# List of Texas Rangers Opening Day starting pitchers

The Texas Rangers are a Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Arlington, Texas. They play in the American League West division. From 1961 to 1971, the team played in Washington, D.C., as the Washington Senators, one of three different major league teams to use the name. The franchise relocated to Arlington as the Rangers in 1972. 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 Rangers have used 37 different Opening Day starting pitchers in their 60 seasons.
The Senators' first Opening Day game was played against the Chicago White Sox at Griffith Stadium in Washington, on April 10, 1961. Dick Donovan was their starting pitcher that day; he took the decision in a game the Senators lost, 4–3. In 1962, the team moved to District of Columbia Stadium (renamed Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in 1969). Opening Day starter Bennie Daniels earned the win in a 4–1 victory over the Detroit Tigers on April 9. Through their 11 years in Washington, the Senators started every Opening Day game at home. Their final Opening Day game in Washington was an 8–0 win over the Oakland Athletics on April 5, 1971, with starter Dick Bosman being credited with the win.
The team moved to Texas in 1972, and played their home games at Arlington Stadium. Their 1972 season opener was played on the road, but they played their first Opening Day game in Arlington on April 7, 1973, with Bosman taking the loss in a 3–1 loss to the White Sox. The Rangers' final Opening Day at Arlington Stadium occurred on April 8, 1991, when starter Nolan Ryan was handed the loss by the Milwaukee Brewers, 5–4. They moved into The Ballpark in Arlington in 1994, but did not host their first Opening Day at new facility until 1996. In the game, starting pitcher Ken Hill got the win in a 5–3 defeat of the Boston Red Sox. The stadium was subsequently renamed Ameriquest Field in Arlington (2004–2006), Rangers Ballpark in Arlington (2007–2013), and Globe Life Park in Arlington (2014–2019). Starter Mike Minor took the loss in Globe Life Park's final Opening Day game against the Chicago Cubs on March 28, 2019, a 12–4 loss. The Rangers played their first Opening Day game at their current ballpark, Globe Life Field, on July 24, 2020. Earning the win was starter Lance Lynn, as Texas beat the Colorado Rockies, 1–0.
The Rangers' Opening Day starting pitchers have a combined Opening Day record of 20 wins, 30 losses and 10 no decisions. In Washington, they had a record of 2 wins and 9 losses in 11 Opening Day starts. In Texas, they have 18 wins, 21 losses, and 10 no decisions in 49 Opening Day starts. They have an aggregate record of 15 wins, 19 losses, and 6 no decisions in 40 Opening Day starts at home. Texas starters have a record of 5 wins, 11 losses, and 4 no decisions in 20 Opening Day starts on the road.
Charlie Hough has the most Opening Day starts for the Rangers, with six, followed by Dick Bosman and Kevin Millwood (4); Jon Matlack, Kenny Rogers, and Nolan Ryan (3); and Cole Hamels, Rick Helling, Ken Hill, Ferguson Jenkins, Camilo Pascual, and Pete Richert (2). Bosman (1970–1973) and Millwood (2006–2009) made four consecutive Opening Day starts. Hough (1987–1989) and Ryan (1990–1992) made three consecutive starts, while Hill (1996–1997), Hough (1984–1985), Matlack (1980–1981), Pascual (1968–1969), and Richert (1966–1967) made back-to-back starts.
Three Texas Rangers Opening Day pitchers—Ferguson Jenkins, Gaylord Perry, and Nolan Ryan—have been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

## Table key

| Season | Each year is linked to an article about that particular Senators/Rangers season. |
| Pitcher (#) | Number indicates multiple appearances as a Rangers Opening Day starter |
| Score (#) | Game score with Rangers 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 Rangers home game |
| W | Win |
| L | Loss |
| ND (W) | No decision by starting pitcher; Rangers won game |
| ND (L) | No decision by starting pitcher; Rangers lost game |
| * | Advanced to the postseason |
| ** | Won the American League Championship Series |
| † | Won the World Series |

