Opening day pitcher

Latest answer — September 10, 2026

45 Across

Top-tier starter on the mound, the one you trust most ⚾

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WSJ Crossword

This clue's Thursday, September 10, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Previously
  2. 4Strong malt brew
  3. 9Portland transport
  4. 13Hula swayers
  5. 15Island that holds the Kardaki Temple
  6. 16Odious
  7. 17Particle first confirmed in 1955 at Berkeley
  8. 19Swipes
  9. 20Some salon acquisitions
  10. 21Kittenish Kitt
  11. 23Addition column
  12. 24“Masnavi” poet
  13. 25Trumpeter Herb
  14. 28Callisto circles it
  15. 31“Sprechen ___ Deutsch?”
  16. 32Moved like molasses
  17. 34Located
  18. 36Diamond cover
  19. 38Gunpowder ingredient
  20. 40Spiced Indian tea
  21. 41Cheering wildly
  22. 43Champagne pops?
  23. 45Opening day pitcher
  24. 46Busch Stadium setting
  25. 48Short excursions
  26. 50First word of “Send In the Clowns”
  27. 51Seeded
  28. 52View from Eton
  29. 55Snobby faction
  30. 59City with a view of Mauna Kea
  31. 60Amygdalin source
  32. 62“First Take” network
  33. 63Mass times acceleration
  34. 64Sushi bar staple
  35. 65Online market with Home Favorites and Fashion Finds tabs
  36. 66Symbols of sibilance
  37. 67Helpful pointer

Down

  1. 1Obsessed captain
  2. 2Torres of “9-1-1: Lone Star”
  3. 3Makes a choice
  4. 4“The Office” setting
  5. 5Bugs and the like
  6. 6Table scraps
  7. 7Mysterious hoverer
  8. 8Garage job
  9. 9Pro who binges, perhaps
  10. 10Real hoot
  11. 11River in Coleridge’s “Kubla Khan”
  12. 12Geological flattop
  13. 14Tres más cuatro
  14. 18Wing, in combinations
  15. 22“Money” novelist Martin
  16. 24Less diplomatic
  17. 25Nick and Nora’s dog
  18. 26Deceitful bunch
  19. 27Candidate of 1992 and 1996
  20. 28Ballet bounds
  21. 29Hawke in Hollywood
  22. 30Gasp, say
  23. 33“Not another word!”
  24. 35Conks out
  25. 37Breakup cost, at times
  26. 39Whoops it up
  27. 42Tudor emblem
  28. 44Handled
  29. 47Not up to code, say
  30. 49Leagues, e.g.
  31. 51Hook’s counterpart, in golf
  32. 52Friend’s pronoun
  33. 53Subj. with dates
  34. 54Much of Austria
  35. 55Strays
  36. 56Domestic discord
  37. 57South Pacific figurine
  38. 58Flight part
  39. 61Not neg.

The answer to “Opening day pitcher” in the Wall Street Journal crossword is ACE — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal crossword on September 10, 2026, a Thursday puzzle, at 45-Across, and it has also run on 1 earlier date with the same answer. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Opening day pitcher” answer

ACE (3 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is ACE.

Why the answer is ACE

Top-tier starter on the mound, the one you trust most ⚾

What does ACE mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of ACE is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(noun)

  • a playing card with a single spot on it, ranked as the highest card in its suit in most card games
  • a person who excels at a particular sport or other activity
  • (in tennis and similar games) a service that an opponent is unable to return and thus wins a point

When else has “Opening day pitcher” appeared?

Wall Street Journal reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Opening day pitcher”?

The answer is ACE, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal crossword on September 10, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Opening day pitcher”?

3 letters: ACE.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the Wall Street Journal crossword on September 10, 2026 (a Thursday puzzle), at 45-Across. Earlier appearances: July 29, 2026 → ACE.

Can “Opening day pitcher” have a different answer?

Yes — Wall Street Journal sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's WSJ answers?

The full grid for September 10, 2026 is on the WSJ answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

Wall Street Journal Crossword is published by The Wall Street Journal; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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