Houston Astros Starting Pitcher Framber Valdez is set to join elite company with his fourth straight Opening Day start. He joined a list of six other Dominican-born starting pitchers to make at least four straight Opening Day starts. He joins a list that includes Pedro Martinez who made eight consecutive Opening Day starts. Juan Marichal had six straight Opening Day starts.
Valdez is coming off another strong regular season. He finished 15-17 with a 2.91 ERA. He was sixth in the league in ERA, seventh in wins, and 16th in WHIP. Valdez has been successful pitching on Opening Day over the last three seasons. The star pitcher tossed a scoreless outing against the Los Angeles Angels in 2022. He surrendered two earned runs over seven innings in 2023 and was roughed against the Yankees to open the 2024 MLB season. He pitched 4.2 innings and surrendered three earned runs against the Yankees. How will Valdez fare against the New York Mets to kick off the 2025 campaign?
Framber Valdez Career Summary
Framber Valdez will join this list of Dominican-born pitchers to make at least 4 straight Opening Day starts:
1998-2005 Pedro Martínez: 8
1964-69 Juan Marichal: 6
1982-86 Mario Soto: 5
2020-23 Sandy Alcántara: 4
2012-15 Johnny Cueto: 4
1995-98 Ramón Martínez: 4
1992-95 José…— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) March 16, 2025
Valdez has been one of the league’s best starting pitchers since debuting with the Houston Astros in 2018. He was a crucial part of Houston winning the 2022 World Series. During that postseason run, he was 3-0 with a 1.44 ERA. Valdez is also a two-time MLB All-Star. He has also finished top 10 in Cy Young Voting three times. He has a career 68-41 record with a 3.30 ERA.
Final Thoughts
The ace is getting a tough draw on Opening Day this season. Valdez will face the New York Mets. New York features one of the league’s best lineups with Right Fielder Juan Soto, First Baseman Pete Alonso, and Shortstop Francisco Lindor all looking to start the season on the right foot. The starting pitcher will need to be at the top of his game on March 27 for his fourth consecutive Opening Day start to be a successful one.
