The Philadelphia Phillies enter the 2025 season with high expectations. While the National League East will be a competitive division with the New York Mets acquiring Juan Soto and the Atlanta Braves getting Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider back from injury, the Phillies believe they’re a championship-caliber team.
Philadelphia will begin the season on the road against the Washington Nationals on March 27 and, unsurprisingly, the team will start Zack Wheeler on Opening Day, per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.
“He’s a stud, man… His track record shows it. I’ll say it again, I think he’s the best in the league,” fellow starter Aaron Nola said of Wheeler.
Nola has been with the Phillies since 2015 and he made six straight Opening Day starts for the team. But he passed the torch to Wheeler, who started his first season opener last year and will do it again in 2025.
Phillies’ ace Zack Wheeler draws his second career Opening Day start
Wheeler is coming off his second All-Star season. He finished second to Chris Sale in a close race for the NL Cy Young. Wheeler went 16-7 with a 2.57 ERA, 0.955 WHIP and 224 strikeouts in 200 innings. He finished the year with 6.1 bWAR.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson shares Nola’s view of the 10-year veteran. “He’s one of the best pitchers in baseball… It’s the combination of power and command – pitchability. That’s why he’s so great,” Thomson said after announcing Wheeler as Philadelphia’s Opening Day starter, via MLB.com.
In addition to his second-place Cy Young finish last season, Wheeler was also the runner-up in 2021, when he was edged out for the award by Corbin Burnes. Wheeler led all pitchers with 7.5 bWAR that season.
The Phillies boast a deep rotation in 2025. The team landed Jesus Luzardo in a trade with the Miami Marlins this offseason after an injury limited him to just 12 starts last year. And Philadelphia’s top prospect Andrew Painter is nearing his big league debut.
If that wasn’t enough, the Phillies are rumored to be interested in trading for Dylan Cease. Of course, they’re just one of at least eight teams with designs on the pitcher. And the Padres may decide not to trade him after all.
As it stands now, Wheeler is at the top of the Phillies rotation, followed by Luzardo, Nola, Christopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez.
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