List of Toronto Blue Jays Opening Day starting pitchers

The Toronto Blue Jays are a Major League Baseball team based in Toronto, Ontario. They play in the American League (AL) East Division in Major League Baseball (MLB). The Blue Jays first played their home games at Exhibition Stadium until mlby|1990 when they moved into the SkyDome, now called Rogers Centre. [cite web|url=http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/tor/history/ballparks.jsp|title=Blue Jays Ballparks|publisher=MLB.com|accessdate=2008-09-22] The Blue Jays have used 18 different Opening Day starting pitchers in its 32 seasons. The 18 starters have a combined Opening Day record of 11 wins, 13 losses and 8 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.

The Blue Jays first Opening Day starting pitcher was Bill Singer, who received a no decision against the Chicago White Sox. Roy Halladay holds the Blue Jays' record for most Opening Day starts with six consecutively, since mlby|2003, and has an Opening Day record of 2–3. Halladay also has the most starts at home with three. Dave Lemanczyk has the worst winning percentage as the Opening Day starting pitcher with a record of 0–2, both of which were pitched away from Exhibition Stadium.

Overall, the Blue Jays' Opening Day starting pitchers have a record of 0 wins and 1 loss at Exhibition Stadium, and 4 wins and 3 losses at SkyDome/Rogers Centre. In addition, although the Blue Jays were nominally the home team on Opening Day 2001, the game was played in Hiram Bithorn Stadium in Hato Rey, Puerto Rico. [cite web|url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/TOR/TOR200104010.shtml|title=April 1, 2001, Texas Rangers at Toronto Blue Jays; Box Score and Play by Play|publisher=Baseball-Reference|accessdate=2008-09-22] Esteban Loaiza started the game in Hato Rey and won, making the Blue Jays' Opening Day starting pitchers' combined home record 5 wins and 4 losses, and their away record 6 wins and 9 losses. The Blue Jays went on to play in the American League Championship Series playoff games in 1985, 1989 and 1991, and won the World Series in 1992 and 1993. [cite web|url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/TOR/|title=Toronto Blue Jays History & Encyclopedia|publisher=Baseball-Reference|accessdate=2008-09-22] Dave Stieb, Jimmy Key and Jack Morris were the Opening Day starting pitchers those years, and had a combined Opening Day record of 2 wins and 3 losses.

Pitchers

References