Two of the best words in sports are finally upon us, it is Opening Day in Major League Baseball. The Phillies 2022 season came to an end with a World Series loss to the Houston Astros. The Phillies will look to finish what they started last season with their season opener against the Texas Rangers.
For a 6th straight season, Aaron Nola was named the club's Opening Day starter. He currently holds the longest active streak for Opening Day starts for one team. With his 6th straight Opening Day start, he now sits in 3rd in Phillies' history for most Opening Day starts.
The Phillies big additions this offseason was SS Trea Turner and P Taijuan Walker. The Phillies will return the core from their 2022 National League Championship team. They will be without DH Bryce Harper who will begin the season on the IL and is not expected back until the All-star break as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. Rhys Hoskins will miss the entire 2023 season after tearing his ACL. He is scheduled for surgery today.
Rob Thompson who is in his first full season as manager for the Phillies has unveiled his Opening Day lineup. The Phillies will get to see their new SS right away as Turner is set to lead off. 2022 NL homerun leader Kyle Schwarber will move from LF to the DH spot to start the 2023 season. JT Realmuto is once again behind the plate and once again bats 3rd, just like he did throughout the playoffs. Darick Hall is replacing Hoskins at 1B and will bat cleanup. Nick Castellanos will start the season in RF and bat 5th. Former SS and new 2B for the Phillies Bryson Stott will bat 6th, while 3B Alec Bohm will bat 7th. Jake Cave will be making his Phillies debut in LF and bat 8th. Gold glove finalist CF Brandon Marsh will round out the lineup.
The Phillies won 87 games last season and secured the final wild card spot in the NL. They went on an improbavle playoff run where they beat the Cardinals, Braves, and Padres, before losing to the Astros in 6 games. The Phillies will look to build off that success and finish what they started.
The Phillies open the 2023 campaign on the road against the Texas Rangers. In 2022 the Rangers missed the playoffs after only winning 68 games. They are led by first year manager and 3x World Series champion manager Bruce Bochy. The Rangers Opening Day starter is very familiar foe to the Phillies. 2x Cy Young award winner Jacob Degrom left the Mets this offseason to sign a 5-year deal with the Rangers.
Today's game will mark the 8th meeting all-time between the Rangers and the Phillies, with Texas owning the series 6-1. The Rangers swept the season series last year 4-0. The Phillies and Rangers have been involved in two major trades in recent years. One trade that sent 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels to Texas and in 2021 when the Phillies received Kyle Gibson in exchange for Spencer Howard.
The Phillies open the season with a 3-game series against the Rangers, before they head to New York with a meeting with the reigning AL MVP and AL East champions, Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees. The Philadelphia fans will get to see their Phillies play at home for first time against the Cincinati Reds on April 6th.