Phillies Opening Day: First pitch, pregame festivities, new players and more

PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Phillies will play the first of 162 games on Thursday against the Texas Rangers at Citizens Bank Park. 

Here's everything you need to know before first pitch.

Who is the Phillies' starting pitcher?

What we know:

Cristopher Sanchez, who finished second in National League Cy Young Award voting, will take the mound for the Philliles.

Sanchez, 28, enjoyed a breakout season for the Phillies last year, posting a 2.50 ERA with 212 strikeouts in over 30 starts.

The Texas Rangers will counter with veteran right-hander Nathan Eovalid. 

When is first pitch?

Timeline:

First pitch will be at 4:15, but fans going to the game will want to be in their seats for the traditional Opening Day ceremonies.

The festivities will begin at 3:30 p.m. when Phillies players will make their way onto the field for introductions and the national anthem.

Kane Kalas, the son of former Phillies' broadcaster Harry Kalas, will perform the national anthem near his father's statue in Section 141.

The 177th Fighter Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard will perform a flyover during the national anthem.

The ceremonial first pitch will be thrown by 10-year-old Lucas Bibro, a Nemours Children’s Hospital patient, alongside his cardiologist Dr. Mark Cartoski.

New Phillies

What we know:

The Phillies will bring back many of the same players that fans are familiar with from past seasons, but there are some new faces.

Adolis Garcia, OF – The newest Phillies outfielder, will begin his career in Philadelphia against his former team. The Phillies added Garcia, 33, on a 1-year free agent contract in December. The hulking Cuban outfielder fell just short of hitting at least 20 home runs for the first time in four seasons last year. The Phillies hope a change of scenery will help Garcia rediscover his power stroke that made his an All-Star and a World Series hero for the Rangers.

Justin Crawford, OF – One of the most exciting regular season storylines to follow this year will be how rookie Justin Crawford adapts to the majors. The son of former MLB outfielder Carl Crawford, the 22-year-old is expected to play an exciting centerfield and bring a blend of speed and contact to the bottom half of the Phillies' lineup.

Andrew Painter, SP – Painter, 22, was drafted by the Phillies 13th overall in the 2021 MLB Draft. The 6'7" right-hander has a powerful fastball capable of reaching triple digits, and secondary offerings to keep batters off balance. The 28th best prospect in baseball, per MLB.com, Painter will join a stout Phillies' rotation behind Sanchez, Nola, Luzardo, and Walker.

Brad Keller, RP – A starter-turned-reliever, Keller enjoyed his best season out of the bullpen for the Royals last season, posting an ERA just above 2.00 in nearly 70 innings for the Chicago Cubs. Keller, 29, is expected to bring some stability to the middle of the Phillies bullpen.

Jonathan Bowlan, RP – Standing at a towering 6'8", Bowlan might not be a household name, but he's hard to miss on the field. Acquired from the Royals in a deal for LHP Matt Strahm, the 29-year-old comes to Philadelphia hoping to etch out his place in the Phillies bullpen. Bowlan pitched 44 innings for the Royals last season, with a 3.86 ERA and 46 strikeouts.

Phillies 26-man roster

Pitchers: Cristopher Sanchez, Aaron Nola, Jesus Luzardo, Tijuan Walker, Andrew Painter, Jhon Duran, Jose Alvarado, Brad Keller, Kyle Backhus, Jonathn Bowlan, Zach Pop, Tim Mayza, Tanner Banks

Catchers: J.T. Realmuto, Rafael Marchan

Infielders: Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, Edmundo Sosa, Dylan Moore

Outfielders: Kyle Schwarber, Brandon Marsh, Justin Crawford, Adolis Garcia, Otto Kemp

Opening Day forecast

What we know:

Forecasters expect it to be a nearly picture-perfect early Spring day for baseball with mostly sunny skies and highs in the 70s.