2025 Phillies Opening Day Roster
With opening day Thursday, the Phillies have officially announced the Opening Day roster for the 2025 season.
Starting Pitchers
- Zach Wheeler 45
- Aaron Nola 27
- Christopher Sánchez 61
- Ranger Suárez 55 (will start season on IL)
- Taijuan Walker 99
- Jesús Luzardo 44
Relief Pitchers
- José Alvarado 46
- Tanner Banks 58
- Carlos Hernández 43
- Orion Kerkering 50
- Jordan Romano 68
- Joe Ross 41
- José Ruiz 66
- Matt Strahm 25
Catchers
- Rafael Marchán 13
- JT Realmuto 10
Infielders
- Bryce Harper 3
- Trea Turner 7
- Bryson Stott 5
- Alec Bohm 28
- Kody Clemons 2
- Edmudo Sosa 33
Outfielders
- Nick Castellanos 8
- Johan Rojas 23 (new number alert)
- Max Kepler 17
- Brandon Marsh 16
Designated Hitter
- Kyle Schwarber 12
Roster Overview
PHOTO: Brett Davis/Imagn Images
This roster can potentially compete with anyone in the league (including the Dodgers) come postseason. The big question is how this lineup will change their approach, considering how last season ended. If the Phillies can limit the number of pitches they chase and stay more disciplined, this team can easily win 90+ games and the division.
The pitching staff is the best we’ve seen since the 2011 “four aces”. Wheeler is the anchor of the rotation, followed by Nola, Sanchez, and Suarez once he’s healthy. This is a great staff to have come playoff time. Adding Luzardo will have a bigger impact on the rotation than most people think. He is going to be an elite number 5. The back end of the bullpen has some questions coming into the season, but those issues could easily be addressed by the trade deadline if the bullpen is an issue.
Rob Thompson rolled out the opening day lineup in the last spring training game against the Blue Jays on Monday. The line up looked like this:
The Spring Training finale! pic.twitter.com/vY0wpq1Btp
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) March 24, 2025
The only thing I would switch about this lineup is flipping Realmuto and Castellanos in the order depending on how they are playing at that certain time. For opening day, however, I love this lineup. Having Trea Turner hit leadoff will benefit both Turner and Schwarber performance-wise. Having Turner hit leadoff will also give him the ability to hopefully steal more bases this season. Having Schwarber 4th in the lineup will help his RBI numbers, as well as the number of hittable pitches he will see. Being protected by Bohm and Realmuto will force pitchers to throw Schwarber more strikes and not walk him as much. I’m expecting a big home run year from Schwarber in 2025.
I’m eager to see how well Bryce Harper plays this season, considering he’s not coming off an injury or learning a new position. This seems to be the calmest off-season Harper has had in years, which I believe will benefit him, especially offensively. Harper also can potentially be a Gold Glove first baseman if his defensive play from last year carries over. At no point in the season was Harper switching positions a topic of concern for the Phillies. He adapted and learned the position quickly, which has made the Phillies an overall better team, especially defensively.
Opening Day Approaches
Opening Day is finally around the corner, and the excitement around this team is at an all-time high. MLB Network ranked the Phillies second to only the Dodgers in their preseason power rankings. They are coming off a season in which they had the most wins at home in the league and have only gotten deeper offensively. If new guys like Kepler and Luzardo can produce along with the development of Bohm and Stott, and the leadership of Turner, Harper, and Schwarber, this team has the opportunity to make some noise and give the Dodgers a run for their money.
While the division will be tougher this year, the first goal for this team is winning the NL East. The Mets got Juan Soto, and the Braves will be getting back Austin Riley, Spencer Strider, Ozzie Albies, and former MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. That, however, should be no excuse for the Phillies not to take this division. They are the most complete team in the division, and I believe that will lead them to the 2025 NL East crown.
The Phillies will look to start the year off with a win as they take on the Washington Nationals on the road to start the season.
Zach Wheeler will get the start on opening day for the second consecutive year. The first pitch is scheduled for 4:05 pm.
The Phillies will have their home opener Monday, March 31st, against the Colorado Rockies.
We have made it, Phillies fans! It’s officially baseball season (the best time of year)!
PHOTO: Brett Davis/Imagn Images
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