Ranking the 2018 Opening Day starters

Who gets the ball on Opening Day can be an indication of where a team's fortunes will take them in the ensuing season as each team looks to put its best foot (arm?) forward.

The outlook is undeniably better for some than for others. Here's an unscientific ranking of the 30 starting pitchers who will toe the rubber on Opening Day:

30. James Shields, White Sox

"Big Game" James gets top billing for a rebuilding White Sox team and bottom billing everywhere else. He hasn't pitched like a front-end starter since 2014, and you shouldn't expect him to now.

29. Jose Urena, Marlins

Urena had some decent moments as a starter in 2017, but doesn't strike out enough people and often has command issues to boot. He'll have his work cut out against the Cubs.

28. Ty Blach, Giants

Losing Jeff Samardzija was bad, but Madison Bumgarner hitting the shelf is disastrous, especially when it's not Johnny Cueto getting the look on Opening Day, but - checks notes - Ty Blach, who struck out only 73 batters in 163 2/3 innings last season. It's going to be a long day, and season.

27. Jordan Zimmermann, Tigers

If he pitches like he did over his first five starts with the Tigers in 2016 (5-0, 0.55 ERA) then we're in for a treat. If he pitches like he has since (12-20, 6.31 ERA), it'll be unbearable. Bet on the latter.

26. Homer Bailey, Reds

It's been a long time coming, but Bailey finally gets his Opening Day nod. The oft-injured righty has been with the Reds since 2007, regularly threatening to break out (he's thrown two no-hitters), only to ultimately stall. His inability to stay on the field tempers his expectations, big time.

25. Kendall Graveman, Athletics

Graveman pitches to contact, rarely strikes anyone out, and isn't a very intriguing option, but is still the most stable choice, even if Sean Manaea has higher upside.

24. Clayton Richard, Padres

There's no flash here. Richard allowed more hits than anyone else in the NL last season but was also among the elite in inducing ground balls. He'll presumably eat a ton of innings for the Padres, but is a placeholder before young arms usurp him in a year or two.

23. Julio Teheran, Braves

It's hard to believe Teheran is only 27, but that's what happens when you make your MLB debut at 20. While it's premature to call him washed up, Teheran's 2017 was sub-optimal in every conceivable way, as he allowed more hits, home runs, and walks while striking out batters at a slower clip.

22. Ivan Nova, Pirates

Someone had to start Opening Day with Gerrit Cole getting traded, and the Pirates' random number generator has selected ... Nova.

21. Patrick Corbin, Diamondbacks

Corbin gets the surprise start over fellow lefty Robbie Ray in place of injured/not injured Greinke. He's finally back on track after Tommy John surgery derailed his development following a promising 2013.

20. Felix Hernandez, Mariners

King Felix has started more season openers anyone else of this 30, and it may simply be ceremonial at this point. Injuries have limited his last two seasons, making his starts far less exciting nowadays.

19. Jake Odorizzi, Twins

Odorizzi may have been the jewel of the offseason for the Twins when they acquired him from the Rays, but his peripherals have always worked against him (5.43 FIP in 2017), even if he's otherwise been a fine performer.

18. Chase Anderson, Brewers

Chase "the Ace" is only this low-ranked due to the bad fortune of being a replacement for injured Jimmy Nelson. But, he was one of the big reasons the Brewers stayed in the wild-card race until the bitter end.

17. Garrett Richards, Angels

Please stay healthy. Please stay healthy. Please stay healthy.

16. Danny Duffy, Royals

The Duffman was originally higher on this list, but there may be cause for alarm after he exited his last spring start with shoulder tightness.

15. Cole Hamels, Rangers

For the first time, Hamels posted a FIP above 4.00 last season. As a 34-year-old starter, he may no longer be among the premier arms in the game, but will be tested immediately as he stares down the defending-champion Houston Astros. Good luck, Cole.

14. Jon Lester, Cubs

We live in a "what-have-you-done-for-me-lately" kind of world, and despite making 32 starts in 2017, Lester only pitched 180 2/3 innings and finished with an ERA above 4.00 for just the second time in a decade last season. He gets the junior varsity Marlins to kick off the season, so a quick start isn't out of the question.

13. Dylan Bundy, Orioles

Bundy's big-league resume has been largely uneven, but the talent is unquestionable. He twirled one of baseball's best gems last season when he threw a complete-game shutout with 12 strikeouts against the Mariners.

12. J.A. Happ, Blue Jays

Happ is a low-key excellent option for the opener after it was announced Marcus Stroman wouldn't be available until later in the series. Since returning to the Blue Jays in 2016, he's 30-15 with a 3.33 ERA. Heck, he finished sixth in Cy Young voting in 2016.

11. Jon Gray, Rockies

Gray is exciting because he strikes a bunch of people out, and has allowed less than a single home run per nine innings through his career despite pitching at Coors Field half the time. In fact, he only allowed four homers at home over 46 innings in 2017. He may finally break the mold.

10. Carlos Martinez, Cardinals

Martinez has firmly taken hold as the Cardinals' ace after his third consecutive 3.0-plus WAR season, in which he tossed 200 innings for the first time and had a career-best 9.53 K/9.

9. Aaron Nola, Phillies

Nola would be getting the start even if newly acquired Jake Arrieta was ready to go. He's been emerging as a frontline starter the last two seasons and will hope to truly cement his status as one of the game's best on such a stage.

8. Chris Archer, Rays

Archer's game is kind of uneven after consecutive seasons with an ERA over 4.00, but he continues to mow opponents down with gusto. He missed a ton of bats in 2017, tallying an 11.15 K/9.

7. Justin Verlander, Astros

Old man Verlander was born anew when he first donned Astros gear last September. With the Tigers, he was 10-8 with a 3.82 ERA; after being traded to Houston, he went 5-0 with a 1.06 ERA and an 11.38 K/9. He's got some gas left in the tank.

6. Luis Severino, Yankees

Severino asserted himself as one of the best young arms in the American League by finishing third in Cy Young voting. His bumpy 2016 seems the outlier after his dominant showing, and the Yankees electing to give him the nod over proven starters is a sign they think he's special.

5. Noah Syndergaard, Mets

Before his injury in his fifth start of 2017, Syndergaard was a man possessed. He opened the season with six shutout innings against the Braves, highlighting the disappointment of five months on the shelf. If you're into pitching matchups, this is the one to catch as he goes toe-to-toe with the Cardinals' Martinez.

4. Chris Sale, Red Sox

Sale punched out 308 batters in 2017 (the next closest was Max Scherzer with 268), and the Rays, his Opening Day opponent, collectively struck out 1,538 times, second-most in the bigs. This alone makes Opening Day baseball at Tropicana Field worth watching, especially since the Rays are sending out fellow strikeout artist Archer.

3. Corey Kluber, Indians

The Klubot! Last year's AL Cy Young winner was the best pitcher in 2017's second half, and his dominance ensures an even contest every time he steps on the mound.

2. Max Scherzer, Nationals

Mad Max is coming off his second consecutive Cy Young award, which gives some weight to the notion he should be atop this list. Kicking off against the Reds should give him a decent head start on reaching the 200-inning plateau for the sixth straight season.

1. Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers

They're only exhibition games, but Kershaw didn't allow a single earned run in spring training. He's undoubtedly the guy you want to see at the opener - in fact, the last time someone other than Kershaw pitched first up for the Dodgers was Vicente Padilla in 2010.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)