5 Storylines To Watch As Phillies Battle Rangers On Opening Day

ARLINGTON, TX — One hundred and forty-five days after game six of the 2022 World Series, the Phillies are again back in Texas, again in pursuit of a World Series title.

When they hit Globe Life Field to play the Rangers on Thursday, they'll be a lot more than two wins from a championship. But the confidence and deferred fury of that magic autumn run could propel them all the way again.

Need a refresher on the Phils as the 2023 season begins? Check out Patch's Phillies season preview: Phillies Opening Day 2023: World Series Odds, Predictions, And Beyond

First pitch is at 4:05 p.m. It'll be broadcast live on NBC 10. Here are five things to watch for heading into game one.

New rule changes

There are two big rule changes in MLB for the 2023 season: a 15 second pitch clock (20 seconds if there's a runner on base), and larger bases.

The changes are in place to obstensibly speed up the game while also promoting more offense and exciting basepath activity.

Phillies co-ace Zack Wheeler is among dozens of MLB players that have voiced opposition to the pitch clock, which appears to make little overall difference in the length of games but which causes pitchers to be on edge and be overly mindful of their routines.

"I think it just messes with the game too much," Wheeler told NBC Philadelphia's Corey Seidman last month down in Clearwater. "I think maybe there can be a pitch clock but not so quick. It could stop the really long guys who drag the game, but when you're rushing guys that normally aren't slow, I think it messes with the game too much."

Nonetheless, it'll be in play for the 2023 season, and Thursday afternoon. It'll be interesting to see how Aaron Nola and Jacob DeGrom, the game's star starting pitchers, adjust to the increased pace.

Also keep an eye on some of Philly's speedsters — Trea Turner and J.T. Realmuto especially — to run if they get the chance and capitalize on the larger purchase.

The DeGrom enigma

Speaking of DeGrom, Texas hopes their gamble on the longtime New York Met ace will pay off. When healthy, the 35-year-old is probably the most dominant pitcher on the planet. But he hasn't thrown more than 92 innings in a season since 2019, severely stunting his value and raising questions about his long term durability. Doubts were compounded by uncharacteristic struggles to close the 2022 season, as he threw to a 6.43 earned run average (ERA) in his final four starts.

Still, his ridiculous career 2.52 ERA earned enough faith from Texas for a 5-year, $185 million contract in the offseason, and he gave up no runs across 6.2 innings in four spring starts.

If the Phillies see peak DeGrom, the bats could be quiet early indeed. The meat of the Phillies lineup done virtually nothing against him. Here's a glance at career on-base plus slugging percentages (OPS) of veteran Phils players vs. DeGrom (the entire team's OPS was .739 in 2022):

Trea Turner - .597

Kyle Schwarber - .237

JT Realmuto - .274

Alec Bohm - .000

Nick Castellanos - .000

The Phillies that have had success against DeGrom are their injured stars: Rhys Hoskins (two doubles, five walks in 10 games) and Bryce Harper (a whopping .930 OPS with two homers and two doubles in 18 games).

Nola and his place in Phillies history

2023 marks the sixth straight Opening Day start for Nola, the longest tenured Phillie. This season also marks the final year of his contract, although both Nola and the Phillies have expressed interest in a long term extension that would keep him in Philadelphia for the remainder of his career.

Only Hall of Fame Phillies Robin Roberts (12) and Steve Carlton (10) have made more Opening Day starts than Nola.

And though he's only 28, Nola's career 29.9 Wins Above Replacement, a holistic sabermetrical measurement meant to judge a player's entire value to the team, is 8th all time in Phillies franchise history.

Anything can happen on any given day, but don't expect the Rangers to rough Nola up. If he and DeGrom are both on, expect a low-scoring, fast-moving game for the first five or six innings that becomes much more unpredictable and chaotic when the bullpens become involved.

Darick Hall takes center stage

With Rhys Hoskins' season-ending ACL tear during spring training, the Phillies are handing over full time first base duties to promising young power hitter Darick Hall.

Hall was a key cog in the Phillies playoff run late last summer until Bryce Harper returned and he was demoted. He was often overlooked, and it was easier for analysts to overlook him in the offseason after the Phillies incredible run and the team's added depth.

Hall swings big from the left side, and profiles as a type of slugger that has made the invincible DeGrom more human in the past. Look for Long Ball Hall to go deep on Opening Day.

Closer committee

Manager Rob Thomson would not commit to a full time closer or set bullpen roles in the spring. He didn't officially last postseason, either, rotating between Seranthony Dominguez, Jose Alvarado, and Zach Eflin to take the Phillies to the World Series.

Eflin's gone, but it'll be interesting to see who Thomson uses in the late innings between Dominguez, Alvarado, and newcomers Gregory Soto and Craig Kimbrel.

Predictions

DeGrom is dominant, striking out 10, but he only lasts four innings. The Phillies put up a big fifth inning and ride 7 innings of 1-run Nola ball to a 6-3 victory. Dominguez gets the call in the 9th.