In the past decade, these have been the Dominican Republic-born pitchers who have taken the mound the most on the first day of the season.
The Dominican Republic's indigenous shooters will set a new mark when called upon Playing football And the new Major League Baseball (MLB) season begins, with five Dominicans taking the mound on Opening Day, a record for the Caribbean nation.
Brian Bello, Frankie Montas, Freddy Peralta, Luis Castillo and Framber Valdez will start for their team in the first match of the season, the previous tally of four for the Dominican on the same opening day.
In the last 10 seasons, from 2014 to 2023, 15 Dominican pitchers have been selected as Opening Day starters in the majors. In 2024, Brian Bellew and Freddy Peralta will join, doing so for the first time.
2024 will also mark the season that Luis Castillo ties with Sandy Alcantara as the Dominican-born pitcher who has the distinction of being an Opening Day starter the most times with four.
Unfortunately, due to the Cy Young winner's recovery schedule for the 2022 National League season, he will not be allowed to be with the Marlins at the start of the season, in which he would likely have been named the team's starter on MLB Opening Day.
In La Piedra's case, this will be his second chance as a starter with the Seattle Mariners after doing so early in his career with the Cincinnati Reds.
Johnny Cueto has earned this distinction three times in the last decade between 2014 and 2020, as has left-winger Francisco Liriano between 2014 and 2016. Frankie Montas and Framber Valdez will join this group when they do so at the start of this season.
Dominican pitchers who have pitched on Opening Day twice in the past 10 years are Edinson Volquez (2016-2017), Ervin Santana (2016-2017), Jose Urena (2018-2019) and Carlos Martinez (2017-2018).
Other pitchers born on the Caribbean island who have been Opening Day starters in the past decade include Bartolo Colon (2015), Willy Peralta (2016), Luis Severino (2018) and Ivan Nova (2018).
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