Now that we are just past the halfway point of Major League Baseball's 2023 regular season, clubs are beginning to announce their regular season schedules for next year.
This includes the Philadelphia Phillies, who posted the schedule on Twitter.
To kick things off for next year, the Phillies are set to take on the arch rival Atlanta Braves. To some, this may feel like an annual thing, as the two clubs have faced each other in the season opener frequently over the years. In fact, since 2000, the NL East duo has played each other on Opening Day in 2002, 2007, 2009, 2013, 2018, 2019 and 2021.
After that three-game series at home, the only other NL East rivals the Phillies will encounter in the month of April will be the Washington Nationals, who they face on the road from April 5th to April 7th.
Continuing the trend of "at least one series against every single club in the league", the Phillies are going to see it all next season. The first interleague series of the year will be near the end of April when they play the White Sox for a three-game set at Citizens Bank Park. The only team American League team the Phillies play more than once all season will be the Blue Jays, who they see in early May and then later in early September.
What will undoubtedly be the highlight of the 2024 season, though, is the two-game set the Phillies are going to play in London against the New York Mets. After 2023's London Series against the Cardinals and Cubs went so well, it's no surprise at all to see Major League Baseball returning to London Stadium.
Phillies owner John Middleton had the following to say about the series overseas:
"Major League Baseball has done an excellent job of expanding its footprint internationally and we are honored to play a role in that effort as part of the 2024 London Series. This will be a wonderful opportunity to showcase our players' talents and highlight the excitement that comes with a Phillies-Mets matchup for our fans in the UK and for those who have never attended a baseball game."
Next season is already shaping up to be a good one for the Phillies. While the club may look a bit different thanks to the upcoming 2023 trade deadline and multiple key players set to hit free agency, let's hope that next season kicks off with the Phillies as the defending champions.