Comparing the Best Options for the Chicago Cubs' Opening Day Pitcher

The Cubs have bolstered their starting rotation this offseason, so now they have a tough choice to make. Who is going to throw the first pitch of their 2026 season?

Craig Counsell | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

March is finally here, and that means one thing: Opening Day is right around the corner.

The official kick-off to the MLB season will be on March 25th, but for the Chicago Cubs, their year will launch the following day against the Washington Nationals. Not only will the Nationals game be the start of their season, but it will also be their home opener.

The starting pitcher for most organizations has not been announced yet, including the Cubs, who have a handful of pitchers who could get the nod.

Ultimately, the first game of the season is important for many reasons, as it sets the tone for the year. Now, Chicago did plenty to make their team better this offseason, but there is arguably no surefire pick as to who should throw the first pitch of their season.

Sep 19, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

As of right now, when looking at last year's stats, Chicago's options are:

• Shota Imanaga: 3.73 ERA, 117 Strikeouts, 0.99 WHIP
• Matthew Boyd: 3.21 ERA, 154 Strikeouts, 1.09 WHIP,
• Jameson Taillon: 3.68 ERA, 98 Strikeouts, 1.06 WHIP
• Edward Cabrera: 3.53 ERA, 150 Strikeouts, 1.23 WHIP
• Colin Rea: 3.95 ERA, 127 Strikeouts, 1.25 WHIP
• Cade Horton: 2.67 ERA, 97 Strikeouts, 1.08 WHIP

Who will not start

Imanaga made his first career Opening Day start in 2025, but the same fate is not likely this year. Last season, he unfortunately turned into a home run machine (14 in the second half of 2025), and that trend has continued into spring training, as he has allowed three home runs in 4.2 innings.

Feb 11, 2026; Mesa, AZ, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon (50) throws during spring training camp at Sloan Park. | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Taillon, on the other hand, could have been at the forefront of their minds until spring training. His pre-season games have not gone well so far, as he has 13 earned runs (6 long balls) in only six innings.

Cabrera is a new addition and has yet to establish himself amongst the greats, so it seems unlikely that Craig Counsell is going to put the ball in his hands for their 2026 debut. And with Colin Rea moving into a swing role, he is not going to be their No.1 guy, either.

Matthew Boyd vs Cade Horton

This is a battle between a veteran and a young gun, and neither is a bad choice to take on the Nationals. Horton has kept his scoreless ways going into spring training as he emerged as one of the best pitchers in the game last season with 27 consecutive scoreless innings.

The two innings he has pitched this spring have resulted in no runs scored.

Cade Horton is already sitting 96 and touching 98 this spring, per @sahadevsharma.

He averaged 95.7 mph on the fastball last year during a 2.67 ERA, NL ROY runner-up campaign.pic.twitter.com/CK4VY5F3QJ

— Carson Wolf (@TheWrigleyWire) February 16, 2026

Boyd, on the other hand, led the team in wins last season (14) and has a sub-2.00 ERA this spring. He has only one other Opening Day start (2021 for the Tigers). In that game, he pitched six scoreless innings and walked away with a win.

Whoever gets the call for the start against the Nats on the last Thursday of March is a good option. There isn't a wrong call to make here, but Horton's ability to keep runs off the board might just make him the frontrunner.