List of Gwinnett Stripers Opening Day starting pitchers
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{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
File:MG 4626 Tommy Hanson (re-cropped).jpg was the starting pitcher for the first game in Gwinnett Braves history.]]
File:Sean Gilmartin with the Mississippi Braves.jpg started in the 2013 contest against the Charlotte Knights, taking the win.]]
File:Mike Foltynewicz (43252312314) (cropped).jpg is one of two Gwinnett pitchers to start Opening Day more than once.]]
The Gwinnett Stripers Minor League Baseball team has played in Lawrenceville, Georgia, since being established in 2009 as members of the Triple-A International League.{{cite news |title=Braves Move AAA Team to Gwinnett |url=https://www.milb.com/gwinnett/news/gcs-485364 |access-date=March 24, 2025 |work=Minor League Baseball |date=December 4, 2008}}{{cite news |title=Braves moving Triple-A team from Richmond to Gwinnett County |url=https://accesswdun.com/article/2008/1/205837 |access-date=March 24, 2025 |work=AccessWDUN |agency=The Associated Press |date=January 15, 2008}} They have been affiliated with the Atlanta Braves since their inception, but were originally known as the Gwinnett Braves (2009–2018). With the restructuring of the minor leagues in 2021, they were placed in the Triple-A East, which became the International League again in 2022.{{cite web|last=Mayo|first=Jonathan|title=MLB Announces New Minors Teams, Leagues|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/new-minor-league-baseball-structure|website=Major League Baseball|date=February 12, 2021|access-date=February 12, 2021|archive-date=March 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306212148/https://www.mlb.com/news/new-minor-league-baseball-structure|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/news/minor-league-baseball-historical-league-names-to-return-in-2022|title=Historical League Names to Return in 2022|website=Minor League Baseball|date=March 16, 2022|access-date=March 16, 2022|archive-date=March 25, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220325180745/https://www.milb.com/news/minor-league-baseball-historical-league-names-to-return-in-2022|url-status=live}}
The first game of the new baseball season for a team is played on Opening Day, and being named the Opening Day starting pitcher is an honor which is given to the player who is expected to lead the pitching staff that season,{{cite web|first=Jordan|last=Bastian|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100322&content_id=8868046&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb|title=Marcum Tapped for Jays' Opening Day|website=Major League Baseball|date=March 22, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105103440/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100322&content_id=8868046&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb|archive-date=November 5, 2012|access-date=November 14, 2018}} though there are various strategic reasons why a team's best pitcher might not start on Opening Day.{{cite web|first=Steve|last=Dilbeck|url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/dodgersnow/la-sp-dn-dodgers-clayton-kershaw-sydney-20140224-story.html#axzz2uMohA5cD|title=Dodgers May Not Start Clayton Kershaw in Sydney|work=Los Angeles Times|date=February 24, 2014|access-date=November 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115030825/http://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/dodgersnow/la-sp-dn-dodgers-clayton-kershaw-sydney-20140224-story.html#axzz2uMohA5cD|archive-date=November 15, 2018|url-status=live}} The Stripers have used 13 different Opening Day starters in their 15 seasons.{{cite web |title=2024 Gwinnett Stripers Media Guice |url=https://view.flipdocs.com/2024-stripers-media-guide |website=view.flipdocs.com |access-date=March 24, 2025}}
The team's Opening Day starting pitchers have a combined Opening Day record of five wins, three losses, and eight no decisions. At Coolray Field, they have a record of three wins, two losses, and two no-decisions in seven Opening Day starts. Gwinnett starters have a record of two wins, one loss, and six no decisions in nine Opening Day starts on the road. In Gwinnett's history, only three pitchers (Mike Foltynewicz, Kyle Muller, and Bryce Elder) have made more than one Opening Day start. Michael Soroka is the only Opening Day starter to have also started an Opening Day game in Major League Baseball.{{cite news |last1=Bowman |first1=Mark |title=Soroka named Braves' Opening Day starter |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/mike-soroka-named-braves-2020-opening-day-starter |access-date=March 24, 2025 |work=Major League Baseball |date=July 14, 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Burns |first1=Gabriel |title=Mike Soroka will be youngest opening-day starter ever for Braves |url=https://www.ajc.com/sports/baseball/mike-soroka-named-braves-opening-day-starter-will-youngest-team-history/7seFKpE4n9Xh2uYpamQKSN/ |access-date=March 24, 2025 |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |date=July 14, 2020}}{{cite news |title=Soroka tabbed as Atlanta's Opening Day starting pitcher |url=https://www.baseball.ca/social-take-soroka-tabbed-as-atlantas-opening-day-starting-pitcher |access-date=March 24, 2025 |work=Baseball Canada |date=July 15, 2020}}
