The Phillies have announced their 2024 Opening Day roster.
Barring any last-minute changes, the following players have made the club to start the 2024 season when the Phillies host the Atlanta Braves on Thursday.
Starting Rotation
(5) Wheeler, Nola, Suarez, Sanchez, Turnbull
The starting rotation had been set for months.
Once Aaron Nola re-signed, the Phillies knew who their starting five pitchers would be for the 2024 season. Running it back with last year’s staff is a great call, as the Phillies had the best WAR for starting pitchers in baseball.
Zack Wheeler was named the Opening Day starter by Rob Thomson, ending Aaron Nola’s 6 consecutive-year streak. Nola will pitch game two against Atlanta, with Ranger Suarez wrapping up the series on Sunday. From there on, health and rest will determine how the remainder of the season plays out.
Taijuan Walker looks like he will start the season on the Injured List. He was penciled in as the fourth starter but will be replaced by Spencer Turnbull for the time being. Turnbull pitched well this Spring, posting a 2.25 earned run average in 8 innings pitched.
Bullpen
(8) Alvarado, Hoffman, Soto, Dominguez, Strahm, Marte, Brogdon, Ortiz
Eight relievers will make the Phillies roster on Opening Day. Broken out between 5 right-handers and 3 lefties, the above-mentioned players have made the cut to start the season.
The first five listed, Alvarado, Hoffman, Soto, Dominguez, and Strahm, were all expected. Each player played an important role in the post-season and deserved the nod. In fact, Matt Strahm even signed an extension with the club, further cementing his role on the team.
Yunior Marte and Luis Ortiz pitched really well this Spring. Marte pitched 10 scoreless innings in Grapefruit League action, striking out 7. Ortiz pitched 8 innings to a 3.20 earned run average. He looked solid in his work and likely will be reserved for lower-leverage situations.
The final roster spot went to Connor Brodgon, a veteran with the Phillies at this stage in his career. Connor had a decent run of games in Spring Training, with his final performance spiking his numbers.
Orion Kerkering and Dylan Covey will start the season on the Injured List. Kerkering has been dealing with illness over the last couple of weeks. Once he is healthy, he will continue to ramp up his arm before getting re-called to the Phillies.
Catchers
(2) Realmuto, Stubbs
The two catchers on the Phillies roster should shock no one.
JT Realmuto will be the starting catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies for the sixth straight season. It doesn’t feel like long ago, the Phils dealt Sixto Sanchez and Jorge Alfaro to their division rival Marlins for Realmuto. This is year four of the five-year extension he signed heading into the 2021 season. Something tells me the stalworth will get one more deal in Philly before it is all said and done.
Backing up Realmuto is Garrett Stubbs, who is returning for his third season with the Phillies. Stubbs has had various memorable moments both on and off the field. The life of the party has provided quality backup service to JT Realmuto, and Garrett fits the mold of the perfect role player.
Infield
(6) Harper, Stott, Turner, Bohm, Merrifield, Sosa
Another unit that has been set for weeks is the Phillies infield.
Once Bryce Harper was announced as the full-time first baseman, we knew Harper-Stott-Turner-Bohm would be the starting infield combination. After signing Whit Merrifield to be a utilityman, one could assume both he and Edmundo Sosa would make the team as bench depth.
This group has the potential to be one of the best in baseball. Two perennial MVP candidates, Bryce Harper, and Trea Turner, anchor the crew, with promising players like Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm continuing to enter their prime.
Whit Merrifield and Edmundo Sosa will be above-average depth while providing a spark with their bats off the bench. These two will get plenty of playing time during a 162-game season, and the Phils won’t miss a beat when they do play.
Outfield
(5) Schwarber, Pache, Castellanos, Marsh, Rojas
Heading into the 2024 season, three outfielders had a spot locked in: Kyle Schwarber, Brandon Marsh, and Nick Castellanos.
The big question of the off-season was who would be the starting center fielder come Opening Day. An open competition between Johan Rojas and Cristian Pache would take place in Spring Training to decide who would win that job. Jake Cave and utility man Weston Wilson also provided competition for a bench role. The outfield was wide open in this regard.
On Sunday morning, news broke that the Phillies had dealt Jake Cave to the Colorado Rockies for cash considerations. After a previous demotion of Weston Wilson, this confirmed that Johan Rojas and Cristian Pache would both make the team.
The expectation is that Rojas will start in center field, and Pache will platoon in the outfield. Against left-handed pitching, I would not be shocked to see Pache and Rojas in the outfield to start those games, with Brandon Marsh moving to the bench.
Both of these players need to hit well if they want to stick in the Major Leagues. Johan still has options to the minor leagues, which gives the Phillies some flexibility with their roster construction. The speedy centerfielder is the best defender on the team, something the Fightins have not seen for a long time.
Photo Credit: (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
