Phillies Opening Day 2026: What to know about the lineup, ballpark giveaways and more
After a long, cold winter, baseball season is back in the City of Brotherly Love.
The reigning NL East champion Philadelphia Phillies will open their regular season at home on Thursday, March 26.
Here's what fans need to know before heading to South Philly for Opening Day.
What time is the Phillies home opener?
The Philadelphia Phillies will open their season at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday, March 26, against the Texas Rangers.
First pitch is set for 4:15 p.m. ET.
The game will air on NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Are tickets available for Opening Day?
Single-game tickets for Opening Day against the Rangers are sold out through the Phillies, but single-game tickets are still available for the remaining Opening Weekend series games on Saturday, March 28 and Sunday, March 29.
Tickets to the home opener are available on the secondary market, but consumer advocates say fans should be cautious about where they buy tickets from and how much they pay.
Phillies Opening Day forecast
It's shaping up to be a beautiful day for baseball!
Highs on Thursday will be in the low 70s, with temps hovering right around 70 for the first pitch under partly cloudy skies.
Who is the Phillies' starting pitcher on Opening Day?
Cristopher Sánchez will start on the mound for the Phillies Thursday.
Days after Phillies manager Rob Thomson announced Sánchez would get the start, the lefty signed a new six-year contract with the team.
The deal begins in 2027 and will run through 2032 with a club option for 2033.
Who's on the Phillies opening day lineup?
The lineup is in! Here's who's headed to the plate on Opening Day:
- Trea Turner, SS
- Kyle Schwarber, DH
- Bryce Harper, 1B
- Alec Bohm, 3B
- Bryson Stott, SS
- Adolis García, RF
- Brandon Marsh, LF
- J.T. Realmuto, C
- Justin Crawford, CF
- Cristopher Sánchez, P
What is the Citizens Bank Park bag policy?
The only bags permitted inside Citizens Bank Park are small clutch purses or fanny packs that are smaller than 5 inches x 7 inches, clear bags that are no larger than 12 x 6 x 12 inches, medical bags and diaper bags.
Backpacks, camera cases, tinted plastic bags and other oversized totes and purses are not permitted.
All bags are subject to search.
SEPTA adding trains during Opening Weekend
SEPTA is running additional B trains from NRG Station after all three games on Opening Weekend at Citizens Bank Park.
For Saturday's game, which starts at 4:05 p.m., SEPTA is adding three Sports Tripper trains from Fern Rock every 10 minutes starting at 2:40 p.m. to the South Philly Sports Complex.
On Sunday, three Sports Tripper trains will be available at noon, 12:10 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. First pitch on March 29 is 1:35 p.m.
What are the Phillies giveaways this year?
On Opening Day, all fans entering the ballpark will receive a 2025 NL East Champions Pennant.
Other giveaways this season include an Opening Night T-shirt for fans 15 and up on Saturday, March 28, a Phillies hoodie for kids 14 and under on April 11, a colonial Phanatic Bobble Head for kids under 14 on April 12, a retro Phillies cap on May 7 and a crewneck for women 15 and older on Mother's Day, along with a number of other hats, apparel items, bobbleheads and collectibles.
A full list of giveaways and theme nights at Citizens Bank Park is posted on the Phillies' website.
Which players left Philadelphia during the offseason?
The Phillies are mostly running it back again, but they do have some new faces: right fielders Adolis García and relievers Brad Keller, Jonathan Bowlan and Kyle Backhus.
Top prospects Justin Crawford and Andrew Painter graduated to the majors and made the Opening Day roster. Crawford will wear No. 2, and Painter will most likely wear No. 24. Crawford will play center field every day and bat ninth, while Painter will begin the season as the fifth starter.
The Phillies did let Ranger Suárez, Harrison Bader and Max Kepler — who was suspended 80 games for taking PEDs — leave in free agency, traded Matt Strahm to the Kansas City Royals and released Nick Castellanos.
