On Opening Day against the Phillies, the Braves  best Top Players  lineup For The Game…

After having to wait an extra day due to inclement weather, the Phillies and Braves will finally be able to begin their seasons on Friday afternoon in Philadelphia.

The Atlanta Braves are notorious for running the same everyday players out to the field each day. Barring injury, we expect nothing different in 2024. Today’s opening day lineup gives us a glimpse of how manager Brian Snitker plans to utilize this roster.

Leading off as always is the reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. He is followed by Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, and Matt Olson in the 2-3-4 spots.

Snitker toyed with movement among the top four during last year‘s NLDS, but quickly reverted to the original construction once the Braves were shut out in game one. Batting fifth is the big bear Marcell Ozuna, who had a pretty nice spring and looks to have a big year heading into free agency in 2025.

One of the biggest changes in the lineup this season is young Michael Harris II batting sixth in what seems to be his new spot in the order. With the amount of people that are expecting a big year from money Mike and his hot spring training, this seems like the perfect spot for him.

He is followed by one of Atlanta’s most talented catchers, Sean Murphy. Murphy will share some time with Travis d’Arnaud throughout the season, however. Rounding out the bottom of the order is shortstop Orlando Arcia and left fielder Jarred Kelenic. Kelenic will be platooned with Adam Duvall in games started by left-handed pitching this season.

The Braves rode a historic offense to 104 wins last season. They will try to do the same with this lineup in 2024. Time will tell if this group can stay healthy for 162, but when they are all on the field together they look to be one of the most powerful lineups in baseball. They will get a huge test on Opening Day as they square off against long-time ace, Zack Wheeler.

Spencer Strider will take the mound for the Bravos as he looks to silence Philly fans who believe he isn’t that great of a pitcher. After the Spring he had, Philadelphia could be in for a long afternoon.

Game one between the Braves and Phillies starts at 3:05 PM EST and can be watched on Bally Sports South or MLB.tv (subscription required). The game will also be broadcast on radio via 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan.

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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – It’s finally here – Opening Day at Citizens Bank Park. There’s been so much anticipation leading up to today, as the Phillies take on the Atlanta Braves, but Thursday’s rain threw a bit of a wrench in those plans.

Thankfully, today we have plenty of sunshine, mild temperatures and most importantly, no rain. What we do have though, is the wind.

If you plan on tailgating, expect early afternoon temperatures to climb above 50 degrees, under sunny skies.

Before the first pitch at 3:05 p.m., winds will likely be sustained out of the northwest around 10-20 mph, with a few higher gusts. Once the game starts though, winds will start to pick up, with a few gusts over 35 mph.

If you’re heading to the ballpark, hold those napkins a little tighter along with the food and drinks, otherwise, they’ll go flying.

Speaking of the wind, those gusts will affect the game played. Strong wind poses a challenge for the players, making it tougher to hit it out of the park, especially left field. Players up to bat will be facing the northeast, so with a northwest wind, more drag will be on the ball, possibly deflecting it toward the right. Batters will need to hit the ball harder to make a home run in windy conditions such as this.

That said, if you can deal with the wind today, this Friday is shaping up to be a fantastic cap on the week.

Looking ahead: A few showers with a quick-moving system on Saturday, followed by a dry and mild Easter Sunday.

The Philadelphia Phillies had to wait an extra day to get the 2024 regular season underway, but now Opening Day is finally here. With Thursday’s home opener against the Atlanta Braves postponed due to wet, soggy weather passing through the Philadelphia area, manager Rob Thomson and his coaching staff had an extra night’s sleep to ponder the first lineup of the season.

Not that Thomson had much to think about. With a team full of returning starters, loaded with veteran stars, most fans could have guessed what the Opening Day lineup would look like. But now we have confirmation. The Phillies released the Game 1 lineup well ahead of the scheduled 3:05 p.m. ET start time when they will renew their fierce NL East rivalry with the Braves at Citizens Bank Park.

One of the questions leading up to Opening Day was whether Kyle Schwarber would take his usual spot at the top of the order. We actually found out that answer on Thursday in Thomson media availability. According to Tim Kelly of Phillies Nation, Schwarber will indeed be leading off again, at least for today.

Wheeler had a strong spring training, which included a hefty three-year, $126 million extension. The right-hander is making his first Opening Day start and faces the potent Braves offense, which he saw three times during the regular season in 2023. Wheeler held them to a .186 batting average and a .674 OPS last year, finishing with a 2-0 record, 3.32 ERA, and 21 strikeouts in 19 innings — including an eight-inning, 12-strikeout effort last May.

Spencer Strider, also making his first Opening Day start, is coming off an impressive 20-5 season in which he struck out 281 batters in 186 2/3 innings. The 25-year-old went 4-0 in four starts against the Phillies in 2023, logging 38 strikeouts in 26 innings and holding Phillies hitters to a .192 average and .512 OPS.

Without further ado, let’s get to the Phillies’ Opening Day lineup.