List of Detroit Tigers Opening Day starting pitchers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball franchise based in Detroit, Michigan. They play in the American League Central division. The first game of the new baseball season is played on Opening Day, and being named the starter that day 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. Since joining the league in 1901, the Tigers have used 56 different Opening Day starting pitchers. The Tigers have a record of 56 wins and 60 losses in their Opening Day games. They also played one tie game, in 1927.
The Tigers have played in three different home ball parks, Bennett Park from 1901 through 1911, Tiger Stadium from 1912 to 1999 and Comerica Park since 2000. They had a record of five wins and two losses in Opening Day games at Bennett Park, 19 wins and 22 losses at Tiger Stadium and three wins and four losses at Comerica Park, for a total home record in Opening Day games of 26 wins and 28 losses. Their record in Opening Day away games is 27 wins, 31 losses and one tie.
Jack Morris has the most Opening Day starts for the Tigers, with 11 consecutive starts from 1980 to 1990. Morris had a record of seven wins and four losses in his Opening Day starts. George Mullin had ten Opening Day starts for the Tigers between 1903 and 1913. The Tigers won five of those games and lost the other five. Mickey Lolich had seven Opening Day starts between 1965 and 1974. He had a record of five wins and two losses in those starts. Justin Verlander has also made seven Opening Day starts for the Tigers, between 2008 and 2014. His record in those starts is one win and one loss with five no-decisions. Other Tiger pitchers with at least three Opening Day starts include Hal Newhouser with six, Earl Whitehill and Jim Bunning with four; and Tommy Bridges, Frank Lary and Mike Moore with three.
The first game the Tigers played as a Major League team was on April 25, 1901, against the Milwaukee Brewers. Roscoe Miller was the Tigers Opening Day starting pitcher for that game, which the Tigers won 14–13. The Tigers have played in the World Series eleven times, in 1907, 1908, 1909, 1934, 1935, 1940, 1945, 1968, 1984, 2006, and 2012, with wins in four of those: 1935, 1945, 1968 and 1984. The Tigers Opening Day starting pitchers in those seasons were Mullin, Ed Siever, Firpo Marberry, Rowe, Newsom, Newhouser, Earl Wilson, Morris, Kenny Rogers, and Justin Verlander. The Tigers won five of those Opening Day games and lost the other five.
Josh Billings was the Tigers Opening Day starting pitcher in 1928, despite being only 20 years old and having only won five Major League games prior to the season. Bunning, who made four Opening Day starts for the Tigers was later elected to the United States Senate. McLain, who made two Opening Day starts for the Tigers, was later convicted of embezzlement. Bunning and Newhouser have each been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Key
| W | Win |
| L | Loss |
| T | Tie game |
| ND | No decision by starting pitcher; Tigers won game |
| ND | No decision by starting pitcher; Tigers lost game |
| Tigers won game; no information on starting pitcher's decision | |
| Tigers lost game; no information on starting pitcher's decision | |
| Final score | Game score with Tigers runs listed first |
| Location | Stadium in italics with for home game |
