Video: Madison Bumgarner - San Francisco Giants
See the Giants' ace during his prep days at North Carolina's South Caldwell.
Spring is in the air and baseball is back!
Opening Day is Sunday with three games on the schedule. The remaining teams begin the 162-game season on Monday.
Here's a look at each team's Opening Day starter and where they went to school or what country they're from (in the case of international players) and how they wound up in the Major Leagues.
Play ball.
Where the Opening Day starting pitchers are from
AL East
Baltimore Orioles – Kevin Gausman – Grandview (Aurora, Colo.), Class of 2010Gausman was 5-3 with a 4.53 ERA in his senior year. He also hit .371 with 27 RBIs and three home runs as a senior. Drafted by the Dodgers, he instead went to LSU and was drafted in 2012 by the Orioles. He was 9-12 with a 3.61 in 30 starts for the O's in 2016.
Boston Red Sox – Rick Porcello – Seton Hall Prep (West Orange, N.J.), 2007The reigning AL Cy Young winner was 10-0 in his senior year for the Pirates. He recorded 103 strikeouts with a 1.44 ERA and threw a perfect game. He was drafted by the Tigers out of high school and reached the Majors two seasons later, landing on the Tigers' 2009 Opening Day roster. Porcello was traded to the Red Sox prior to the 2015 season.
New York Yankees – Masahiro Tanaka – JapanTanaka led Tomakomai to a regional title in his senior year. He struck out 458 batters in high school, and was taken by the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan in the high school draft and was their ace until 2013. He made his Major League debut in 2014 with the Yankees after signing a seven-year, $155 million contract.
Tampa Bay Rays – Chris Archer – Clayton (N.C.), 2006Archer was 8-3 as a senior for the Comets with a 1.75 ERA. Drafted by Cleveland in the fifth round in 2006, Archer landed with the Rays after being dealt twice during his time in the minors. He made his Major League debut against Cleveland in 2013. He was the Rays' Opening Day starter the past two seasons.
Toronto Blue Jays – Marco Estrada – Sylmar (Calif.), 2001Estrada didn't make the Spartans' team until his senior year, but got noticed at Glendale Community College and Long Beach State. He was drafted in the sixth round in 2005 by the Nationals and made his MLB debut in August of 2008. He's also played with the Brewers before landing in Toronto in 2014.
AL CentralChicago White Sox – Jose Quintana – ColombiaQuintana, who is starting despite furious trade rumors, was signed as an international free agent in 2006. He made his MLB debut for the White Sox in 2012. He was an All-Star last season and finished with 13 wins and a 3.20 ERA. He pitched for Colombia in this year's World Baseball Classic.
Cleveland Indians – Corey Kluber – Coppell (Texas), 2004Kluber was injured his senior year for the Cowboys and went undrafted, but headed to Stetson University. He was drafted by San Diego in 2007 and traded to the Indians in 2010. He led the Indians to the World Series, where they lost to the Cubs. Kluber finished third in the 2016 AL Cy Young voting.
Detroit Tigers – Justin Verlander, Goochland (Va.), 2001Verlander failed to grab MLB interest his senior year, despite striking out 144 in 72 innings and posting a 0.38 ERA. He went to nearby Old Dominion and was drafted in 2004 by the Tigers. He's now a six-time All-Star, AL MVP, Al Cy Young winner and has tossed a pair of no-hitters.
Kansas City Royals – Danny Duffy – Cabrillo (Lompoc, Calif.), 2007Duffy was 5-3 for the Conquistadores with a 0.60 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 58.2 innings in his senior year. He was drafted by the Royals out of high school and made his debut in 2011. He is 36-33 for the Royals, who recently signed the lefty to a five-year contract extension.
Minnesota Twins – Ervin Santana – Dominican RepublicSantana, born Johan Ramon Santana, changed his name in 2003 to avoid conflict with a former Mets pitcher with the same name. Ervin Santana was drafted in 2000 and made his MLB debut in 2005 for the Angels. He's also played for the Royals and Braves before landing in Minnesota in 2014.
