Inside The Phillies

Aaron Nola Appears Slated to Start Opening Day Against Rangers

The Philadelphia Phillies seem poised to tab Aaron Nola for the start on Opening Day against the Texas Rangers.

Kade Kistner

Aaron Nola Appears Slated to Start Opening Day Against Rangers
Aaron Nola Appears Slated to Start Opening Day Against Rangers /
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The Philadelphia Phillies will likely turn towards Aaron Nola once again as their MLB Opening Day starter for the sixth year in a row. This comes after Zack Wheeler threw a session on the backfield on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Rays minor leaguers. 

According to The Athletic, Wheeler is in line for the start against the Texas Rangers on April 1, or the second game of the season. 

That means Nola will likely take the mound for Opening Day against Jacob deGrom.

It's a tantalizing thought of two of the best aces in the game will open the season with a duel.

It is worth noting that Philadelphia has not yet officially announced Nola as their Opening Day starter. But all signs are pointing towards him being tabbed the starter to open the season. 

Last year, Nola pitched 205.0 innings and compiled a 3.25 ERA with a minuscule 0.961 WHIP.

He also helped lead his team to the postseason for the first time in over a decade. 

deGrom on the other hand is coming back from an injury which caused him to miss the majority of the 2022 MLB season. When healthy, he is one of the most dominant pitchers in the game.

He has looked good so far this spring, one of which was an MLB start. He has allowed a run and has routinely hit 100 mph on his fastball with his offspeed pitches looking to be in midseason form. 

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Kade Kistner
KADE KISTNER

Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl.  During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated.  Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.

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