo Bisons | Herschel Greer Stadium |
| 1997 | Tom Fordham | ND (L) | 3–4 (11) | Buffalo Bisons | North AmeriCare Park |
| 1998 | Sean Lawrence | L | 2–7 | Iowa Cubs | Sec Taylor Stadium |
| 1999 | Bob Milacki | W | 7–0 | Edmonton Trappers | Herschel Greer Stadium |
| 2000 | Danilo León | W | 10–5 | Omaha Golden Spikes | Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium |
| 2001 | Sam McConnell | ND (L) | 2–3 | Memphis Redbirds | AutoZone Park |
| 2002 | Bronson Arroyo | L | 5–12 | Sacramento River Cats | Herschel Greer Stadium |
| 2003 | Ryan Vogelsong | W | 5–4 | Iowa Cubs | Herschel Greer Stadium |
| 2004 | Nelson Figueroa | L | 3–6 | Colorado Springs Sky Sox | Herschel Greer Stadium |
| 2005 | José Capellán | ND (W) | 7–3 (6) | New Orleans Zephyrs | Herschel Greer Stadium |
| 2006 | Ben Hendrickson | ND (L) | 3–5 | Omaha Royals | Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium |
| 2007 | Zach Jackson (1) | L | 1–4 | New Orleans Zephyrs | Herschel Greer Stadium |
| 2008 | Zach Jackson (2) | L | 2–5 | New Orleans Zephyrs | Zephyr Field |
| 2009 | Sam Narron | ND (L) | 5–7 | New Orleans Zephyrs | Herschel Greer Stadium |
| 2010 | Kameron Loe | W | 6–3 | Iowa Cubs | Principal Park |
| 2011 | Amaury Rivas | W | 5–1 | New Orleans Zephyrs | Herschel Greer Stadium |
| 2012 | Wily Peralta | ND (L) | 2–6 | New Orleans Zephyrs | Zephyr Field |
| 2013 | Tyler Thornburg | ND (W) | 5–4 | New Orleans Zephyrs | Herschel Greer Stadium |
| 2014 | Johnny Hellweg | W | 4–2 | Omaha Storm Chasers | Werner Park |
| 2015 | Chris Bassitt | L | 5–7 | Colorado Springs Sky Sox | Security Service Field |
| 2016 | Chris Smith | L | 0–5 | Oklahoma City Dodgers | First Tennessee Park |
| 2017 | Daniel Gossett | ND (L) | 1–2 (11) | Round Rock Express | Dell Diamond |
| 2018 | James Naile | W | 11–0 | New Orleans Baby Cakes | Shrine on Airline |
| 2019 | Taylor Hearn | L | 4–5 | Iowa Cubs | First Tennessee Park |
| 2020 | Season cancelled | Season cancelled | Season cancelled | Iowa Cubs | First Horizon Park |
| 2021 | Josh Lindblom | ND (L) | 6–8 | Toledo Mud Hens | Fifth Third Field |
| 2022 | Ethan Small | ND (W) | 5–4 | Durham Bulls | First Horizon Park |
| 2023 | Caleb Boushley | ND (W) | 3–1 (8) | Louisville Bats | First Horizon Park |
| 2024 | Carlos F. Rodríguez | L | 2–4 | Toledo Mud Hens | Fifth Third Field |