## Opening Day results

| Season | Pitcher | Decision | Score | Opponent | Location | Attendance |
| 1961 | Dick Donovan | L | 3–4 | Chicago White Sox | Griffith Stadium | 26,725 |
| 1962 | Bennie Daniels | W | 4–1 | Detroit Tigers | District of Columbia Stadium | 44,383 |
| 1963 | Don Rudolph | L | 1–3 | Baltimore Orioles | District of Columbia Stadium | 43,022 |
| 1964 | Claude Osteen | L | 0–4 | Los Angeles Angels | District of Columbia Stadium | 40,145 |
| 1965 | Phil Ortega | L | 2–7 | Boston Red Sox | District of Columbia Stadium | 43,554 |
| 1966 | Pete Richert | L | 2–5 | Cleveland Indians | District of Columbia Stadium | 44,468 |
| 1967 | Pete Richert (2) | L | 0–8 | New York Yankees | District of Columbia Stadium | 44,382 |
| 1968 | Camilo Pascual | L | 0–2 | Minnesota Twins | District of Columbia Stadium | 32,063 |
| 1969 | Camilo Pascual (2) | L | 4–8 | New York Yankees | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium | 45,113 |
| 1970 | Dick Bosman | L | 0–5 | Detroit Tigers | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium | 45,015 |
| 1971 | Dick Bosman (2) | W | 8–0 | Oakland Athletics | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium | 45,061 |
| 1972 | Dick Bosman (3) | L | 0–1 | California Angels | Anaheim Stadium | 13,916 |
| 1973 | Dick Bosman (4) | L | 1–3 | Chicago White Sox | Arlington Stadium | 22,114 |
| 1974 | Jim Bibby | L | 2–7 | Oakland Athletics | Arlington Stadium | 21,907 |
| 1975 | Ferguson Jenkins | L | 4–11 | Minnesota Twins | Arlington Stadium | 28,787 |
| 1976 | Gaylord Perry | W | 2–1 (11) | Minnesota Twins | Arlington Stadium | 28,947 |
| 1977 | Bert Blyleven | W | 2–1 (10) | Baltimore Orioles | Memorial Stadium | 31,307 |
| 1978 | Jon Matlack | W | 2–1 | New York Yankees | Arlington Stadium | 40,078 |
| 1979 | Ferguson Jenkins (2) | W | 8–2 | Detroit Tigers | Tiger Stadium | 43,708 |
| 1980 | Jon Matlack (2) | ND (W) | 1–0 (12) | New York Yankees | Arlington Stadium | 33,196 |
| 1981 | Jon Matlack (3) | L | 3–10 | New York Yankees | Yankee Stadium | 55,123 |
| 1982 | Charlie Hough | W | 8–3 | Cleveland Indians | Cleveland Stadium | 62,443 |
| 1983 | Mike Smithson | ND (W) | 5–3 | Chicago White Sox | Arlington Stadium | 13,140 |
| 1984 | Charlie Hough (2) | L | 1–9 | Cleveland Indians | Arlington Stadium | 21,537 |
| 1985 | Charlie Hough (3) | ND (L) | 2–4 | Baltimore Orioles | Memorial Stadium | 50,402 |
| 1986 | José Guzmán | W | 6–3 | Toronto Blue Jays | Arlington Stadium | 40,602 |
| 1987 | Charlie Hough (4) | ND (L) | 1–2 | Baltimore Orioles | Memorial Stadium | 51,650 |
| 1988 | Charlie Hough (5) | W | 4–3 | Cleveland Indians | Arlington Stadium | 37,613 |
| 1989 | Charlie Hough (6) | W | 4–0 | Detroit Tigers | Arlington Stadium | 40,375 |
| 1990 | Nolan Ryan | W | 4–2 | Toronto Blue Jays | Arlington Stadium | 40,907 |
| 1991 | Nolan Ryan (2) | L | 4–5 | Milwaukee Brewers | Arlington Stadium | 40,560 |
| 1992 | Nolan Ryan (3) | ND (W) | 12–10 | Seattle Mariners | Kingdome | 55,918 |
| 1993 | Craig Lefferts | W | 7–4 | Baltimore Orioles | Oriole Park at Camden Yards | 46,145 |
| 1994 | Kevin Brown | L | 3–5 | New York Yankees | Yankee Stadium | 56,706 |
| 1995 | Kenny Rogers | L | 6–8 | New York Yankees | Yankee Stadium | 50,525 |
| 1996* | Ken Hill | W | 5–3 | Boston Red Sox | The Ballpark in Arlington | 40,484 |
| 1997 | Ken Hill (2) | W | 6–2 | Milwaukee Brewers | The Ballpark in Arlington | 45,098 |
| 1998* | John Burkett | L | 2–9 | Chicago White Sox | The Ballpark in Arlington | 45,909 |
| 1999* | Rick Helling | L | 5–11 | Detroit Tigers | The Ballpark in Arlington | 46,650 |
| 2000 | Kenny Rogers (2) | W | 10–4 | Chicago White Sox | The Ballpark in Arlington | 49,332 |
| 2001 | Rick Helling (2) | L | 1–8 | Toronto Blue Jays | Hiram Bithorn Stadium | 19,891 |
| 2002 | Chan Ho Park | L | 3–8 | Oakland Athletics | Network Associates Coliseum | 43,908 |
| 2003 | Ismael Valdez | W | 6–3 | Anaheim Angels | Angel Stadium of Anaheim | 43,525 |
| 2004 | Kenny Rogers (3) | ND (L) | 4–5 | Oakland Athletics | Network Associates Coliseum | 45,122 |
| 2005 | Ryan Drese | L | 2–3 | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | Angel Stadium of Anaheim | 43,590 |
| 2006 | Kevin Millwood | L | 3–7 | Boston Red Sox | Ameriquest Field in Arlington | 51,541 |
| 2007 | Kevin Millwood (2) | L | 1–4 | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | Angel Stadium of Anaheim | 43,906 |
| 2008 | Kevin Millwood (3) | L | 2–5 | Seattle Mariners | Safeco Field | 46,334 |
| 2009 | Kevin Millwood (4) | W | 9–1 | Cleveland Indians | Rangers Ballpark in Arlington | 49,916 |
| 2010** | Scott Feldman | ND (W) | 5–4 | Toronto Blue Jays | Rangers Ballpark in Arlington | 50,299 |
| 2011** | C. J. Wilson | ND (W) | 9–5 | Boston Red Sox | Rangers Ballpark in Arlington | 50,146 |
| 2012* | Colby Lewis | W | 3–2 | Chicago White Sox | Rangers Ballpark in Arlington | 49,085 |
| 2013 | Matt Harrison | L | 2–8 | Houston Astros | Minute Maid Park | 41,307 |
| 2014 | Tanner Scheppers | ND (L) | 10–14 | Philadelphia Phillies | Globe Life Park in Arlington | 49,031 |
| 2015* | Yovani Gallardo | L | 0–8 | Oakland Athletics | O.co Coliseum | 36,067 |
| 2016* | Cole Hamels | W | 3–2 | Seattle Mariners | Globe Life Park in Arlington | 49,289 |
| 2017 | Yu Darvish | ND (L) | 5–8 | Cleveland Indians | Globe Life Park in Arlington | 48,350 |
| 2018 | Cole Hamels (2) | L | 1–4 | Houston Astros | Globe Life Park in Arlington | 47,253 |
| 2019 | Mike Minor | L | 4–12 | Chicago Cubs | Globe Life Park in Arlington | 48,538 |
| 2020 | Lance Lynn | W | 1–0 | Colorado Rockies | Globe Life Field | 0 |
| 2021 | Kyle Gibson | ND (L) | 10–14 | Kansas City Royals | Kauffman Stadium | 9,155 |
| 2022 | Jon Gray | ND (L) | 8–10 | Toronto Blue Jays | Rogers Centre | 45,022 |
| 2023† | Jacob deGrom | ND (W) | 11–7 | Philadelphia Phillies | Globe Life Field | 38,387 |
| 2024 | Nathan Eovaldi | ND (W) | 4–3 (10) | Chicago Cubs | Globe Life Field | 42,130 |
| 2025 | Nathan Eovaldi (2) | | | Boston Red Sox | Globe Life Field | |

