Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees Announce 2026 Opening Day Pitcher

This veteran pitcher will take the mound for the New York Yankees' first game of the season.
Delilah Bourque|
Mar 9, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried (54) throws a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first inning during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Mar 9, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried (54) throws a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first inning during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

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New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are starting the 2026 season off with a bang when they travel to take on the San Francisco Giants in a special Opening Night game before Opening Day officially begins. Now, manager Aaron Boone has revealed that left handed pitcher Max Fried will be on the mound as the Pinstripes' starting pitcher.

Jack Curry of YES Network shared the news on social media.

"Unsurprisingly, Boone said Fried will be the Yankees’ Opening Day starter," he wrote.

Max Fried Struggles in First Yankees Outing, Recovers vs. Pirates

Despite struggling with control and giving up three walks in three scoreless innings in an exhibition match against Team Panama, Fried regained his usual control in his first official Spring Training start against the Pittsburgh Pirates. In four innings and 67 pitches, Fried allowed one run and and two hits with an impressive six strikeouts against one of the top farm systems in baseball.

After the disappointing performance against Panama, Fried was exacting in what went wrong and clearly was able to improve before the Yankees' 5-3 loss to Pittsburgh.

“Definitely rusty, definitely out of sync,” Fried said (via the New York Post Sports) after the win against Panama. “But hit the capacity, the limit, the volume that we needed. Been doing a lot of live [batting practice sessions] in the backfields and nothing can recreate getting into a game with an umpire and different jerseys and all that."

Max Fried Headlines Yankees 2026 Starting Pitchers

Fried was one of the Yankees' top options last season, his first with the Yankees, and lead all major leaguers with 19 wins. During the regular season he threw just a 2.86 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 32 starts. The nine-year league veteran and former Atlanta Brave is the Yankees' top pitcher and will shoulder big expectations as fans wait for Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole to return from injury later in the season.

Joining Fried in the expected rotation to start the year is second year pitcher and fan favorite Cam Schlittler, 2024 AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, Will Warren and Ryan Weathers. Fried is expected to bring his 2025 dominance into 2026, headlining a powerful Yankees pitching staff.

The Pinstripes face off against the Giants in a little over two weeks from Oracle Park in San Francisco, kicking off their season on a multi game road trip that also brings them to a three game series against the Seattle Mariners.

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Delilah Bourque
DELILAH BOURQUE

Delilah Bourque is a writer and copyeditor based out of Pittsburgh, PA. She received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 2021. After a few years in corporate marketing, she joined On SI as a full-time copyeditor and contributor to the New York Yankees On SI, as well as occasional contributions across the Pittsburgh Pirates and Pittsburgh Steelers on SI.

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