Opening Weekend ’24—Series Preview: Braves at Phillies, March 29 – 31
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After a failed attempt to play Opening Day on Thursday, Friday has presented itself with a perfect forecast—sunny skies and baseball at Citizens Bank Park. With the reigning National League East Champions facing the Phillies on Opening Day, starting the season off with a bang won’t be so easy, especially with hard-throwing righty Spencer Strider toeing the rubber. Nevertheless, Zack Wheeler won’t be an easy match for Atlanta, despite their deep lineup headed by Ronald Acuna, Jr., Austin Riley, and Matt Olson.
In addition to these sluggers, the most significant offensive improvement the Braves made in the offseason was trading for young outfielder Jared Kelenic, who hit 11 home runs and posted a .746 OPS in his third season with the Seattle Mariners in 2023.
While the Kelenic trade surprised many, he won’t make too much of an impact considering the Braves’ already lethal offense. The more impactful moves made by the Braves were actually made to bolster their pitching staff by acquiring some veterans, which does not fit the Braves’ M.O. They traded for lefty Aaron Bummer to improve the ‘pen and inked veteran Reynaldo Lopez to a three-year, $30 million deal. And of course, the biggest splash made by the Braves was trading for 7-time all-star starter Chris Sale, who will be looking to get his career back on track after struggling to evade injury over the last few seasons.
Diving into the Lineup
Ever since Rob Thomson took over as the Phillies’ manager in 2022, lineup construction has been a highly debated topic among Phillies critics, and it’s not necessarily due to anything Thomson has done wrong. The Phillies have Kyle Schwarber, a guy who is comfortable batting leadoff but does not have the attributes of a stereotypical leadoff hitter, and they have Trea Turner, a guy who checks all the boxes of a good leadoff hitter but struggled at the top of the lineup in 2023.
It’s not a problem with a simple solution, but it’s also a problem that can be good to have; with a lineup as deep as the Phillies’, having a plethora of guys who are good enough to produce at the top of the lineup adds a layer of versatility that can be beneficial when injuries or trades may arise. Manager Rob Thomson announced that designated hitter Kyle Schwarber will start the season leading off, leaving Trea Turner in the two-hole and J.T. Realmuto as the cleanup hitter.
At the bottom of the lineup, 23-year-old defensive phenomenon Johan Rojas has been named the everyday centerfielder, but just like Schwarber in the one-hole, Rojas’ leash is likely short before facing a demotion. In 59 regular season games in 2023, Rojas hit .302 and stole 14 bases, but his struggles in the 2023 postseason and 2024 Spring Training have caused some concerns about his offensive production and whether he makes up for it with his glove. If his Spring Training stat line reflects how his 2024 season will go, Rojas won’t be the team’s starting centerfielder a month from today. If he is able to turn it around and improve his plate discipline, Rojas will finally be able to prove that he is capable of being a major-league starter.
With a righty on the mound, the Phillies lineup is pretty predictable. However, with the Braves sending lefties to the bump for games two and three, expect to see Whit Merrifield drawing a start or two in place of Brandon Marsh or Bryson Stott.
Here’s the Phillies 141st Opening Day Lineup:
- DH Kyle Schwarber (L)
- SS Trea Turner (R)
- 1B Bryce Harper (L)
- C J.T. Realmuto (R)
- 3B Alec Bohm (R)
- 2B Bryson Stott (L)
- RF Nick Castellanos (R)
- LF Brandon Marsh (L)
- CF Johan Rojas (R)
Standout Stats
In 2023, Spencer Strider led the league in strikeouts with a slider (139) and with a four-seam fastball (124). His 139 strikeouts with a slider was also the most of any individual pitch type in 2023, with Braves’ Charlie Morton’s curveball being tied for third.
Phillies’ starter Aaron Nola is ten wins away from becoming the ninth player in Phillies’ history to record 200 wins with the team.
Bryce Harper is 6-19 in his career against Spencer Strider with two home runs, but he has not hit a home run on Opening Day since 2017 (via Luke Arcaini on X).
Game Times and Broadcasts
- Friday, March 29, at 3:05pm ET on NBC10, WTTM 1680 (Spanish), and 94.1 WIP
- Saturday, March 20, 4:05pm ET on NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus, WTTM 1680 (Spanish), and 94.1 WIP
- Sunday, March 31, at 1:35pm ET on MLB Network, NBC Sports Philadelphia, WTTM 1680 (Spanish), and 94.1 WIP
Pitching Matchups
Game 1: Zack Wheeler (RHP, 13-6, 3.61 ERA) vs. Spencer Strider (RHP, 20-5, 3.86 ERA)
Game 2: Aaron Nola (RHP, 12-9, 4.46 ERA) vs. Max Fried (LHP, 8-1, 2.55 ERA)
Game 3: Ranger Suarez (LHP, 4-6, 4.18 ERA) vs. Chris Sale (LHP, 6-5, 4.3 ERA)
All statistics are from the 2023 regular season.
