List of Atlanta Braves Opening Day starting pitchers


The Atlanta Braves are a Major League Baseball 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 21 different Opening Day starting pitchers in their 55 seasons in Atlanta. The 21 starters have a combined Opening Day record of 15 wins, 22 losses and 18 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, with four wins and no losses with one no decision. All of Mahler's four victories were shutouts, including three in consecutive years 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 single no decision. This gives the Atlanta Braves' Opening Day starting pitchers a combined home record 7–8 with eight no decisions. Their away record is 8–14 with ten no decisions. The Braves went on to play in the World Series in 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996 and 1999, and won the 1995 World Series championship games. John Smoltz was the Opening Day starting pitcher in 1991, Tom Glavine in 1992 and 1999, and Greg Maddux in 1995 and 1996. They had a combined Opening Day record of 3–2 in years that the Atlanta Braves played in the World Series.

Key

Pitchers

SeasonPitcherDecisionFinal
score		OpponentLocationRef
1966LPittsburgh PiratesAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium
1967LHouston AstrosAstrodome
1968LSt. Louis CardinalsBusch Stadium
1969* ND San Francisco GiantsAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium
1970LSan Diego PadresSan Diego Stadium
1971 ND Cincinnati RedsRiverfront Stadium
1972 LSan Diego PadresSan Diego Stadium
1973ND Houston AstrosAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium
1974ND Cincinnati RedsRiverfront Stadium
1975 LHouston AstrosAstrodome
1976 LSan Diego PadresSan Diego Stadium
1977ND Houston AstrosAstrodome
1978 LLos Angeles DodgersAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium
1979 LHouston AstrosAstrodome
1980 LCincinnati RedsRiverfront Stadium
1981ND Cincinnati RedsAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium
1982*WSan Diego PadresJack Murphy Stadium
1983 ND Cincinnati RedsRiverfront Stadium
1984LPhiladelphia PhilliesAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium
1985 WPhiladelphia PhilliesVeterans Stadium
1986 WMontreal ExposAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium
1987 WPhiladelphia PhilliesAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium
1988 ND Chicago CubsAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium
1989LHouston AstrosAstrodome
1990LSan Francisco GiantsAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium
1991**LLos Angeles DodgersAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium
1992** WHouston AstrosAstrodome
1993*WChicago CubsWrigley Field
1994 WSan Diego PadresJack Murphy Stadium
1995† WSan Francisco GiantsAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium
1996** WSan Francisco GiantsAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium
1997* LHouston AstrosAstrodome
1998* ND Milwaukee BrewersTurner Field
1999** LPhiladelphia PhilliesTurner Field
2000* WColorado RockiesTurner Field
2001*ND Cincinnati RedsCinergy Field
2002* WPhiladelphia PhilliesTurner Field
2003* LMontreal ExposTurner Field
2004*LNew York MetsTurner Field
2005* LFlorida MarlinsDolphin Stadium
2006ND Los Angeles DodgersDodger Stadium
2007 ND Philadelphia PhilliesCitizens Bank Park
2008 ND Washington NationalsNationals Park
2009WPhiladelphia PhilliesCitizens Bank Park
2010* WChicago CubsTurner Field
2011 WWashington NationalsNationals Park
2012LNew York MetsCiti Field
2013* ND Philadelphia PhilliesTurner Field
2014LMilwaukee BrewersMiller Park
2015 WMiami MarlinsMarlins Park
2016 ND Washington NationalsTurner Field
2017 ND 0–6New York MetsCiti Field
2018* ND Philadelphia PhilliesSunTrust Park
2019* LPhiladelphia PhilliesCitizens Bank Park
2020ND 0–1New York MetsCiti Field

Footnotes