Sandy Alcantara vs. Max Scherzer
- Miami’s Sandy Alcantara will make his fourth straight Opening Day start for the Marlins. The 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner and two-time All-Star (2019, 2022) will become the first pitcher in Marlins history to toe the rubber four consecutive times on Opening Day, surpassing the previous mark of three, which was held by Josh Beckett (2003-05) and Josh Johnson (2010-12). Alcantara is one of three pitchers in the Majors scheduled to make a fourth consecutive Opening Day start with the same team, joining Philadelphia’s Aaron Nola (sixth) and Cleveland’s Shane Bieber (fourth).
- New York’s Max Scherzer will make his first Opening Day start with the Mets and his seventh career Opening Day assignment following six with the Nationals. The three-time Cy Young Award winner (2013, 2016-17) and eight-time All-Star is one of just five pitchers in the Modern Era (since 1900) to record at least three Opening Day outings of at least 10 strikeouts, joining Hall of Famers Randy Johnson (4), Pedro Martínez (3) and Bob Gibson (3), as well as Felix Hernández (3). Scherzer is the only one to do it in three straight seasons (2018-20).
- The matchup between Alcantara and Scherzer marks the second consecutive season that Cy Young Award winners square off on Opening Day. Last season, Cleveland’s Shane Bieber (2020 AL CYA) matched up against Kansas City’s Zack Greinke (2009 AL CYA).
