# List of Minnesota Twins Opening Day starting pitchers

The Minnesota Twins are a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the American League Central division. They formerly played in Washington, D.C. as the Washington Senators before moving to Minnesota after the 1960 season. 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 Twins have used 26 different Opening Day starting pitchers in their 51 seasons in Minnesota. Starters have a combined Opening Day record of 14 wins, 25 losses and 12 no decisions. No decisions are only awarded to the starting pitcher if the game is won or lost after the starting pitcher has left the game.
Brad Radke holds the Minnesota Twins record for most Opening Day starts with nine. He has a record in Opening Day starts for the Twins of four wins and two losses (4–2) with three no decisions. Bert Blyleven had six Opening Day starts for the Twins and Frank Viola had four. Radke has the record for most wins in Minnesota Twins Opening Day starts with four. Liván Hernández, Mudcat Grant, and Dean Chance share the best winning percentage in Opening Day starts with one win and no losses (1–0) each. Kevin Tapani has the worst winning percentage, losing both Opening Day starts he made for the Twins (0–2).
Overall, Minnesota Twins Opening Day starting pitchers have a record of 4–7 with three no decisions at Metropolitan Stadium and a 1–4 record with one no decision at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. Their first home opener in their current ballpark of Target Field was in 2013. This gives their Opening Day starting pitchers' combined home record 5–11 with four no no decisions. Their away record is 9–14 with eight no decisions. The Twins went on to play in the World Series in 1965, 1987, and 1991, winning in 1987 and 1991. The Twins lost both Opening Day games in the years in which they won the World Series.

## Key

| Season | Each year is linked to an article about that particular Twins season. |
| W | Win |
| L | Loss |
| ND (W) | No decision by starting pitcher; Twins won game |
| ND (L) | No decision by starting pitcher; Twins lost game |
| Final Score | Game score with Twins runs listed first |
| Location | Stadium in bold for home game |
| Pitcher (#) | Number of appearances as Opening Day starter with the Twins |
| * | Advanced to the post-season |
| ** | Won American League Championship Series |
| † | Won World Series |

