The San Diego Padres begin its season with a three-game home series against the 2025 AL Central champion Detroit Tigers.
Major League Baseball Opening Day is finally here and it’s a beautiful day to watch the American League Cy Young winner do his thing.
Well, maybe not if you’re a San Diego Padres fan, but any baseball fan will enjoy watching him take the bump Thursday.
The Padres are hosting back-to-back Cy Young-winning left-hander Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers in a three-game home set to kick off the 2026 season after losing to the Chicago Cubs in the National League Wild Card Series last season.
San Diego is sending right-hander Nick Pivetta to the bump in an attempt to match Skubal’s performance, which is much easier said than done. Pivetta was great last year and the Padres really needed him to be the reliable arm that he was in a thin starting rotation.
The 33-year-old accumulated 5.2 WAR and went 13-5 with a 2.87 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 190 strikeouts in 181.2 innings (31 starts) a season ago, finishing sixth in NL Cy Young voting. After losing right-handed strikeout specialist Dylan Cease to the Toronto Blue Jays early in the offseason, the Padres didn’t do much to address his loss in free agency.
The Padres brought back right-hander Michael King, but due to his injury concerns, Pivetta will have to step up like he did last season and be an anchor for the rotation or else the Padres could be in trouble. He will face a familiar Tigers lineup that now features MLB No. 2 prospect shortstop Kevin McGonigle, who is playing third base in the opener.
1. Kerry Carpenter (RF)
2. Gleyber Torres (2B)
3. Colt Keith (DH)
4. Riley Greene (LF)
5. Spencer Torkelson (1B)
6. McGonigle (3B)
7. Dillon Dingler (C)
8. Parker Meadows (CF)
9. Javier Baez (SS)
Skubal doesn’t need much of an introduction. To go along with his two Cy Young awards, he’s a two-time All-Star, won the ERA title in back-to-back seasons and is a pitching Triple Crown winner. Last season, Skubal went 13-6 with a 2.21 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 241 strikeouts in 195.1 innings (31 starts).
He’s as nasty as it gets and he’s the heavy favorite to three-peat as AL Cy Young winner but will have to face a tough Padres lineup that underwent some changes in the offseason.
1. Fernando Tatis Jr. (RF)
2. Xander Bogaerts (SS)
3. Manny Machado (3B)
4. Jackson Merrill (CF)
5. Miguel Andujar (DH)
6. Gavin Sheets (1B)
7. Ramon Laureano (LF)
8. Freddy Fermin (C)
9. Jake Cronenworth (2B)
Andujar was one of the more notable free agent additions during the winter, but the departures were more notable. Infielder Luis Arraez signed with the San Francisco Giants, hence why Sheets is manning first base.
First pitch is at 3:10 p.m. ET on regional sports networks and MLB Network.