MLB Opening Day News and Notes: Bieber, Molina, Ray, Trout

Catcher Yadier Molina and right-hander Adam Wainwright will form the St. Louis Cardinals’ battery in their season opener. They have played together for 18 seasons. Photo: Jeff Curry, USA Today Sports

April 6, 2022

Official Major League Baseball News Release

Some news and notes about Opening Day from the Major League Baseball Public Relations office:

-Yadier Molina of the Cardinals has made 17 straight Opening Day starts at catcher (2005-21), the most ever by a Cardinals backstop. The 17 consecutive starts are a record for the most consecutive Opening Day starts at a single position in Cardinals history, and his streak is currently second-longest in franchise history overall, behind Hall of Famer Stan Musial (18, 1946-63). Molina is the only catcher in Major League history to make 17 Opening Day starts with only one team. With a start behind the plate on Thursday, Molina will become just the second catcher ever to start at least 18 Opening Day contests, joining Hall of Famer Ivan Rodríguez (20).

-Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright will make his seventh career home-opening start on Thursday against the Pirates (also: 2009-10, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2021), which will surpass Hall of Famer Bob Gibson (1967-69, 1972, 1974-75) for the most in franchise history. Wainwright and Molina enter 2022 as teammates for their 18th season (2005-22), marking the most in franchise history and tied for the third-longest in Major League history. The duo has been a starting battery for 304 career regular season games, which is fourth-most in history behind only Detroit’s Mickey Lolich and Bill Freehan (324); Hall of Famer Warren Spahn and Del Crandall of the Boston/Milwaukee Braves (316); and Red Faber and Ray Schalk of the White Sox (306).

-Mike Trout will return to the field after being limited by injury to just 36 games in 2021. At the time of his injury, the three-time MVP led the Majors in on-base percentage (.466) and OPS (1.090) while leading the AL in slugging percentage (.624). Trout is the only player in Angels history to make nine Opening Day starts in centre field (2013-21). The Club record for consecutive Opening Day starts at any position is held by Tim Salmon, who registered 11 consecutive Opening Day starts in right field from 1993-2003.

-San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford has made 10 straight Opening Day starts, which are the most by a Giants shortstop since the team moved to San Francisco in 1958. Overall, his 10 Opening Day starts are tied for fifth-most by any player in the San Francisco era along with teammate Brandon Belt and Hall of Famer Juan Marichal. His streak is also the longest active streak by a shortstop for a single team.

-Xander Bogaerts has made eight consecutive starts at shortstop on Opening Day for the Boston Red Sox (2014-21). With a start at shortstop on Friday, Bogaerts will set a new franchise record for consecutive Opening Day starts at shortstop, surpassing Everett Scott (8, 1914-21). Overall, Bogaerts would become the ninth player in Sox history to make nine consecutive starts at a single position on Opening Day, joining Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski (12 in LF); Dustin Pedroia (11 at 2B); Dwight Evans (10 in RF); Hall of Famer Harry Hooper (10 in RF); Hall of Famer Wade Boggs (10 at 3B); Jason Varitek (10 at C); Hall of Fame electee David Ortiz (9 at DH); and Hall of Famer Jim Rice (9 in LF).

-Diamondbacks left-hander Madison Bumgarner will start on Opening Day against the Padres, marking his eighth career Opening Day start, and third with Arizona. His three Opening Day starts will be tied for third-most in D-backs history, matching Zack Greinke and Ian Kennedy. Only Hall of Famer Randy Johnson (6) and Brandon Webb (4) will have more.

-Royals right-hander Zack Greinke will make his sixth career Opening Day start on Thursday against Cleveland, following 2010 with Kansas City, 2016-17 and 2019 with Arizona, and 2021 with Houston. According to Elias, the 12-year gap between Opening Day starts with Kansas City will be the largest gap between Opening Day pitching starts with the same team. In addition, at 38 years and 168 days old, Greinke will become the oldest Opening Day starting pitcher in Royals history, surpassing Tim Belcher, who was 36 years old on Opening Day in 1998.

-Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola is scheduled to start his fifth consecutive Opening Day game, joining Hall of Famers Robin Roberts (12, 1950-61) and Steve Carlton (10, 1977-86) as the only Phillies hurlers ever to make at least five straight Opening Day starts.

-Orioles pitcher John Means is scheduled to take the mound for Baltimore’s opener on Friday against the Rays in St. Petersburg, and he will become the first left-hander to make consecutive Opening Day starts for the Orioles since Dave McNally made three straight such starts from 1969-71.

-White Sox hurler Lucas Giolito will take the ball for Friday’s opener against the Tigers in Detroit for his third straight Opening Day start, becoming the first White Sox pitcher to do so since Mark Buehrle made four straight from 2008-11, and the first right-hander since Jack McDowell from 1991-94.

-Rangers starter Jon Gray is scheduled to start Friday’s opener against the Blue Jays in Toronto. Gray will be the 13th different pitcher to start an opener for Texas in the last 14 seasons, beginning with 2009. During that span, only Cole Hamels (2016 and 2018) was a two-time Opening Day starter for Texas.

-2020 AL Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber will make his third consecutive Opening Day start when the Guardians take on the Royals in Kansas City. The two-time All-Star will become the 13th pitcher in franchise history to receive three straight Opening Day starts. In doing so, Bieber joins Hall of Famer Bob Feller, CC Sabathia and Willie Mitchell as the only hurlers in franchise history to make three Opening Day starts prior to turning 27 years old.

-Left-hander Shane McClanahan will become the 15th different Opening Day starter in Rays history. At 24 years and 345 days old, he will be the youngest Opening Day starter used by the Rays since Scott Kazmir (23.068) in 2007. McClanahan, who finished seventh in last year’s AL Rookie of the Year voting, will be the fourth pitcher younger than 25 years old to make an Opening Day start for the Rays, following Kazmir (twice), Dewon Brazelton and Joe Kennedy.

-New Mariners hurler Robbie Ray is slated to start Seattle’s Opening Day on Friday against the Twins. The offseason acquisition will become the Mariners’ 16th different Opening Day starter, and he follows his rotation-mate Marco Gonzales, who made three straight starts for Seattle on Opening Day from 2019-21.

-Reds hurler Tyler Mahle will toe the rubber for Thursday’s opener against the Braves in Atlanta. Mahle, who matched the MLB high with 33 starts last year, will become Cincinnati’s sixth Opening Day starter since 2015, following Luis Castillo (2019 and 2021), Sonny Gray (2020), Homer Bailey (2018), Scott Feldman (2017), Raisel Iglesias (2016) and Johnny Cueto (2012-15). The Reds will begin their campaign on Thursday in Atlanta, opening the season on the road for just the third time since 1890. The Reds also opened away from Cincinnati in 1966 and 1990.

Opening Day Active Leaders

Below are the active leaders on Opening Day in a variety of categories:

Home Runs: Bryce Harper (5); Evan Longoria (5), Albert Pujols (5); Nelson Cruz (4); Yadier Molina (4); Mike Moustakas (4); Giancarlo Stanton (4)

RBI: Albert Pujols (16); Miguel Cabrera (14); Giancarlo Stanton (12); Eric Hosmer (11), Evan Longoria (11); Yadier Molina (11); Joc Pederson (11)

Games Started: Justin Verlander (12); Clayton Kershaw (9); Madison Bumgarner (7); Max Scherzer (6), Julio Teheran (6)

Wins: Clayton Kershaw (5); Justin Verlander (5); Dallas Keuchel (3); David Price (3); Chris Sale (3)