AL WestHouston Astros – Dallas Keuchel – Bishop Kelley (Tulsa, Okla.), 2006Keuchel, who was labeled as crafty rather than dominant, started three state championship games for the Comets – winning two, including a 3-1 victory his senior year. He was selected out of the University of Arkansas in 2009 and made his MLB debut three years later. Keuchel is the 2015 AL Cy Young award winner.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – Ricky Nolasco – Rialto (Calif.), 2001Nolasco was drafted out of high school in the fourth round by the Cubs. He made his MLB debut in 2006 with the then-Florida Marlins. He struck out 16 in a 2009 game, breaking the franchise record. Nolasco also has played for the Dodgers and Twins before being shipped to the Angels at last season's trade deadline.
Oakland Athletics – Kendall Graveman – Benjamin Russell (Alexander City, Ala.), 2009Graveman struck out 90 in 63 innings and posted a 6-3 mark with a 1.19 ERA in his senior season. He attended Mississippi State and was taken in the 2012 draft, but didn't sign. He was taken in 2013 by Toronto and made his MLB debut as a late-season call up in 2014. He was part of the 2014 trade that sent Josh Donaldson from Oakland to Toronto.
Seattle Mariners – Felix Hernandez – VenezuelaThe Mariners signed King Felix when he turned 16 in 2002. He dominated the minors and made his Mariners debut in August of 2005. Hernandez is a six-time All-Star, AL Cy Young winner, the M's all-time strikeout leader and tossed a perfect game in 2012.
Texas Rangers – Yu Darvish – JapanDarvish was 7-3 in his final high school year for Tohoku High School and despite being heavily scouted, chose to play professionally in Japan for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. He came to the Texas Rangers in 2012 after they won the rights to Darvish for $60 million. He is a three-time All-Star with a 46-30 mark for Texas.
NL EastAtlanta Braves – Julio Teheran – ColombiaTeheran was signed by the Braves as a non-drafted free agent at age 16 in 2007. He made his MLB debut in 2011 against the Phillies. Teheran has a 47-40 record and is a two-time All-Star.
Miami Marlins – Edinson Volquez – Dominican RepublicVolquez signed with the Rangers in 2001 under the name of Julio Reyes before changing to Edinson Volquez in 2003. He made his MLB debut for the Rangers in 2005 and has also played for the Reds, Padres, Dodgers, Pirates, Royals and is now with Miami. He won a World Series in Kansas City in 2015.
New York Mets – Noah Syndergaard – Mansfield Legacy (Mansfield, Texas), 2010A late bloomer, Syndergaard was a self-described awkward and chubby freshman, but grew to 6-foot-6 by his senior year and his fastball was approaching 96 mph. He was taken by the Blue Jays with the 38th pick in the 2010 draft. A top prospect in the Jays' system, he was dealt to the Mets in the R.A. Dickey trade and made his Major League debut for the Mets in 2015. Having grown out his hair while in the minors, Syndergaard has embraced the "Thor" moniker in the Big Apple.
Philadelphia Phillies – Jeremy Hellickson – Hoover (Des Moines, Iowa), 2005After an injury-plagued junior year of high school, Hellickson was 3-0 with 33 strikeouts and a 0.00 ERA is his first 15 innings. Tampa Bay drafted him in the fourth round of the 2005 MLB draft. Hellickson made his MLB debut in 2010, winning the AL Rookie of the Year in 2011. He was traded to Arizona in 2014 and traded again to the Phillies in 2015.
Washington Nationals – Stephen Strasburg – West Hills (Santee, Calif.), 2006Undrafted out of high school, Strasburg was 2-1 his senior year with a 1.62 ERA. He went to San Diego State to play for Tony Gwynn. Now highly touted, Strasburg was taken with the first pick in the 2009 draft. He advanced quickly through the minors and made his MLB debut in 2010 before tearing a ligament in his throwing arm that required Tommy John surgery. He's 69-41 with 1,084 strikeouts in seven seasons for the Nats.
