# List of Atlanta Braves Opening Day starting pitchers

The Atlanta Braves are a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise based in Atlanta. They play in the National League East division. They were based in Milwaukee and Boston before moving to Atlanta for the 1966 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 Atlanta Braves have used 22 different Opening Day starting pitchers in their 57 seasons in Atlanta. The 22 starters have a combined Opening Day record of 15 wins, 23 losses and 19 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.
Hall of Famer Phil Niekro holds the Atlanta Braves' record for most Opening Day starts, with eight. Greg Maddux had seven for the team and Julio Teherán was featured six consecutive times from 2014 to 2019. Rick Mahler had five while Tom Glavine and John Smoltz have each made four Opening Day starts for the Braves. Maddux has the record for most wins in Atlanta Braves Opening Day starts, with five. Mahler has the highest winning percentage in Opening Day starts (1.000), with four wins and no losses with one no decision. All of Mahler's four victories were shutouts, including three in consecutive years (1985 to 1987) by identical scores of 6–0. Niekro has the record for most losses in Atlanta Braves Opening Day starts, with six.
From 1972 through 1980, the Braves lost nine consecutive Opening Day games. In those games, their starting pitchers had a record of no wins, six losses and three no decisions. Niekro had five of the losses during this streak, and Carl Morton had the other. Morton, Gary Gentry and Andy Messersmith had no decisions during the streak. One of the most famous Opening Day games in baseball history occurred during this stretch. That was the game on April 4, 1974, against the Cincinnati Reds at Riverfront Stadium, when Hank Aaron hit his 714th career home run to tie Babe Ruth's all-time record. Carl Morton was Atlanta's starting pitcher for that game, and received a no decision.
Overall, Atlanta Braves Opening Day starting pitchers have a record of 4–5 with four no decisions at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, their original home ball park in Atlanta. They have a 3–3 record with three no decisions at their second home park in Atlanta, Turner Field. At their current home park of Truist Park, originally named SunTrust Park, they have a 0–1 record with one no decision. This gives the Atlanta Braves' Opening Day starting pitchers a combined home record 7–9 with eight no decisions. Their away record is 8–14 with eleven no decisions. The Braves went on to play in the World Series in 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1999 and 2021, winning the 1995 and 2021 iterations. John Smoltz was the Opening Day starting pitcher in 1991, Tom Glavine in 1992 and 1999, Greg Maddux in 1995 and 1996, and Max Fried in 2021. They have a combined Opening Day record of 3–2 in years that the Atlanta Braves played in the World Series.

