Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal, Full List of 2026 MLB Opening Day Starting Pitcher Matchups Revealed

The pitching matchups for MLB's Opening Day on March 25-27 are mostly set.

With the exception of two teams, the projected starters have been released for every team as the season kicks off in less than a week:

All eyes will be on Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal, the defending NL and AL Cy Young winners, respectively.

Skenes, 23, is one of the most exciting young pitching stars in years. He was 10-10 last season with a 1.97 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 216 strikeouts in 187.2 innings, posting a massive 7.7 WAR. On a better team, his record surely would have been far better.

Either way, Skenes enters the 2026 season as one of the faces of the sport, and his starts for the Pittsburgh Pirates are must-watch television. He'll face Freddy Peralta in the opener, who was acquired by the New York Mets this winter after a superb year in 2025 (17-6, 2.70 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 204 strikeouts).

"He's the man," Peralta told reporters regarding Skenes ahead of their matchup. "I think that he's an amazing pitcher, great pitcher. And I know for sure that we're going to compete."

Skubal, 29, is equally compelling. The Detroit Tigers' ace was 13-6 last season with a 2.21 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 241 strikeouts in 195.1 innings, notching a 6.5 WAR. He was a huge factor in the Tigers reaching the playoffs for a second straight season.

His future is up in the air, however, given his pending free agency. He'll start the season with Detroit, but barring an extension, it's very much unclear if he'll finish the 2026 season with the team.

Plenty of aces will take the bump next week. But Skenes and Skubal are in a category all their own.