Phillies opening day 2024: Start time, how to watch and stream

After a one-day delay, opening day is finally here, and the Phillies will take the field hoping to erase the memory of last season’s late playoff collapse.

Taking the mound for the Phillies will be Zack Wheeler, who recently signed a contract extension that will keep him in Philadelphia through the 2027 season. It also increased his annual salary to $42 million, beginning next year, the highest annual salary in Phillies history and the fourth-largest ever for a pitcher.

» READ MORE: Phillies opening day 2024: Live updates

Wheeler won’t be the only familiar face taking on the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Outside of utilityman Whit Merrifield and right-handed pitcher Spencer Turnbull, the roster is identical to last year’s squad, which ended the season one win away from a second straight World Series appearance. And unlike last year, slugger Bryce Harper is recovered from Tommy John surgery and set to start at first base.

Facing Wheeler will be a familiar face to Phillies fans — Braves ace Spencer Strider, who is undefeated against Philly in the regular season with an 8-0 record and a 1.90 ERA. The playoffs are another matter, where Strider is 0-3 against the Phillies, including a Game 4 loss in the divisional round last year that sent the Phillies to the National League championship series for the second straight season.

Also back with the Phillies is manager Rob Thomson, who has led a remarkable turnaround in just 22 months after having replaced Joe Girardi, who is now a Yankees analyst on the YES Network. Thomson’s cool leadership style helped remake a team that hadn’t made it to the playoffs in a decade into a World Series contender.

“I think he does an unbelievable job of just letting us be ourselves,” reliever Matt Strahm told my colleague David Murphy. “I’ve had veteran coaches and I’ve had new managers, and I think Topper walks that line perfectly of being the old-school manager but also being in touch with the analytics stuff and being in communication with the players. He does a good job of just letting us be us.”

Here’s everything you need to know to watch or stream the Phillies’ 2024 opening day against the Braves:

The Phillies’ season debut is scheduled to get underway at 3:05 p.m., and will air live on NBC10.

Calling the game will be Tom McCarthy, the voice of the Phillies on NBC Sports Philadelphia, who is entering his 17th season doing play-by-play on TV. Joining him in the booth will be former first baseman John Kruk, in his seventh season calling Phillies games after 12 years at ESPN.

The game will also air on 94.1 WIP, with Scott Franzke and Larry Anderson on the call. Gregg Murphy returns to handle pre- and postgame radio coverage.

Bill Kulik, Oscar Budejen, and Angel Castillo will call Phillies-Braves in Spanish on La Unika 1680 AM.

» READ MORE: Phillies TV preview: Fans will need Apple TV+ and the NBC Sports app, but not Peacock... for now

The game will be available on the NBC Sports app and on the NBC Sports Philadelphia website, but you’ll need a cable subscription.

NBC10 is also available to stream for free with a digital antenna for viewers across the Delaware Valley. It’s also available on a host of so-called skinny bundles, including Hulu With Live TV, DirecTV Stream, Sling TV, fubo, and YouTube TV.

The game will also be available to stream on ESPN+ to subscribers.

One season after MLB introduced the pitch clock and other sweeping changes to impact the pace of play, the league has introduced several tweaks aimed at more modest improvements.

Additional rule changes include reducing the time relievers have to warm up and forcing a pitcher to face at least one batter if they warmed up at the start of an inning. Last season, there were 24 instances — including two in the World Series — where a relief pitcher warmed up but was removed from the mound before throwing a single pitch, mostly due to the opposing team announcing a pinch hitter, MLB says.

As with every Phillies game, Inquirer staff writers Scott Lauber and Alex Coffey will be covering all the action live on Gameday Central. You can find coverage at Inquirer.com/Phillies and in our Sports Daily newsletter.

Prior to the game, NBC10 will air a Welcome Home Phillies pregame special at 2 p.m., featuring Keith Jones, Jacqueline London, John Clark, and Lauren Mayk.

Phillies Pregame Live — hosted by Michael Barkann and featuring Rubén Amaro Jr., Ricky Bottalico, and Ben Davis — will air on NBC Sports Philadelphia at 1 p.m. Following the game, the crew will return for Phillies Postgame Live.

Overall, Philadelphia is 66-73-2 on opening day, dating back to the then-Philadelphia Quakers’ 4-3 loss to the Providence Grays in 1883. Yes, there were two ties — both 1923′s opening game against the Brooklyn Dodgers and 1924′s against the Boston Braves were called due to darkness, because ballparks at the time didn’t have lights.

This is the 26th time the Phillies have faced the Braves on opening day. The first 13 came while the Braves still played in Boston, while the next three were during the team’s 13-year run in Milwaukee. Since the Braves moved to Atlanta in 1966, they’ve faced the Phillies on opening day six times, the most recent being a 3-2 extra-innings win by the Phillies at a chilly Citizens Bank Park in 2021.

The Phillies start the season with six straight games at home. Then they’ll hit the road to take on the Washington Nationals and the St. Louis Cardinals, which should give Kruk the chance to finally climb the St. Louis Arch.

Nearly every game in April will air on NBC Sports Philadelphia or NBC Sports Philadelphia+, though the next two games against the Braves will air on Fox and ESPN. There will also be two games in April that stream exclusively on Peacock and Apple TV+.