What to know about Chicago Cubs Opening Day 2026: Starters, roster & more
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Wrigley Field is back open.
The 2026 MLB season begins on Thursday, with the Chicago Cubs opening the year at the Friendly Confines against the Washington Nationals. The game is scheduled for a 1:20 P.M. first pitch.
Here's what to know about the Cubs' Opening Day roster, starter and more as the Northsiders open the 2026 season against the Nationals this week.
Cubs' Opening Day Starter
The Cubs are giving Matthew Boyd the first start of the season.
After earning an All-Star nod in the 2025 season, finishing the year with a 14-8 record and a 3.21 ERA, Boyd will be the Opening Day starter on Thursday vs. the Nationals.
"All the guys are deserving of this honor on our rotation," Boyd told MLB.com. "We have guys that can go deep. We have guys with high-end talent. We have guys that get outs in so many different ways."
Boyd made two other starts on Opening Day in his career. He was an Opening Day starter for two years in a row in 2020 and 2021 with the Detroit Tigers.
The Cubs announced Boyd as their Opening Day starter on March 12, which is a sign of how much they trust the veteran pitcher to lead their rotation in a season where the Cubs have legitimate World Series aspirations.
"Our rotation, I believe, and we collectively believe as a unit, is one of the huge strengths of our team," Boyd told MLB.com.
The other side:
Washington will counter Boyd with Cade Cavalli.
Cavalli is making his first career Opening Day start. Last season, the 27-year-old right-hander finished with a 3-1 record and a 4.25 ERA in 10 starts.
Earning an Opening Day start is a major development for Cavalli's career. In 2023, he underwent Tommy John Surgery and didn't pitch again in the MLB until late in the 2025 season.
Who is making the Cubs' Opening Day Roster?
The Cubs' Opening Day roster was under debate because of the right knee injury that outfielder Seiya Suzuki suffered in the World Baseball Classic.
What we know:
Suzuki's knee injury will keep him off the Opening Day roster with a trip to the injury list most likely on the way, too.
This opened the issue of who would be playing in the outfield for the Cubs?
A few of the choices included young outfielder prospect Kevin Alcántara, converted utility man Matt Shaw and veteran Michael Conforto. The Cubs told Conforto he would be on the Opening Day roster. Alcántara will open the year in the minors and Shaw would be in his substitution role in the infield and outfield.
Counsell also announced Tuesday that outfielder Dylan Carlson was told he was making the Opening Day roster. Carlson joined the Cubs as a non-roster invitee to Spring Training.
It remains to be seen how long Suzuki will remain out, or be on the IL, but the Cubs have options to fill his shoes while he recovers from his injury.
Cubs' 2026 Opening Day roster
Starting Rotation:
Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Edward Cabrera, Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon
Bullpen:
Daniel Palencia, Phil Maton, Caleb Thielbar, Hunter Harvey, Jacob Webb, Ben Brown, Hoby Milner and Colin Rea.
Infield:
Michael Busch (1B), Nico Hoerner (2B), Dansby Swanson (SS), Alex Bregman (3B) and Carson Kelly (C)
Outfield:
Ian Happ (LF), Pete Crow-Armstrong (CF) and Michael Conforto (RF)
Bench:
Miguel Amaya (C), Matt Shaw (Util.), Dylan Carson (OF), Scott Kingery (INF) and Moises Ballesteros (C/DH)
With the outfield situation aside, the Cubs have their Opening Day roster set.
Edward Cabrera now enters the rotation fold after the Cubs traded top prospect Owen Caissie to acquire him. That's the answer the Cubs had after injuries plagued the starting rotation late in the season and into the playoffs. The reshaped bullpen features Palencia, Theilbar and Rea — two relievers from last year's team — but includes offseason additions Maton, Harvey and Webb.
While Kyle Tucker leaves, the Cubs filled that void with Alex Bregman. Not only does that add a superstar-caliber bat to the lineup but it creates one of the best infields in the major leagues. Bregman, Swanson and Hoerner are Gold Glove caliber defensive players.
What remains to be seen is how the Cubs' bench evolves as the season goes on. Alcántara could come back into the fold with a strong start in Triple-A Iowa. Javier Assad was also option to Triple-A Iowa, but he could see time in a swingman role.
Ballesteros could be the Cubs' most consistent designated hitter, but can also fill in at catcher to give Reese a break.