ARLINGTON, Texas — You’ve made it, Rangers fans! We have arrived at sports Christmas. It’s Opening Day, and with an offseason that stuffed the stockings with starting pitching, the fans must have been extra good.
The hope now is that there will be plenty of goodies to unpack this season. That all begins at 3:05 pm CT at Globe Life Field, when the defending National League champion Philadelphia Phillies take the field in Arlington to play the overhauled Texas Rangers.
Philadelphia Phillies @ Texas Rangers
Starting Pitching Matchup: Aaron Nola (11-13, 3.25 ERA, 205IP, 235K in 2022) vs. Jacob deGrom (5-4, 3.08 ERA, 64.1IP, 102K in 2022)
The Phillies must have been happy thinking that they’d finally escaped deGrom after he left the NL East New York Mets for Texas this winter. Instead, Philadelphia gets him again on day one of their league championship defense.
deGrom, the Rangers’ newly acquired superstar pitcher, has faced Aaron Nola’s Phillies 20 times over the course of his time with New York. It hasn’t gone well for the Phillies. Over his career, deGrom has pitched to a 9-1 record with a 2.18 ERA and 136 strikeouts against Philadelphia.
After signing a 5-year, $185 million deal with Texas this offseason, obvious questions were raised about deGrom’s health, given the track record of the last two years. Even before workouts began, deGrom was sidelined with tightness in his side.
Those concerns from early in camp have dissipated to an extent. deGrom was able to pitch in two official Cactus League games, totaling 6 2/3 innings while allowing zero runs. deGrom struck out 10 in Arizona, and while Texas is sure to stick closely to a pitch limit of around 65-70 pitches, having deGrom actually able to take the mound on Opening Day is a fantastic way to begin the season.
Not to be overlooked, by the way, is the off day immediately following this Opening Day contest. With deGrom on a pitch count and arms like Taylor Hearn, Dane Dunning and Cole Ragans able to back him up, the bullpen can be used at full strength without worry of sacrificing the next game’s relief options. Honestly, having an off day after deGrom tests his durability is one of the best breaks Texas could have gotten from the early schedule.
Nola, on the other hand, has never faced the Rangers. But the 29-year old righty out of Louisiana is no stranger to the Opening Day festivities. He will be making his sixth Opening Day start for the Phillies and has been an absolute model of consistency. Nola has been so good and so consistent over the course of his eight year career, that it’s a wonder that Philadelphia wasn’t able to come to terms on an extension in this, the final year of his contract.
Regardless, the multiple-time Cy Young award nominee will be ready to take the hill for the Phils once again on the season’s first day. For his career, Nola is 2-1 with a 3.68 ERA in 29 2/3 IP spanning five starts on Opening Day.
Philadelphia Phillies Starting Lineup:
Trea Turner – SS
Kyle Schwarber – DH
J.T. Realmuto – C
Darick Hall – 1B
Nick Castellanos – RF
Bryson Stott – 2B
Alec Bohm – 3B
Jake Cave – LF
Brandon Marsh – CF
This is not exactly the same Philadelphia Phillies that won the National League pennant some six or so months ago. It’s close, but there are two very glaring absences from the lineup. The Phillies will have to get used to this look this year, as Rhys Hoskins is going to miss the entire year with a torn ACL, giving Darick Hall a chance to step in for a star again. Last year, Hall stepped in for Bryce Harper, and while Harper is out again this year, Hall is replacing a different superstar.
Hall is a masher, but tends to be an all or nothing type of swinger. As mentioned, Harper is going to miss this opener, along with half the season due to Tommy John surgery. In his place is Nick Castellanos, who enjoyed moderate success in his first season with the Phils. Castellanos had an issue with patience and swinging outside the zone last year, so the work he’s put in at spring camp will be tested against the Rangers’ ace.
The Phillies do slot in big free agent signee Trea Turner at shortstop who is expected to help carry the load until Harper makes his return. Turner’s dynamic production from the top of the lineup could be a game-changer for Philadelphia and Texas will get a firsthand look in the season’s first series.
Overall, the Phillies lineup is filled with guys who stepped up during the playoffs in large and unlikely ways, making the group a loveable bunch of rag-tag ball players. The absences of Harper and Hoskins, however, cannot be overstated even with the addition of Turner.
Texas Rangers Starting Lineup:
Marcus Semien – 2B
Corey Seager – SS
Nathaniel Lowe – 1B
Adolis Garcia – CF
Josh Jung – 3B
Jonah Heim – C
Robbie Grossman – RF
Brad Miller – DH
Josh Smith – LF
Beyond a few differences, this lineup is similar to what Texas trotted out last year. The addition of Robbie Grossman, who was on fire this spring, lends the potential for stability to a questionable outfield. Grossman is looking to bounce back after a paltry few years between Atlanta, Detroit, and Oakland and after slashing .400/.500/.600 in Surprise, he’s made a good early impression.
With expected starter Leody Taveras on the shelf to begin the season, the Rangers have opted to put Adolis Garcia in center, Grossman in right field, and Josh Smith in left field for the season opener. Going forward, Bubba Thompson and Ezequiel Duran are also expected to see time in the outfield.
Meanwhile, the star-laden middle infield tandem of Marcus Semien and Corey Seager will be looking to get off to a better start to their season after having difficulty getting going in their first year in Texas. Both have had a chance to get acclimated to their new environment and both seem to have benefited from a “normal” Spring Training. Seager, in particular, should also enjoy success from the new infield shift ban in place.
Top to bottom, the Rangers lineup hasn’t had this much potential in years. Beyond the high dollar veterans, it might be filled with a lot of “ifs” but, at peak performance, this lineup has the ability to feed off each other and offers some element of danger at each spot. Texas will have an opportunity to display that danger against a tough opponent in Nola.
It’s Opening Day. Everything that everyone has been waiting to see from the Rangers begins with a first pitch delivered by their new ace at Globe Life Field. Who could ask for anything more?
What are you most optimistic about for the Rangers heading into the 2023 season? Share your predictions and thoughts with Matt on Twitter @FisherWritesMLB.