## Key

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

## Pitchers

| Season | Pitcher | Decision | Final score | Opponent | Location |
| 1966 | Tony Cloninger | L | 2–3 | Pittsburgh Pirates | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium |
| 1967 | Denny Lemaster | L | 1–6 | Houston Astros | Astrodome |
| 1968 | Pat Jarvis | L | 1–2 | St. Louis Cardinals | Busch Stadium |
| 1969* | Pat Jarvis (2) | ND (W) | 5–4 | San Francisco Giants | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium |
| 1970 | Phil Niekro | L | 3–8 | San Diego Padres | San Diego Stadium |
| 1971 | Phil Niekro (2) | ND (W) | 7–4 | Cincinnati Reds | Riverfront Stadium |
| 1972 | Phil Niekro (3) | L | 5–6 | San Diego Padres | San Diego Stadium |
| 1973 | Gary Gentry | ND (L) | 1–2 | Houston Astros | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium |
| 1974 | Carl Morton | ND (L) | 6–7 | Cincinnati Reds | Riverfront Stadium |
| 1975 | Phil Niekro (4) | L | 2–6 | Houston Astros | Astrodome |
| 1976 | Carl Morton (2) | L | 2–8 | San Diego Padres | San Diego Stadium |
| 1977 | Andy Messersmith | ND (L) | 2–3 | Houston Astros | Astrodome |
| 1978 | Phil Niekro (5) | L | 4–13 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium |
| 1979 | Phil Niekro (6) | L | 1–2 | Houston Astros | Astrodome |
| 1980 | Phil Niekro (7) | L | 0–9 | Cincinnati Reds | Riverfront Stadium |
| 1981 | Tommy Boggs | ND (W) | 5–3 | Cincinnati Reds | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium |
| 1982* | Rick Mahler | W | 1–0 | San Diego Padres | Jack Murphy Stadium |
| 1983 | Phil Niekro (8) | ND (L) | 4–5 | Cincinnati Reds | Riverfront Stadium |
| 1984 | Len Barker | L | 0–5 | Philadelphia Phillies | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium |
| 1985 | Rick Mahler (2) | W | 6–0 | Philadelphia Phillies | Veterans Stadium |
| 1986 | Rick Mahler (3) | W | 6–0 | Montreal Expos | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium |
| 1987 | Rick Mahler (4) | W | 6–0 | Philadelphia Phillies | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium |
| 1988 | Rick Mahler (5) | ND (L) | 9–10 | Chicago Cubs | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium |
| 1989 | Zane Smith | L | 10–3 | Houston Astros | Astrodome |
| 1990 | Tom Glavine | L | 0–8 | San Francisco Giants | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium |
| 1991** | John Smoltz | L | 4–6 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium |
| 1992** | Tom Glavine (2) | W | 2–0 | Houston Astros | Astrodome |
| 1993* | Greg Maddux | W | 1–0 | Chicago Cubs | Wrigley Field |
| 1994 | Greg Maddux (2) | W | 4–1 | San Diego Padres | Jack Murphy Stadium |
| 1995† | Greg Maddux (3) | W | 12–5 | San Francisco Giants | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium |
| 1996** | Greg Maddux (4) | W | 10–8 | San Francisco Giants | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium |
| 1997* | John Smoltz (2) | L | 1–2 | Houston Astros | Astrodome |
| 1998* | Greg Maddux (5) | ND (W) | 2–1 | Milwaukee Brewers | Turner Field |
| 1999** | Tom Glavine (3) | L | 4–7 | Philadelphia Phillies | Turner Field |
| 2000* | Greg Maddux (6) | W | 2–0 | Colorado Rockies | Turner Field |
| 2001* | John Burkett | ND (W) | 10–4 | Cincinnati Reds | Cinergy Field |
| 2002* | Tom Glavine (4) | W | 7–2 | Philadelphia Phillies | Turner Field |
| 2003* | Greg Maddux (7) | L | 2–10 | Montreal Expos | Turner Field |
| 2004* | Russ Ortiz | L | 2–7 | New York Mets | Turner Field |
| 2005* | John Smoltz (3) | L | 0–9 | Florida Marlins | Dolphin Stadium |
| 2006 | Tim Hudson | ND (W) | 11–10 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Dodger Stadium |
| 2007 | John Smoltz (4) | ND (W) | 5–3 | Philadelphia Phillies | Citizens Bank Park |
| 2008 | Tim Hudson (2) | ND (L) | 2–3 | Washington Nationals | Nationals Park |
| 2009 | Derek Lowe | W | 4–1 | Philadelphia Phillies | Citizens Bank Park |
| 2010* | Derek Lowe (2) | W | 16–5 | Chicago Cubs | Turner Field |
| 2011 | Derek Lowe (3) | W | 2–0 | Washington Nationals | Nationals Park |
| 2012 | Tommy Hanson | L | 0–1 | New York Mets | Citi Field |
| 2013* | Tim Hudson (3) | ND (W) | 7–5 | Philadelphia Phillies | Turner Field |
| 2014 | Julio Teherán | L | 0–2 | Milwaukee Brewers | Miller Park |
| 2015 | Julio Teherán (2) | W | 2–1 | Miami Marlins | Marlins Park |
| 2016 | Julio Teherán (3) | ND (L) | 3–4 | Washington Nationals | Turner Field |
| 2017 | Julio Teherán (4) | ND (L) | 0–6 | New York Mets | Citi Field |
| 2018* | Julio Teherán (5) | ND (W) | 8–5 | Philadelphia Phillies | SunTrust Park |
| 2019* | Julio Teherán (6) | L | 4–10 | Philadelphia Phillies | Citizens Bank Park |
| 2020* | Mike Soroka | ND (L) | 0–1 | New York Mets | Citi Field |
| 2021† | Max Fried | ND (L) | 2–3 | Philadelphia Phillies | Citizens Bank Park |
| 2022* | Max Fried (2) | L | 3–6 | Cincinnati Reds | Truist Park |
| 2023* | Max Fried (3) | ND (W) | 7–2 | Washington Nationals | Nationals Park |
| 2024* | Spencer Strider | ND (W) | 9–3 | Philadelphia Phillies | Citizens Bank Park |
| 2025 | Chris Sale | | | San Diego Padres | Petco Park |

## Footnotes

* $^a$ Tony Cloninger had one Opening Day start for the Atlanta Braves in 1966. He also had one Opening Day start for the Milwaukee Braves in 1965, giving him a total of two Opening Day starts for the Braves' franchise.