## Pitchers

Opening Day starting pitchers are listed in descending order by the number of Opening Day starts for the Senators/Rangers.
| Pitcher | Starts | Wins | Losses | No decisions | Win % | Season(s) |
| Charlie Hough | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0.750 | 1982, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989 |
| Dick Bosman | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0.250 | 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973 |
| Kevin Millwood | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0.250 | 2006, 2007, 2008 |
| Jon Matlack | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.500 | 1978, 1980, 1981 |
| Kenny Rogers | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.500 | 1995, 2000, 2004 |
| Nolan Ryan | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.500 | 1990, 1991, 1992 |
| Ken Hill | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1996, 1997 |
| Cole Hamels | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.500 | 2016, 2018 |
| Ferguson Jenkins | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.500 | 1975, 1979 |
| Rick Helling | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.000 | 1999, 2001 |
| Camilo Pascual | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.000 | 1968, 1969 |
| Pete Richert | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.000 | 1966, 1967 |
| Bert Blyleven | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1977 |
| Bennie Daniels | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1962 |
| José Guzmán | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1986 |
| Craig Lefferts | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1993 |
| Colby Lewis | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 2012 |
| Lance Lynn | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 2020 |
| Gaylord Perry | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1976 |
| Ismael Valdez | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 2003 |
| Jim Bibby | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.000 | 1974 |
| Kevin Brown | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.000 | 1994 |
| John Burkett | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.000 | 1997 |
| Yu Darvish | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 2017 |
| Ryan Drese | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.000 | 2005 |
| Dick Donovan | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.000 | 1961 |
| Scott Feldman | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 2010 |
| Yovani Gallardo | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.000 | 2015 |
| Matt Harrison | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.000 | 2013 |
| Mike Minor | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.000 | 2019 |
| Phil Ortega | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.000 | 1965 |
| Claude Osteen | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.000 | 1964 |
| Chan Ho Park | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.000 | 2002 |
| Don Rudolph | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.000 | 1963 |
| Jacob deGrom | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 2023 |
| Nathan Eovaldi | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 2024 |
| Kyle Gibson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 2021 |
| Jon Gray | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 2022 |
| Tanner Scheppers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 2014 |
| Mike Smithson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 1983 |
| C. J. Wilson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 2011 |