On Monday afternoon, the Philadelphia Phillies and manager Rob Thomson confirmed the obvious answer, one that the entire city already knew from early March.
Ten days from the Phillies' first game, Thomson officially named Zack Wheeler the man to throw the Phillies' first pitch of the 2025 season. This will be the second consecutive season the right-hander will be the Opening Day starter since coming over to the Phillies before the 2020 season. Before Wheeler became the Opening Day starter in 2024, Aaron Nola threw the previous six season openers.
We're rollin' with Wheels on Opening Day pic.twitter.com/yILKNV2McT
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) March 17, 2025
Since coming to Philadelphia, Wheeler has been the runner-up in the Cy Young race twice in 2021 and 2024, both All-Star seasons. In his five years with the Phillies organization, he has thrown 829 1/3 innings. He is 59-32 with a 2.94 ERA, striking out 899 hitters. A season ago he finished with exactly 200 innings with a 2.57 ERA, the lowest of his career while earning 16 wins, the most in his 10-year career.
Zack Wheeler looks to continue his success on Opening Day
The Phillies' Opening Day opponent on March 27 will be the Washington Nationals who finished 71-91 a season ago. Wheeler has struggled throughout his career against the Nationals. He has a stat line of 36 games in 208 1/3 innings and a 14-15 record with an ERA of 4.45 with 187 strikeouts.
Wheeler was not the only starter announced on Monday as his team's Opening Day starter, as the opposing Nationals announced that left-hander MacKenzie Gore would be the Nationals' starter. In his nine career appearances versus the Phillies, Gore has a 1-4 record with an ERA of 4.96 with 46 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings.
Wheeler will lead a rotation that is expected to be one of the best in baseball this season, which will feature two other All-Stars from a season ago and three others that have made it in their career. While Wheeler has been announced the Opening Day starter, fans still wait for the rest of the opening series, and the eventual home opener starter.
The Phillies return home against the Colorado Rockies for the home opener on March 31. There is speculation that the Phillies want to break up Aaron Nola and Wheeler in the rotation with a lefty.
Regardless of the home opener, fans can officially be excited for Opening Day as the pitching matchups are set. Wheeler will look to open up the Phillies’ season and his own campaign with a big splash.