Nathan Eovaldi to pitch Texas Rangers opener in Philly
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Nathan Eovaldi is your Opening Day starting pitcher. Photo: Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Texas Rangers are starting the 2026 season on the road Thursday in Philadelphia, where they will reunite with Adolis García.
Why it matters: The long, not very cold winter is over.
Driving the news: The season opens at 3:15pm at the Bank in Philly with 2023 World Series star Nathan Eovaldi on the mound. The game will be aired on Rangers Sports Network, which can be streamed on Victory+.
- The team is off Friday but finishes the opening series against the Phillies over the weekend. Ace pitcher Jacob deGrom is expected to start Saturday afternoon.
- Phillies fans are calling the Opening Day clash "Ranger Danger." Rangers fans should expect lots of energy from the Phillies and their rowdy fans.
The big picture: Though familiar faces return this season, the team is again entering a new era. Former World Series-winning manager Bruce Bochy retired in the offseason, and the Rangers hired Skip Schumaker to manage the team through 2029.
The intrigue: The Rangers have struggled since they finally won the World Series in 2023. They were just OK last season, finishing with a middling 81-81 record.
- Meanwhile, their greatest foe in their division is no longer the Houston Astros. The Seattle Mariners went deep into the postseason and are projected to perform well this season too.
Catch up quick: Outfielder García is among the well-known Rangers to join new teams this year. The Phillies signed the free agent to a one-year, $10 million contract in December.
- Second baseman Marcus Semien was dealt to the New York Mets in November in exchange for outfielder Brandon Nimmo.
- Catcher Jonah Heim is now in Atlanta.
How to fake it: Shortstop Corey Seager is still a Ranger. Even the most casual fans should know his name. He has been the World Series MVP twice: in 2020 with the Dodgers and 2023 with the Rangers.
- Outfielder Wyatt Langford was the fourth overall draft pick when the Rangers nabbed him in 2023. In two regular seasons, he had a .247 batting average, but at 24, he's likely to only get better.
- Josh Smith had been a fill-in player before becoming an almost daily player in the past two seasons, coming in clutch when others missed games due to injury. He's small but can be mighty. Expect to see him at second base.
Know your pitchers: The Rangers have two ace pitchers in deGrom and Eovaldi.
- Eovaldi had a great 1.73 ERA last season, with 11 wins and just three losses.
- DeGrom pitched a full season as a Ranger for the first time after missing most of the previous two due to elbow surgery. His ERA was 2.97 last season, and he notched 12 wins and eight losses.
What's next: The Rangers play the Cincinnati Reds in the home opener at 3:05pm on April 3.