Orioles ace Corbin Burnes to start crucial walk year with Opening Day honor

On early Sunday, Brandon Hyde annouced the 2024 Opening Day starter: Corbin Burnes. With no surprise, the former Brewers' ace will be the 33rd starter in Orioles history. The full list, featuring Browns and Orioles starters, is here (courtesy of Baseball Reference).

“A real honor for me to let him know. We’ve been talking about it for a while and we’re excited to watch him pitch on Opening Day.”, Hyde said. "I just called him this morning and let him know that I was going to tell you guys (media). But it’s not something to be taken for granted. It’s a really cool moment for anybody to be able to have that sort of honor and I know he’s very appreciative.”

Burnes earn the nod, and even if Kyle Bradish is healthy enough to start, the Orioles' newest import will get the call instead, giving him an all-important chance to get his walk year (and potential only year in Baltimore) off to a tone-setting start. The 2021 NL Cy Young winner started the last two Opening Days for Milwaukee, both on the road against the Chicago Cubs, which resulted in a no-decision in 2022 and a loss last year.

For Burnes, it'll be his first Opening Day at home. For Baltimore, this game will mark the first Opening Day in Oriole Park at Camden Yards since 2018 (which featured an Adam Jones walk-off home run).

Birdland hopes the first of many Opening Day starts for Burnes in the uniform, but the right-handed pitcher says he will test the market after the season.

“I want to do it once, get as long a term deal as we can, get that security everyone is looking for”, Burnes said in an interview on The Athletic last Tuesday.

Orioles Opening Day is on March 28th against the Los Angeles Angels.