NL CentralChicago Cubs – Jon Lester – Bellarmine Prep (Tacoma, Wash.), 2002Lester showed his potential as early as his freshman year and was a three-time league MVP and Gatorade State Player of the Year his junior season. He was taken by the Red Sox in the second round in 2002 and made his MLB debut in 2006. A cancer survivor, he tossed a no-hitter in 2008. He was traded to Oakland in 2014 for a pennant run, and signed with the Cubs the next season, winning the World Series for Chicago last season.
Cincinnati Reds –Scott Feldman – Burlingame (Calif.), 2000Feldman tossed a no-hitter his junior season and went to College of San Mateo after high school, where he was an All-American both seasons. He was taken in the 41st round of the 2002 draft by the Astros. A late-season call-up, he made his MLB debut for the Rangers in 2005. He spent seven seasons with the Rangers and has played for five other teams, including the Reds.
Milwaukee Brewers – Junior Guerra – VenezuelaGuerra was drafted by the Braves in 2001 as a catcher, but converted to pitcher. The Mets signed him in 2006, and he played internationally and in independent leagues from 2009-2014. He made his MLB debut in June of 2015 for the White Sox, but was waived after three starts. Milwaukee picked him up.
Pittsburgh Pirates – Gerrit Cole – Orange Lutheran (Calif.), 2008Cole was 8-2 with an 0.47 ERA and 121 strikeouts his senior year. Despite being highly sought, Cole went to UCLA before being selected by the Pirates with the first pick in the 2011 draft. He made his MLB debut in 2013 and has a 47-30 record for the Bucs.
St. Louis Cardinals – Carlos Martinez – Dominican RepublicMartinez was originally signed by the Red Sox in 2009 as an international free agent, but the contract was voided after name and birth date discrepancies. He was signed by the Cardinals in 2010 and made his MLB debut in 2013. Martinez was named an All-Star in 2015 and is 34-21 for the Cards.
NL WestArizona Diamondbacks – Zack Greinke – Apopka (Fla.), 2002Greinke blasted 31 home runs in his prep career while compiling a 9-2 record with an 0.55 ERA and 118 punch outs his senior year. He was taken in the first round of the 2002 draft by the Royals and made his MLB debut in 2004. He was the 2009 AL Cy Young winner in Kansas City before heading to Milwaukee in 2011. He's also played for the Angels and Dodgers before signing with the D'backs in 2016.
Colorado Rockies – Jon Gray – Chandler (Okla.), 2010A three-sport athlete, Gray focused on baseball his senior year, where his fastball was in the low 90s. He chose to go to Eastern Oklahoma State College and then the University of Oklahoma before being drafted by the Rockies with the third pick in the 2013 draft. He debuted for the Rockies in August of 2015 and earned his first MLB win in early 2016.
Los Angeles Dodgers – Clayton Kershaw – Highland Park (Dallas), 2006Kershaw was 13-0 with 139 strikeouts and an ERA of 0.77 his senior season, but even more impressive is that he was the Scots' center on the football team for Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford. The Dodgers took Kershaw with the seventh pick of the 2006 draft and he made his MLB debut in 2008. Kershaw is a six-time All-Star, NL MVP, three-time Cy Young winner and tossed a no-hitter in 2014.
San Diego Padres – Jhoulys Chacin – VenezuelaChacin signed in 2004 as an international free agent with the Rockies before being called up in 2009. He was released by Colorado in 2015 and has spent time with the Indians, Diamondbacks, Braves, Blue Jays and Angels before being signed to a one-year deal with the Padres.
San Francisco Giants – Madison Bumgarner – South Caldwell (Hudson, N.C.), 2007MadBum was 11-2 with a 1.05 ERA and 143 strikeouts and led the Spartans to a 4A state championship his senior year. He also hit .424 with 11 home runs and 38 RBIs, and was named the Gatorade State Player of the Year in North Carolina. The Giants took him 10th overall in the 2007 draft and he made his S.F. debut in 2009. He's a three-time World Series champion, a World Series MVP and holds the Fall Classic record with an 0.25 ERA.