Opening Day Facts: Baseball is almost back!
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Opening Day is opening this week and there is a lot of buzz about this year's lineup. Excited fans are already hoping this 2019 team can take us back to the playoffs.
Some are even saying this team will be good enough to take us to another World Series.
There's some good news for fans who cannot wait to see Bryce Harper make his debut as a Phillie: March 28th marks the earliest season opener in Phillies history.
The Phillies will be taking on the Atlanta Braves. The two teams have opened against each other five times in the past century.
Twelve Phillies openers have gone into extra innings. Overall, the Phillies are 61-73 on Opening Day. They've also tied twice, in 1923 and 1924.
The last time the Phillies won the World Series, as many of us remember, was 2008. This is what the 2008 batting lineup looked like:
1. Jimmy Rollins, SS
2. Jayson Werth, RF
3. Chase Utley, 2B
4. Ryan Howard, 1B
5. Pat Burrell, LF
6. Shane Victorino, CF
7. Pedro Feliz, 3B
8. Carlos Ruiz, C
9. Pitcher
This year's projected lineup is full of sluggers as well. Here is the most likely batting order for Opening Day:
1. Andrew McCutchen, LF
2. Jean Segura, SS
3. Bryce Harper, RF
4. Rhys Hoskins, 1B
5. J.T. Realmuto, C
6. Odúbel Herrera CF
7. Cesar Hernandez, 2B
8. Maikel Franco, 3B
9. Aaron Nola, P
This year's addition of Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, and Jean Segura make the Phillies the first team in MLB history to add three position players in an offseason whom were all All-Stars in the previous season.
