Dodgers ace and future Hall of Fame left-hander Clayton Kershaw made a franchise-record-setting eight consecutive Opening Day starts from 2011 through 2018, a string that was snapped last season due to inflammation in his left shoulder, for which he began the 2019 campaign on the 10-day injured list. In his stead was extremely popular – and now former – Dodgers left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu, who collected the Opening Day win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium.

During his eight consecutive Opening Day starts, a streak that bested the previous record of seven consecutive Opening Day starts set by Dodgers Hall of Fame right-hander Don Sutton from 1972 through 1978, Kershaw posted a remarkable 5-1 record, with an even more remarkable 1.05 Opening Day ERA.

At his daily spring training morning media scrum on Thursday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced his first two Cactus League Opening Day starters: now-bearded Dodgers right-hander Tony Gonsolin and recently reacquired Dodgers veteran left-hander Alex Wood respectively.

What Roberts did not announce – at least not publicly, is who he will hand the ball to on Opening Day of the regular season on Thursday, March 26 against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium.

To be brutally honest, there is/was no reason whatsoever for Roberts to play coy with reporters and Dodger fans. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past three seasons, there is also no reason whatsoever to believe that the Dodgers 2020 Opening Day start would be anyone other than 25-year-old right-hander Walker Buehler – on this you can bet the farm.

Oh sure, there is certainly the possibility that Dodgers newcomer and five-time All-Star, two-time American League ERA title-holder, 2018 World Series champion and 2012 AL Cy Young award-winner David Price could get the nod. There is an even better possibility that Roberts could go with Kershaw again. But with all due respect to both (even though neither would ever say so), this would – or at least could – be seen as disrespectful to Buehler, who posted a team-best 14-4 record and 3.26 ERA in his team-leading 30 starts in 2019. The Dodgers 2015 first-round draft pick out of Vanderbilt also owns a career 23-9 record and a career 3.12 ERA in his combined 62 games (53 starts) and combined 329.0 innings pitched over his three major league seasons with the Dodgers.

Bet the farm indeed.

Play Ball!

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