Reaction to Zac Gallen Being Named D-backs Opening Day Starter

Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo finally named his Opening Day starter on Thursday, and to the surprise of few that know him well, that decision landed on Zac Gallen over Corbin Burnes.

From the day Burnes was signed, speculation began regarding who the manager would choose. Lovullo felt it from day one too. "I knew on that day when he signed here that I was going to have this really tough decision to make, and I was dreading it," Lovullo said.

Burnes was a Cy Young winner in 2021 and a four-time All-Star. Signed to a six-year, $210 million dollar contract this past offseason, a legitimate argument can be made that he is the best starter on the team and should have received the honor.

But Zac Gallen has been the ace of the staff for the last five years, and made three consecutive Opening Day starts. He was the starting pitcher for the National League in the 2023 All-Star Game and the team would not have made the Postseason, nor their run to the World Series had he not pitched a Cy Young-caliber season that year.

Gallen has a career record of 52-34 with a 3.38 ERA in 136 starts for the team. He has always represented the team with dignity and class both on the field and off. And he's developed a special bond with the manager over this time.

Lovullo went through a long process of deliberation, and in fact was the last MLB manager to name his Opening Day starter. That process included getting feedback from several dozen people, who all ended up being split right down the middle in their choice and the reasons why.

"At the end of the day, Zac's been here for a long time. I have a very strong bond with Zac. He's seen some darkness here, he's come out the other end, and I've just known him a long time and I've relied on him in a different way that I will eventually know I'm going to rely on Corbin. I just haven't gotten there yet," Lovullo said.

Lovullo said that Gallen was humble and earnest in giving his thanks to the manager and expressing how much it meant to him. The pitcher told the manager, "Thank you, that really means a lot to me, and I'm going to go out there and give you all I can."

Speaking after his Cactus League start, ever the team-focused player, Gallen expounded on his thoughts. "Definitely an honor. That's not something I take lightly. So I was thankful Torey made that decision. But my sentiment is still the same after game one, the guy that pitches the next day is still one on the scorecard."

Lovullo had high praise for Burnes and how he accepted the decision. "Corbin was a champion Corbin was great just like you would hope," Lovullo said. "He took it like I would expect, he's a true champion and a great teammate."

Burnes was the ultimate teammate in expressing his support for the decision. According to Lovullo Burnes said, "Look you're the manager, and I'm going to support whatever you do. No matter where I pitch, I'm going to win baseball games for you because I dream of winning the World Series."

For Lovullo, this is a manager's dream of course, having two legitimate number one starters. If healthy they're both going to get 32 starts this year, and at the end of the day, that's all that matters. Who starts on day one will not impact the pennant race.

In the meantime, Lovullo declined to map out any of the next projected starters beyond the March 27 opener. Presumably Burnes will start the second game and then they'll go from there. Burnes pitches on Friday night in Maryvale against his former team, the Milwaukee Brewers.

If he were to start the second game of the season that would then be on March 28, with the same six full days of rest between starts that Gallen now has before Opening Day.

Reaction to Zac Gallen Being Named D-backs Opening Day Starter

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