Ranking the 2019 Opening Day starters

Starting on Opening Day is a prestigious honor for 30 of Major League Baseball's finest pitchers. Of course, not every starter who gets the nod is an All-Star or award winner.

Here's how we rank this year's Opening Day starters:

30. Andrew Cashner, Orioles

The two sweetest words in the English language are "de-fault." Cashner only got the Orioles' Opening Day assignment after Alex Cobb, who was scheduled to start Thursday's game, landed on the injured list.

29. Jordan Zimmermann, Tigers

Zimmermann hasn't come close to what was expected of him since joining the Tigers four years ago, but he's nonetheless been given a second straight Opening Day start. He'll look to improve on last year's performance when he allowed four runs in six innings during a 13-10 loss.

28. Eric Lauer, Padres

The average age of San Diego's projected top four starters in 2019 is 25 years, so someone with little experience was going to start the season opener. Lauer, a 23-year-old entering his second big-league campaign, earned the honor over rookie Chris Paddack and fellow sophomore Joey Lucchesi.

27. Trevor Cahill, Angels

If Shohei Ohtani was able to pitch, this game might have been his. Alas, he's still rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, so the veteran Cahill was chosen to start Opening Day against his former team in Oakland.

26. Carlos Rodon, White Sox

Pitching on the South Side since 2015, Rodon is now the longest-tenured member of the White Sox staff. Consider this assignment a reward for his service during some of the franchise's leanest years.

25. Mike Minor, Rangers

After having his name bandied about in trade rumors for much of the winter, Minor not only remained in Texas but was given the honor of starting the final Opening Day game at Globe Life Park in Arlington. He's the only member of the Rangers' rotation who pitched for them last year.

24. Jose Urena, Marlins

Urena was shelled on Opening Day last year, giving up a homer to the Cubs' Ian Happ on the very first pitch of the 2018 season. Here's hoping he has some better luck this time around.

23. Luis Castillo, Reds

Opening Day in Cincinnati is a civic holiday, and it's a tradition for the Reds to start at home in honor of the city being the birthplace of professional baseball. Castillo will grab the first season-opening start of his young career at Great American Ball Park on Thursday.

22. Mike Fiers, Athletics

The 33-year-old Fiers made his first career season-opening start last week against the Mariners in Japan. He got roughed up by Seattle, allowing five runs while throwing two wild pitches in three innings of work.

21. Marco Gonzales, Mariners

Gonzales started opposite Fiers in Tokyo, and fared a little better. His outing ended a run of 10 straight Opening Day starts for Mariners icon Felix Hernandez.

20. Brad Keller, Royals

Here's Opening Day's coolest story. One year after making the Royals as a little-known Rule 5 draft pick, Keller's not only established himself as a solid big-league starter - he was far and away their best in 2018 - but became the obvious and deserving choice to start the opener. Well done, Brad.

19. Julio Teheran, Braves

Teheran will start his sixth straight Opening Day for the Braves, tying Hall of Famer Warren Spahn for the franchise record. However, he wasn't the first choice this time around, and got the nod after ace Mike Foltynewicz was injured in spring training.

18. Jhoulys Chacin, Brewers

This will be the second time Chacin's started on Opening Day in Milwaukee - he previously did so as a visitor back in 2013. He emerged as the Brewers' de facto ace last season and turned in a career year for the NL Central champions.

17. Hyun-Jin Ryu, Dodgers

Ryu has some big shoes to fill as the first Dodgers' Opening Day starter not named Clayton Kershaw since 2010. He got the honor based on Kershaw's injury, but it's not as though Ryu isn't worthy on his own merits, as evidenced by last year's 1.97 ERA.

16. Jose Berrios, Twins

Berrios is one of the key pieces of the Twins' future, and this could be the first of many Opening Day starts he makes in their uniform.

15. Masahiro Tanaka, Yankees

Tanaka got the nod after Severino was sidelined by a rotator cuff issue. He's a perfectly fine choice to make the start on merit, but Tanaka's Opening Day track record is less than stellar. In his three previous season-opening outings, Tanaka has recorded a 9.49 ERA.

14. Marcus Stroman, Blue Jays

Stroman is trying to bounce back from an injury-plagued 2018 campaign. He loves the spotlight, so Opening Day is probably the right place for him to get the comeback started.

13. Madison Bumgarner, Giants

This could very well be MadBum's final Opening Day start for the Giants, as questions continue to surround his future with the rebuilding team.

12. Jon Lester, Cubs

Come Thursday, Lester will have made as many Opening Day starts in a Cubs uniform (four) as he did with the Red Sox.

11. Kyle Freeland, Rockies

The 25-year-old is the first Denver native to start on Opening Day for the Rockies. He earned the honor by finishing fourth in NL Cy Young voting last year.

10. Jameson Taillon, Pirates

Taillon firmly established himself as the Pirates' ace last year, so it's only natural he gets the ball on Opening Day in 2019. He still might be one of the more underrated arms in baseball, but a good start would go a long way toward changing that.

9. Miles Mikolas, Cardinals

Mikolas' major-league comeback after becoming a star in Japan was one of 2018's most amazing stories. Now, the "Lizard King" gets to start Opening Day for the Cardinals as a bona fide big-league pitcher with no question marks attached to his name.

8. Zack Greinke, Diamondbacks

Greinke remains as excellent as ever in Arizona. He'll become the fourth pitcher to make at least three Opening Day starts in a D-Backs uniform, joining Ian Kennedy, Brandon Webb, and Randy Johnson.

7. Aaron Nola, Phillies

Nola was cruising during last year's Opening Day start before manager Gabe Kapler sparked a bullpen meltdown, pulling his ace after 5 1/3 innings. This year, Nola's starting Game 1 for the Phillies at home after finishing third in Cy Young voting. Kapler would be wise to just let him pitch this time.

6. Corey Kluber, Indians

Kluber's fifth consecutive Opening Day start will put him into a tie for the Indians' franchise record alongside Hall of Famer Stan Coveleski (1917-21). That's a fitting honor for Kluber, who continues to be one of the finest starters in baseball.

5. Blake Snell, Rays

The Rays might have pioneered the use of an opener, but there was no question about what starter was getting the ball on Opening Day. Snell, the reigning AL Cy Young winner, is making what should be his first of many season-opening starts.

4. Justin Verlander, Astros

Verlander's 11th career Opening Day start will tie him with four other pitchers for the fifth-most ever. He just signed a two-year extension, so this surely won't be the last time we see him open a season for Houston.

3. Max Scherzer, Nationals

Was there really any other choice for the Nats? Scherzer will begin his push for Cy Young No. 4 when he starts on Opening Day for the fourth time in five seasons.

2. Chris Sale, Red Sox

Sale will make his fifth career Opening Day start - and second for the Red Sox - before the ink is even dry on his five-year, $145-million extension. This is a good move - not just because Sale's arguably the best left-hander in the game, but because he's money on Opening Day. In four previous season-opening starts, he's 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA and 0.93 WHIP.

1. Jacob deGrom, Mets

It's hard to beat deGrom after winning last year's NL Cy Young with a brilliant and historic season. He was the easy choice to start Opening Day for the Mets, and he's the easy choice to top these rankings.