| Number of appearances as Opening Day starter with the Tigers | |
| * | Advanced to the post-season |
| ** | American League champions |
| World Series champions |
Pitchers
| Season | Pitcher | Decision | Final score | Opponent | Location | Ref. |
| 1901 | Milwaukee Brewers | Bennett Park | ||||
| 1902 | Chicago White Sox | South Side Park | ||||
| 1903 | Cleveland Indians | Bennett Park | ||||
| 1904 | St. Louis Browns | Sportsman's Park | ||||
| 1905 | Cleveland Indians | League Park | ||||
| 1906 | Chicago White Sox | Bennett Park | ||||
| 1907** | Cleveland Indians | Bennett Park | ||||
| 1908** | Chicago White Sox | South Side Park | ||||
| 1909** | Chicago White Sox | Bennett Park | ||||
| 1910 | Cleveland Indians | Bennett Park | ||||
| 1911 | Chicago White Sox | Bennett Park | ||||
| 1912 | Cleveland Indians | League Park | ||||
| 1913 | St. Louis Browns | Sportsman's Park | ||||
| 1914 | St. Louis Browns | Navin Field | ||||
| 1915 | Cleveland Indians | Navin Field | ||||
| 1916 | Chicago White Sox | Comiskey Park | ||||
| 1917 | Cleveland Indians | Navin Field | ||||
| 1918 | Cleveland Indians | League Park | ||||
| 1919 | Cleveland Indians | League Park | ||||
| 1920 | Chicago White Sox | Comiskey Park | ||||
| 1921 | ND | Chicago White Sox | Navin Field | |||
| 1922 | Cleveland Indians | League Park | ||||
| 1923 | ND | St. Louis Browns | Sportsman's Park | |||
| 1924 | W | Cleveland Indians | Navin Field | |||
| 1925 | W | Chicago White Sox | Navin Field | |||
| 1926 | L | Cleveland Indians | Navin Field | |||
| 1927 | T | St. Louis Browns | Sportsman's Park | |||
| 1928 | St. Louis Browns | Navin Field | ||||
| 1929 | Cleveland Indians | League Park | ||||
| 1930 | W | St. Louis Browns | Navin Field | |||
| 1931 | St. Louis Browns | Sportsman's Park | ||||
| 1932 | Cleveland Indians | Navin Field | ||||
| 1933 | Cleveland Indians | Navin Field | ||||
| 1934** | W | Chicago White Sox | Comiskey Park | |||
| 1935† | Chicago White Sox | Navin Field | ||||
| 1936 | W | Cleveland Indians | Cleveland Stadium | |||
| 1937 | W | Cleveland Indians | Navin Field | |||
| 1938 | Chicago White Sox | Comiskey Park | ||||
| 1939 | W | Chicago White Sox | Briggs Stadium | |||
| 1940** | St. Louis Browns | Briggs Stadium | ||||
| 1941 | St. Louis Browns | Sportsman's Park | ||||
| 1942 | Cleveland Indians | Briggs Stadium | ||||
| 1943 | Cleveland Indians | Cleveland Stadium | ||||
| 1944 | St. Louis Browns | Briggs Stadium | ||||
| 1945† | St. Louis Browns | Sportsman's Park | ||||
| 1946 | W | St. Louis Browns | Briggs Stadium | |||
| 1947 | W | St. Louis Browns | Sportsman's Park | |||
| 1948 | W | Chicago White Sox | Comiskey Park | |||
| 1949 | W | Chicago White Sox | Briggs Stadium | |||
| 1950 | ND | Cleveland Indians | Cleveland Stadium | |||
| 1951 | Cleveland Indians | Briggs Stadium | ||||
| 1952 | St. Louis Browns | Briggs Stadium | ||||
| 1953 | St. Louis Browns | Sportsman's Park | ||||
| 1954 | W | Baltimore Orioles | Briggs Stadium | |||
| 1955 | L | Kansas City Athletics | Municipal Stadium | |||
| 1956 | L | Kansas City Athletics | Briggs Stadium | |||
| 1957 | L | Kansas City Athletics | Municipal Stadium | |||
| 1958 | W | Chicago White Sox | Comiskey Park | |||
| 1959 | ND | Chicago White Sox | Briggs Stadium | |||
| 1960 | ND | Cleveland Indians | Cleveland Stadium | |||
| 1961 | L | Cleveland Indians | Tiger Stadium | |||
