The Chicago Cubs announced that veteran left-hander Matthew Boyd will be the team’s Opening Day starter against the Washington Nationals on March 26, at Wrigley Field. Boyd, who was named to his first All-Star Game in 2025, was pitching for Team USA in this year’s World Baseball Classic and it kind of seems like the main reason Boyd is the Cubs’ Opening Day starter is because the Cubs gave him the option to pick what he wanted more.
A lot of Cubs fans thought that Cade Horton was going to be the Opening Day starter and it makes plenty of sense, considering that Craig Counsell was likely going to give the ball to his rookie pitcher for Game 1 of the postseason in 2025. A fluke injury took Horton out of the playoffs for the Cubs, but because of his second-half rise it appeared as though he had built up enough momentum to become the Opening Day starter in 2026.
Instead, the honor goes to Boyd and it’s not like it should be a huge surprise either. He’s the veteran in the rotation, had an All-Star season a year ago and despite the Game 1 blowup in the NLDS, Boyd had two other solid starts for the Cubs in the playoffs. Sure, Boyd had a tough stretch in the final six weeks in 2025, but it would be ignorant to ignore his incredible run through mid-August, when the left-hander posted a 2.46 ERA in 24 starts.
However, this post from Bruce Levine didn’t really make it seem like the Cubs were 100% committed to naming Boyd as this year’s Opening Day starter. Pretty much sounds like the team gave Boyd the option to either come back to spring training to continue his normal ramp up and if he did he’d pitch the first game of the season or he could remain in the World Baseball Classic and when then come back but not as the Opening Day starter.
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Boyd picked the Cubs over pitching for Team USA in the rest of this year’s WBC tournament.
Boyd was back in Arizona on Thursday, officially returning to Cubs camp and leaving the World Baseball Classic. Boyd pitched in an exhibition game for the United States before the start of the WBC and then he threw 2.1 innings on Monday against Mexico, who scored three runs off of him, including a pair of Jarren Duran home runs.
Boyd isn’t the only pitcher who has prioritized getting ready for the regular season over pitching for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. Tarik Skubal is the most notable starter to head back to spring training after appearing in pool play for the United States. Clay Holmes, Michael Wacha and Ryan Yarbrough have all also returned to their respective team’s camp in spring training, opting not to continue with Team USA.
The United States will play Canada in Friday’s quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic. The winner of that game will play against the winner of the Dominican Republic vs. Korea in the semifinals.
