Opening day is finally here, with the Phillies taking the field against the Washington Nationals Thursday afternoon hoping to erase the memory of two straight disappointing playoff exits.

Taking the mound for the Phillies will be Zack Wheeler, a runner-up for the Cy Young Award last season for the second time in four years. He’ll face off against Nationals lefty MacKenzie Gore, whom the team acquired from the San Diego Padres in the Juan Soto trade in 2022.

Wheeler isn’t the only familiar face taking the field for the Phillies. Outside of a few additions that included outfielder Max Kepler and pitchers Jordan Romano and Jesus Luzardo, the Phillies are essentially the same team that advanced to the National League divisional series in 2024 and came within one game of returning to the World Series in 2023.

» READ MORE: Phillies opening day 2025: Live updates

Also back with the Phillies is manager Rob Thomson, who quietly has the third-best regular-season winning percentage among active managers with a .575 winning percentage (250-185). But two straight disappointing playoff finishes have fans and pundits wondering how long the Phillies will stick with Thomson if the team gets off to a slow start.

“The third day of June might tell the tale of the Phillies’ 2025 season, much the same way it told the tale in 2022,” wrote Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes. “That’s the day the Phillies cut ties with Joe Girardi, who’d managed the Phillies to back-to-back underachieving seasons and was on his way to sabotaging a third.”

Here’s everything you need to know to watch or stream the Phillies’ 2025 opening day against the Nationals:

What time and channel is the Phillies game today?

The Phillies’ season debut is scheduled to get underway at 4:05 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 19th season on TV with the team. Joining him in the booth will be former first baseman John Kruk, in his ninth season calling Phillies games after 12 years at ESPN. Kruk recently signed a contract that will keep him in the booth through the 2028 season.

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

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

How can I stream Phillies opening day?

For the first time, Phillies fans living in the Philadelphia TV market can stream games airing on NBC Sports Philadelphia without needing a cable subscription.

There are two options. The first is Peacock, where subscribers can purchase an add-on that will stream every Phillies, 76ers, and Flyers game that is shown locally on NBC Sports Philadelphia. The plan is on the pricey side at $24.95 a month plus whatever you pay for Peacock, where the least-expensive plan runs $7.99 a month.

Another option is to stream games directly through MLB.TV, which is partnering with NBC to provide Phillies games in-market without a cable subscription. MLB’s plan runs $24.99 a month and only provides Phillies games, but it’ll save you about $8 if you don’t need to watch the Sixers or Flyers.

The game will also 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.

MLB is rolling out a few minor rules changes this season

The league isn’t instituting any new major rules, but it is rolling out some minor tweaks this season.

The new rules won’t include robot umpires, which made their debut during spring training. The soonest they would arrive during the regular season would be 2026.

1. Shift rule: The penalty for violating the MLB’s shift rule — introduced in 2023 to limit defensive alignments and allow more offense — has been allowing the batting team to accept the result of the play or have a ball awarded to the batter. This season, the batter will be given a choice to keep the result or get a free base, which would also allow other runners to advance.
2. Over-running second base: In rare instances the past few seasons, players ran through second base the way they commonly do at first during a force play with a runner on third, the idea being to try to give the runner on third extra time to score. Now, a replay official will review the play to determine if the runner was safe at second but out for “abandonment” of the base, an attempt to prevent teams from sneaking in a run.

Media coverage of opening day

You can follow The Inquirer’s live coverage of opening day here, featuring reporting from Phillies staff writers Scott Lauber and Lochlahn March. You can find coverage at Inquirer.com/Phillies and in our Sports Daily newsletter.

Prior to the game, NBC10 will air a Welcome Back Phillies pregame special at 3 p.m., featuring Tracy Davidson, Jacqueline London, John Clark, and Miguel Martinez Valle.

Phillies Pregame Live — hosted by Michael Barkann and featuring Rubén Amaro Jr., Ricky Bottalico, and Ben Davis — will air on NBC Sports Philadelphia+ at 3 p.m. Following the game, the crew will return for Phillies Postgame Live.

Phillies opening day record

Overall, Philadelphia is 66-74-2 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 fifth time the Phillies have faced the Nationals on opening day since relocating to Washington, D.C. in 2005. The two faced off on opening day in 2017 in Philadelphia, which the Nationals narrowly won 7-6. It’s also just the fourth time the Phillies have opened the regular season in March.

Phillies schedule in March and April

1. Phillies at Washington Nationals
2. Game 1: Thursday, 4:05 p.m.
3. Game 2: Saturday, 4:05 p.m.
4. Game 3: Sunday, 1:35 p.m.
5. Colorado Rockies at Phillies
6. Game 1: Monday, 3:05 p.m.
7. Game 2: Wednesday, 6:45 p.m.
8. Game 3: Thursday, April 2, 1:05 p.m.
9. Los Angeles Dodgers at Phillies
10. Game 1: Friday, April 4, 6:45 p.m. (Apple TV+)
11. Game 2: Saturday, April 5, 4:05 p.m. (FS1)
12. Game 3: Sunday, April 6, 1:35 p.m.
13. Phillies at Atlanta Braves
14. Game 1: Tuesday, April 8, 7:15 p.m.
15. Game 2: Wednesday, April 9, 7:15 p.m.
16. Game 3: Thursday, April 10, 7:15 p.m.
17. Phillies at St. Louis Cardinals
18. Game 1: Friday, April 11, 8:15 p.m.
19. Game 2: Saturday, April 12, 2:15 p.m.
20. Game 3: Sunday, April 13, 2:15 p.m.
21. San Francisco Giants at Phillies
22. Game 1: Monday, April 14, 6:45 p.m.
23. Game 2: Tuesday, April 15, 6:45 p.m.
24. Game 3: Wednesday, April 16, 6:45 p.m.
25. Game 4: Thursday, April 17, 4:05 p.m.
26. Miami Marlins at Phillies
27. Game 1: Friday, April 18, 6:45 p.m.
28. Game 2: Saturday, April 19, 1:05 p.m.
29. Game 3: Sunday, April 20, 1:35 p.m.
30. Phillies at New York Mets
31. Game 1: Monday, April 21, 7:10 p.m.
32. Game 2: Tuesday, April 22, 7:10 p.m.
33. Game 3: Wednesday, April 23, 1:10 p.m.
34. Phillies at Chicago Cubs
35. Game 1: Friday, April 25, 2:20 p.m.
36. Game 2: Saturday, April 26, 4:05 p.m. (Fox)
37. Game 3: Sunday, April 27, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
38. Washington Nationals at Phillies
39. Game 1: Tuesday, April 29, 6:45 p.m.
40. Game 2: Wednesday, April 30, 6:45 p.m.
41. Game 3: Thursday, May 1, 6:45 p.m.