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Of the 15 National League teams last season, the Pirates finished with the 12th-best record at 76-86. The Marlins, at a horrible 62-100, were the worst team in the league. Only the historically bad White Sox had a worse record among American League teams. 

This means that simply glancing at the records from last season might incline readers to believe this is the worst Opening Day game. And it might well be in the conversation, but the pitching matchup means there's more than meets the eye. 

This one pits possibly the most talented pitcher in baseball against the 2023 NL Cy Young winner. 

MLB Opening Day games are streaming locally on fubo (Try for free). Here's how to watch.

Pirates vs. Marlins

Date: Thursday, March 27 | Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
Location: loanDepot Park (Miami)
Live stream: fubo (try for free), MLB.TV | TV: SportsNet-Pit, FanDuel Sports Florida
Probable pitchers: RHP Paul Skenes vs. RHP Sandy Alcantara
Odds: PIT -155; MIA +130; over/under: 6.5 (via Caesars Sportsbook)

Storylines

Pirates: If the Pirates can carve a path to contention this season, it's going to be on the shoulders of the pitching staff and if that's the case, it's on the very-sturdy shoulders of Paul Skenes before anyone else. Just a year after being selected first overall in the draft, Skenes was the NL All-Star Game starting pitcher and finished 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 170 strikeouts in 133 innings. 

Marlins: Prior to the 2022 season, no Marlins pitcher had ever won a Cy Young award. Sandy Alcantara went out and changed that with a beast of a workhorse season, at least by the standards of this day and age. He went 14-9 with a 2.28 ERA and 0.98 WHIP, but he worked 228 ⅔ innings and had six complete games. At the height of his powers, he's a game changer. He missed all of last season after having Tommy John surgery and is now back. Trade rumors are already swirling Alcantara, so there's added intrigue. 

The game might not seem like a must-watch, but both of the starting pitchers are don't-look-away guys.