| 1962 | L | Washington Senators | Robert F. Kennedy Stadium | |||
| 1963 | L | Chicago White Sox | Tiger Stadium | |||
| 1964 | W | Kansas City Athletics | Tiger Stadium | |||
| 1965 | W | Kansas City Athletics | Municipal Stadium | |||
| 1966 | W | New York Yankees | Yankee Stadium | |||
| 1967 | L | California Angels | Anaheim Stadium | |||
| 1968† | L | Boston Red Sox | Tiger Stadium | |||
| 1969 | W | Cleveland Indians | Tiger Stadium | |||
| 1970 | W | Washington Senators | Robert F. Kennedy Stadium | |||
| 1971 | W | Cleveland Indians | Tiger Stadium | |||
| 1972* | W | Boston Red Sox | Tiger Stadium | |||
| 1973 | L | Cleveland Indians | Cleveland Stadium | |||
| 1974 | L | Baltimore Orioles | Memorial Stadium | |||
| 1975 | L | Baltimore Orioles | Tiger Stadium | |||
| 1976 | W | Cleveland Indians | Cleveland Stadium | |||
| 1977 | L | Kansas City Royals | Tiger Stadium | |||
| 1978 | W | Toronto Blue Jays | Tiger Stadium | |||
| 1979 | L | Texas Rangers | Tiger Stadium | |||
| 1980 | W | Kansas City Royals | Kauffman Stadium | |||
| 1981 | W | Toronto Blue Jays | Tiger Stadium | |||
| 1982 | L | Kansas City Royals | Kauffman Stadium | |||
| 1983 | W | Minnesota Twins | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | |||
| 1984† | W | Minnesota Twins | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | |||
| 1985 | W | Cleveland Indians | Tiger Stadium | |||
| 1986 | W | Boston Red Sox | Tiger Stadium | |||
| 1987* | L | New York Yankees | Tiger Stadium | |||
| 1988 | W | Boston Red Sox | Fenway Park | |||
| 1989 | L | Texas Rangers | Arlington Stadium | |||
| 1990 | L | Boston Red Sox | Fenway Park | |||
| 1991 | ND | New York Yankees | Tiger Stadium | |||
| 1992 | L | Toronto Blue Jays | Tiger Stadium | |||
| 1993 | L | Oakland Athletics | Oakland Coliseum | |||
| 1994 | ND | Boston Red Sox | Fenway Park | |||
| 1995 | W | California Angels | Angel Stadium | |||
| 1996 | L | Minnesota Twins | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | |||
| 1997 | ND | Minnesota Twins | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | |||
| 1998 | W | Tampa Bay Devil Rays | Tropicana Field | |||
| 1999 | W | Texas Rangers | Rangers Ballpark in Arlington | |||
| 2000 | W | Oakland Athletics | Oakland Coliseum | |||
| 2001 | L | Minnesota Twins | Comerica Park | |||
| 2002 | ND | Tampa Bay Devil Rays | Tropicana Field | |||
| 2003 | L | Minnesota Twins | Comerica Park | |||
| 2004 | W | Toronto Blue Jays | SkyDome | |||
| 2005 | W | Kansas City Royals | Comerica Park | |||
| 2006** | W | Kansas City Royals | Kauffman Stadium | |||
| 2007 | ND | Toronto Blue Jays | Comerica Park | |||
| 2008 | ND | Kansas City Royals | Comerica Park | |||
| 2009 | L | Toronto Blue Jays | SkyDome | |||
| 2010 | ND | Kansas City Royals | Kauffman Stadium | |||
| 2011* | ND | New York Yankees | Yankee Stadium | |||
| 2012** | ND | Boston Red Sox | Comerica Park | |||
| 2013* | W | Minnesota Twins | Target Field | |||
| 2014* | ND | Kansas City Royals | Comerica Park | |||
| 2015 | W | Minnesota Twins | Comerica Park | |||
| 2016 | ND | Miami Marlins | Marlins Park | |||
| 2017 | Chicago White Sox | Guaranteed Rate Field | ||||
| 2018 | ND | Pittsburgh Pirates | Comerica Park | |||
| 2019 | ND | Toronto Blue Jays | Rogers Centre | |||
| 2020 | L | 1–7 | Cincinnati Reds | Great American Ball Park |