Nathan Eovaldi Enters Rangers History with Upcoming Opening Day Start

The Texas Rangers are going with the safe approach on opening day as they’ll start right-hander Nathan Eovaldi against the Philadelphia Phillies on March 26.

Rangers manager Skip Schumaker made the announcement on Sunday in Surprise, Ariz. Eovaldi last pitched on Saturday, throwing 5.2 innings, giving up six hits and two runs against the San Diego Padres. He struck out five and walked none.

If Eovaldi doesn’t pitch again this spring, he’ll go on 12 days’ rest against the Phillies. It’s likely he’ll make one more appearance before then. Last year he had a 12-day break between his third and fourth spring training appearances, which kept him on time for his opening day start against the Boston Red Sox.

Nathan Eovaldi’s Rangers Opening Day History

A Texas Rangers logo painted on the turf behind home plate at Globe Life Field. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Per Rangers PR, Eovaldi is the fourth pitcher in franchise history to start three or more consecutive opening day games. This will be the third straight season he’s taken the ball in the opener. Jacob deGrom was the opening day starter in 2023.

Kevin Millwood holds the record for most consecutive opening day starts with four, as he started each opening day from 2006-09. Nolan Ryan (1990-92) and Charlie Hough (1987-89) each started there straight.

The connection between Eovaldi and Ryan is cool. Both are natives of Alvin, Texas. Ryan gave Eovaldi a surgical recommendation when he needed his first Tommy John surgery in high school.

The right-hander will be making his sixth opening day start. He made the opening day starts with the Boston Red Sox in 2020, 2021 and 2022. He’s now been an opening-day starter six times in the last seven seasons.

On opening day last season against Boston, he set a franchise-high nine strikeouts in an opening day game. He has a 2.86 ERA in opening day games with 27 strikeouts and four walks. His 6.75 strikeout to walk ratio on opening day is third-best in MLB’s expansion era behind Shane Bieber (8.80) and Clayton Kershaw (6.75).

Eovaldi is coming off a great, yet injury-marred, 2025 campaign in which he went 11-3 with a 1.73 ERA in 22 games and 130 innings. He struck out 129 and walked 21 while finishing with a 0.854 WHIP.

Hs missed a month with right posterior elbow inflammation. He missed the final month of the season with a right rotator cuff strain. He also had sports hernia surgery, which stemmed from a 2024 groin injury. He had surgery on both sides and entered spring training without any restrictions.