The Philadelphia Phillies have officially named top star as their Opening Day starter, marking the second straight year he’ll take the mound to begin the season. The Phillies will kick off the regular season on March 27 against their NL East rivals, the Washington Nationals, on the road. This will be Wheeler’s second career Opening Day start, as he never got the opportunity during his time with the New York Mets. The Nationals have tabbed MacKenzie Gore as their starter for the opener.
This marks just the second time the Phillies will open a season at Nationals Park, with the last occasion coming in 2010. The two division rivals have also squared off on Opening Day at Citizens Bank Park twice before, meeting to kick off the regular season in both 2005 and 2008.
Phillies Name Zack Wheeler Opening Day Starter for Second Straight Year
Wheeler will become the 25th pitcher in Phillies history to make multiple Opening Day starts for the club. The franchise record belongs to Steve Carlton, who made 14 such starts, while Aaron Nola most recently tallied six from 2018 to 2023. Wheeler earned a no-decision in last year’s opener, which ended in a 9-3 home loss to the Atlanta Braves. The Phillies’ last road win on Opening Day came in 2017 against the Cincinnati Reds, with Jeremy Hellickson on the mound. Since then, they’ve opened the season on the road just twice.
Wheeler is coming off a dominant 2024 campaign, finishing with a 16-7 record, a 2.57 ERA, and 224 strikeouts over 32 starts. He also posted a 3.13 FIP and a 62 ERA-. Despite a strong NL Cy Young case, he finished runner-up to Chris Sale. Wheeler led MLB with 26 quality starts and ranked third among qualified starters in fWAR, ERA, WHIP, WPA, and strikeouts, while holding opposing hitters to the second-lowest batting average in the league. His strikeout rate stood at an impressive 28.5% with a walk rate of just 6.6%.