Pitchers
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="font-size:85%"
|+Key !scope="row" style="text-align:center"|Pitcher {{small|(#)}} |Number indicates multiple appearances as a Stripers Opening Day starter |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center"|Score {{small|(#)}}
|Game score with Stripers runs listed first; number of innings in a game that was shorter or longer than 9 innings in parentheses |
|---|
| scope="row" style="text-align:center"|Location
|Stadium in italics denotes a Stripers home game |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center"|W
|Win earned by starting pitcher; Stripers won game |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center"|L
|Loss earned by starting pitcher; Stripers lost game |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center"|ND (W)
|No decision by starting pitcher; Stripers won game |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center"|ND (L)
|No decision by starting pitcher; Stripers lost game |
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Pitchers ! scope="col" style="background-color:#ffffff; border-top:#73AA4F 5px solid; border-bottom:#73AA4F 5px solid; color:#0D223F" |Season ! scope="col" style="background-color:#ffffff; border-top:#73AA4F 5px solid; border-bottom:#73AA4F 5px solid; color:#0D223F" |Pitcher ! scope="col" style="background-color:#ffffff; border-top:#73AA4F 5px solid; border-bottom:#73AA4F 5px solid; color:#0D223F" |Decision ! scope="col" style="background-color:#ffffff; border-top:#73AA4F 5px solid; border-bottom:#73AA4F 5px solid; color:#0D223F" |Score ! scope="col" style="background-color:#ffffff; border-top:#73AA4F 5px solid; border-bottom:#73AA4F 5px solid; color:#0D223F" |Opponent ! scope="col" style="background-color:#ffffff; border-top:#73AA4F 5px solid; border-bottom:#73AA4F 5px solid; color:#0D223F" |Location !class="unsortable" scope="col" style="background-color:#ffffff; border-top:#73AA4F 5px solid; border-bottom:#73AA4F 5px solid; color:#0D223F"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} | |
| 2009
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Tommy|Hanson}} |ND (W) |9–1 | |
| 2010
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|James|Parr|dab=baseball}} |ND (W) |8–6 | |
| 2011
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Rodrigo|López|dab=baseball}} |W |2–1 | |
| 2012
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Todd|Redmond}} |ND (L) |3–4 {{small|(12)}} | |
| 2013
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Sean|Gilmartin}} |W |5–4{{refn|group=n|The April 4, 2013, Opening Day game was postponed to April 6 due to inclement weather (rain). The game of April 5 became the season opener.{{cite news |last1=Schafer |first1=Jeff |title=Gwinnett Braves Season Opener Rained Out |url=https://housethathankbuilt.com/2013/04/05/gwinnett-braves-season-opener-rained-out/ |access-date=March 24, 2025 |work=House That Hank Built |date=April 5, 2013}}}} | |
| 2014
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Gavin|Floyd}} |ND (L) |6–7 | |
| 2015
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Mike|Foltynewicz}} {{small|(1)}} |L |0–1 | |
| 2016
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Jhoulys|Chacín}} |W |2–0 | |
| 2017
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Aaron|Blair}} |L | 8–10 |
| 2018
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Michael|Soroka}} |W |3–1 | |
| 2019
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Mike|Foltynewicz}} {{small|(2)}} |W |3–1 | |
| 2020
!scope="row" style="text-align:center" colspan="3"|{{sort|zz|Season cancelled{{refn|group=n|The April 9, 2020, Opening Day game was postponed and ultimately cancelled along with the entire season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite news|title=A Message From Pat O'Conner|url=https://www.milb.com/milb/news/message-from-minor-league-baseball-president-ceo-pat-o-conner-313052288|website=Minor League Baseball|date=May 18, 2020|access-date=May 18, 2020|archive-date=January 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102184027/https://www.milb.com/milb/news/message-from-minor-league-baseball-president-ceo-pat-o-conner-313052288|url-status=live}}{{cite news|title=2020 Minor League Baseball Season Shelved|url=https://www.milb.com/news/2020-minor-league-baseball-season-shelved|website=Minor League Baseball|date=June 30, 2020|access-date=July 1, 2020|archive-date=January 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112074110/https://www.milb.com/news/2020-minor-league-baseball-season-shelved|url-status=live}}}}}} | |
| 2021
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Kyle|Muller}} {{small|(1)}} |ND (W) |10–9 {{small|(12)}} | |
| 2022
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Kyle|Muller}} {{small|(2)}} |ND (L) |1–2 | |
| 2023
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Bryce|Elder}} {{small|(1)}} |ND (W) |8–5 | |
| 2024
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Darius|Vines}} |ND (L) |4–5 | |
| 2025
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Bryce|Elder}} {{small|(2)}} |L |1–9 |
Notes
{{reflist|group=n}}