It is March 31, 2025, and the Phillies have already done something this season that they didn’t do until next month (April 6) last year—they won a series! The team returns to Philadelphia after a loss, but that came after strong victories in the first two games of the season.
Philly will out to welcome their club back home for the regular season, backing Citizens Bank Park for what should be another light match up before they have to face the World Series Champions in the Dodgers. The Rockies are not expected to be a particularly strong team and have an uninspiring pitching rotation. Here’s what you can expect to see across the three-game, home-opening set.
Phillies vs Rockies
Game 1: Germán Márquez vs. Cristopher Sánchez
Manager Rob Thomson announced the team’s pitching plans to start the season during spring training, so fans knew they would see Sánchez start the home opener. The break-out lefty faced the Rockies twice last season – once at home and once on the road. He posted a 1.59 ERA across 11.1 innings and struck out 12 while walking just two. Not much has changed with Colorado on offense, so one can expect a similar result to his outings from last season. The Rockies lineup has had minimal exposure to Sánchez – Only three of their players have more than five plate appearances against him. Just two Rockie hitters have more than one hit – Kris Bryant and Ezequiel Tovar.
On the other side, Márquez is a long-time veteran of the league, coming off two injury-riddled seasons – making just five appearances since the start of 2023. Despite being just 30 years old, he will be making an appearance in his 10th major league season. Therefore, Phillies hitters have seen him plenty in their careers – and the results are staggering.
Philly’s offense has a .368/.429/.600 slash line against the veteran right-hander. Márquez does have a 3.74 ERA vs. Philadelphia in his career, but in his last full season, the Phillies handled him with ease. In two starts back in 2022, he had a 7.45 ERA across only 9.2 innings. With much of that roster still intact for Philly, expect an offensive barrage for the home opener.
Game 2: Kyle Freeland vs. Zack Wheeler
Freeland and Wheeler both have a start under their belt already in this short season. Freeland didn’t get the win but struck out seven over six scoreless innings. Kyle’s last appearance vs. the team that drafted him came in 2023 after he missed the Phillies’ last season. He pitched to a 3.00 ERA over two starts that year and a 2.70 against Philly in his two starts in 2022.
The veteran lefty will look to repeat his success against the World Series-hopeful Phillies lineup. He has handled both their lefties and righties with relative ease over his career – only Nick Castellanos has an average above .217 against Freeland (with the exception of Stott, who is 2-for-3 against him). This could be a similar feel to the season opener that saw Philly struggle against the starter, MacKenzie Gore, and needing to see the bullpen before doing some damage. If they see a lot of pitches and can chase Freeland quickly, that enhances their chances of a victory.
Wheeler had a strong outing in the season opener as well, and I expect that to continue against a weak Rockies offense. He has handled their hitters relatively well. The usual suspects, Tovar, Bryant, and Ryan McMahon, have had some success against Wheeler, albeit in very limited opportunities. Wheeler did allow three earned runs the last time he faced Colorado back in 2023, but he is an even better pitcher now, and the Rockies lineup is different than that one – expect Wheeler to continue rolling as he did in Game 1.
Game 3: Antonio Senzatela vs. Taijuan Walker
Senzatela is a veteran as well, but his service has mostly been availability as opposed to dominant performances. The last time he faced the Phillies was in 2021 – a very different roster for Philadelphia than they have now. The current Phillies lineup has a strong .345/.409/.586 slash line against Senzatela in their careers. Nick Castellanos, J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber, and Trea Turner have all hit .300 or better against the right-hander in their careers. Turner, who is dealing with back spasms, is 6-for-12 against him. Hopefully, for their sake, he is healthy and ready to play by Game 3.
Walker is stepping into the rotation temporarily while Ranger Suárez recovers from back tightness that resulted in him starting the season on the injured list. He did not face Colorado last season, but the year prior had one start, allowing three runs over 6.0 IP. While most of the Rockies lineup has minimal exposure to the veteran right-hander, they have handled him very well – a .400/.447/.571 slash with three extra-base hits over 35 ABs.
Walker’s velocity appeared to return nearly to its former form in the spring, but this will be the first big test for Philadelphia’s pitching. Can Walker be a viable member of the pitching staff this season? Handling the Rockies who have hit him well would be a nice confidence boost for both himself and the fans.
Overall, the Phillies out-class the Rockies – that should be a surprise to no one. Ultimately, they are set up to start the season with two series victories prior to welcoming the defending World Series champion Dodgers to town over the weekend. There is a strong chance that Philly starts the season 4-2, maybe even 5-1, before their toughest challenge arrives.
Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images
