Texas Rangers Opening Day starter is Mike Minor

The Texas Rangers Opening Day starting pitcher is Mike Minor, the team announced today. The Chicago Cubs and Jon Lester will be Minor’s opponent when the season kicks off for Texas on Thursday, March 28, 2019 — just 18 days away.

Minor always has seemed like the obvious choice — hes the only rotation member who was on the Rangers’ team last year, and he had a solid 2018 campaign. The only other real contender would be newly signed righthander Lance Lynn.

This will be the 10th straight season the Rangers’ Opening Day starter is different from the year before. Cole Hamels started Opening Day in 2016 and 2018, but Yu Darvish started in 2017. Since Kevin Millwood made his fourth straight Opening Day start for Texas in 2009, the Rangers have also used Scott Feldman, C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis, Matt Harrison, Tanner Scheppers, and Yovani Gallardo to start Game One.