SARASOTA, Fla. — When the Orioles take the field for opening day on March 28 against the Los Angeles Angels, Corbin Burnes will be on the mound.
Manager Brandon Hyde informed the 2021 National League Cy Young Award winner Sunday morning that he would get the ball for opening day, the Orioles manager said in a news conference. Although Burnes was the obvious choice as one of baseball’s most dominant pitchers over the last four seasons, Hyde called it an “honor” to make the decision official.
“It was kind of the schedule … that we talked about when we first traded for him was pretty much that he was going to be starting opening day,” Hyde said. “So it wasn’t like an enormous surprise. I just called him this morning and let him know that I was going to tell you guys, but it’s not something to be taken for granted. It’s a really cool moment for anybody to be able to have that sort of honor, and I know he’s very appreciative.”
This season will mark the third straight year Burnes has started opening day after he held that distinction for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2022 and 2023. The Orioles acquired Burnes in a blockbuster trade Feb. 1, sending prospects DL Hall and Joey Ortiz to Milwaukee, along with the No. 34 overall pick in this summer’s MLB draft.
“It’s a great feeling,” Burnes said following his spring start Sunday. “Not many guys can say they started opening day. So, for me to do it three years now and three years in a row is pretty special, so I’m glad to take the ball opening day. But I’m going to take the ball every five days whenever I’m called upon so that’s just one of hopefully 30-plus starts, but definitely an honor to be able to do it.”
Burnes finished eighth or better in NL Cy Young Award voting each of the past four seasons, posting a 37-22 record with a 2.86 ERA and 1.00 WHIP over that span. He’s set to be the first former Cy Young Award winner to make an opening day start for the Orioles since Pat Hentgen in 2001.
Since Chris Tillman started three consecutive season openers from 2014 to 2016, the Orioles have had six pitchers start for them on opening day over the past seven years. Burnes will be the seventh of their past eight, joining Kyle Gibson (2023), John Means (2021 and 2022), Tommy Milone (2020), Andrew Cashner (2019), Dylan Bundy (2018) and Kevin Gausman (2017).
“I think there’s a lot of excitement just around the team in general,” Burnes said. “It’s a team that won 101 games last year, won the AL East. A lot of expectations coming into the season. So, I’m coming in just to join that group and add what I can to it. This is a great group of guys, great group of young players that play a heck of a baseball.
“I’m coming in trying to join that group, add what I can, giving knowledge to the young guys that I can and just doing my best to go out and compete every day and hopefully win more than 101 baseball games this year.”
Set to hit free agency after the season, Burnes is only guaranteed to spend one campaign in Baltimore, but his addition atop the Orioles’ rotation gives the club a legitimate ace to lean on as they attempt to defend their American League East title. With starters Kyle Bradish (UCL strain) and Means (elbow discomfort) slated to begin the season on the injured list, the addition of Burnes was all the more critical to helping the Orioles get off to a fast start in 2024.
That quest begins opening day, and the Orioles will waste no time trotting out their prized new starter.