## Pitchers

| Season | Pitcher | Decision | Final score | Opponent | Location |
| 1961 | Pedro Ramos | W | 6–0 | New York Yankees | Yankee Stadium (I) |
| 1962 | Jack Kralick | L | 2–4 | Kansas City Athletics | Municipal Stadium |
| 1963 | Camilo Pascual | L | 4–5 | Cleveland Indians | Metropolitan Stadium |
| 1964 | Camilo Pascual (2) | ND (W) | 7–6 | Cleveland Indians | Cleveland Stadium |
| 1965** | Jim Kaat | ND (W) | 5–4 | New York Yankees | Metropolitan Stadium |
| 1966 | Mudcat Grant | W | 2–1 | Kansas City Athletics | Metropolitan Stadium |
| 1967 | Jim Kaat (2) | L | 3–6 | Baltimore Orioles | Memorial Stadium |
| 1968 | Dean Chance | W | 2–0 | Washington Senators | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium |
| 1969* | Tom Hall | ND (L) | 3–4 | Kansas City Royals | Municipal Stadium |
| 1970* | Jim Perry | W | 12–0 | Chicago White Sox | Comiskey Park |
| 1971 | Jim Perry (2) | L | 2–7 | Milwaukee Brewers | Metropolitan Stadium |
| 1972 | Bert Blyleven | ND (L) | 3–4 | Oakland Athletics | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum |
| 1973 | Bert Blyleven (2) | W | 8–3 | Oakland Athletics | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum |
| 1974 | Bert Blyleven (3) | ND (W) | 6–4 | Kansas City Royals | Royals Stadium |
| 1975 | Bert Blyleven (4) | W | 11–4 | Texas Rangers | Arlington Stadium |
| 1976 | Bert Blyleven (5) | ND (L) | 2–1 | Texas Rangers | Arlington Stadium |
| 1977 | Dave Goltz | L | 4–7 | Oakland Athletics | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum |
| 1978 | Dave Goltz (2) | L | 2–3 | Seattle Mariners | Kingdome |
| 1979 | Dave Goltz (3) | W | 5–3 | Oakland Athletics | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum |
| 1980 | Jerry Koosman | ND (W) | 9–7 | Oakland Athletics | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum |
| 1981 | Jerry Koosman (2) | L | 1–5 | Oakland Athletics | Metropolitan Stadium |
| 1982* | Pete Redfern | L | 7–11 | Seattle Mariners | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome |
| 1983 | Brad Havens | L | 3–11 | Detroit Tigers | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome |
| 1984 | Albert Williams | L | 1–8 | Detroit Tigers | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome |
| 1985 | Frank Viola | W | 6–2 | California Angels | Anaheim Stadium |
| 1986 | Frank Viola (2) | W | 3–2 | Oakland Athletics | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum |
| 1987† | Bert Blyleven (6) | ND (W) | 5–4 | Oakland Athletics | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome |
| 1988 | Frank Viola (3) | L | 0–8 | New York Yankees | Yankee Stadium (I) |
| 1989 | Frank Viola (4) | L | 2–4 | New York Yankees | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome |
| 1990 | Allan Anderson | L | 3–8 | Oakland Athletics | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum |
| 1991† | Jack Morris | L | 2–7 | Oakland Athletics | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum |
| 1992 | Scott Erickson | ND (W) | 4–2 | Milwaukee Brewers | Milwaukee County Stadium |
| 1993 | Kevin Tapani | L | 5–10 | Chicago White Sox | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome |
| 1994 | Kevin Tapani (2) | L | 2–8 | California Angels | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome |
| 1995 | Scott Erickson (2) | L | 0–9 | Boston Red Sox | Fenway Park |
| 1996 | Brad Radke | W | 8–6 | Detroit Tigers | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome |
| 1997 | Brad Radke (2) | ND (W) | 7–5 | Detroit Tigers | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome |
| 1998 | Bob Tewksbury | L | 2–3 | Toronto Blue Jays | SkyDome |
| 1999 | Brad Radke (3) | W | 6–1 | Toronto Blue Jays | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome |
| 2000 | Brad Radke (4) | L | 0–7 | Tampa Bay Devil Rays | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome |
| 2001 | Brad Radke (5) | W | 3–2 | Detroit Tigers | Comerica Park |
| 2002* | Brad Radke (6) | ND (W) | 8–6 | Kansas City Royals | Kauffman Stadium |
| 2003* | Brad Radke (7) | W | 3–1 | Detroit Tigers | Comerica Park |
| 2004* | Brad Radke (8) | ND (W) | 7–4 | Cleveland Indians | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome |
| 2005 | Brad Radke (9) | L | 1–5 | Seattle Mariners | Safeco Field |
| 2006* | Johan Santana | L | 3–6 | Toronto Blue Jays | Rogers Centre |
| 2007 | Johan Santana (2) | W | 7–4 | Baltimore Orioles | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome |
| 2008 | Livan Hernandez | W | 3–2 | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome |
| 2009* | Francisco Liriano | L | 1–6 | Seattle Mariners | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome |
| 2010* | Scott Baker | L | 3–6 | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | Angel Stadium of Anaheim |
| 2011 | Carl Pavano | L | 3–11 | Toronto Blue Jays | Rogers Centre |
| 2012 | Carl Pavano (2) | L | 2–4 | Baltimore Orioles | Oriole Park at Camden Yards |
| 2013 | Vance Worley | L | 2–4 | Detroit Tigers | Target Field |
| 2014 | Ricky Nolasco | L | 3–5 | Chicago White Sox | U.S. Cellular Field |
| 2015 | Phil Hughes | L | 0–4 | Detroit Tigers | Comerica Park |
| 2016 | Ervin Santana | ND (L) | 2–3 | Baltimore Orioles | Camden Yards |
| 2017* | Ervin Santana (2) | W | 7–1 | Kansas City Royals | Target Field |
| 2018 | Jake Odorizzi | ND (L) | 2–3 | Baltimore Orioles | Camden Yards |
| 2019* | José Berríos | W | 2–0 | Cleveland Indians | Target Field |
| 2020* | José Berríos (2) | ND (W) | 10–5 | Chicago White Sox | Guaranteed Rate Field |
| 2021 | Kenta Maeda | ND (L) | 5–6 | Milwaukee Brewers | American Family Field |
| 2022 | Joe Ryan | L | 1–2 | Seattle Mariners | Target Field |
| 2023* | Pablo López | W | 2–0 | Kansas City Royals | Kauffman Stadium |
| 2024 | Pablo López (2) | W | 4–1 | Kansas City Royals | Kauffman Stadium |
| 2025 | Pablo López (3) | | | St. Louis Cardinals | Busch Stadium |