The Texas Rangers are a Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Arlington, Texas. They play in the American League West division. From 1961 to 1971, the team played in Washington, D.C., as the Washington Senators, one of three different major league teams to use the name. The franchise relocated to Arlington as the Rangers in 1972. The first game of the new baseball season for a team is played on Opening Day, and being named the Opening Day starting pitcher is an honor which is given to the player who is expected to lead the pitching staff that season, though there are various strategic reasons why a team's best pitcher might not start on Opening Day. The Rangers have used 37 different Opening Day starting pitchers in their 60 seasons.