The 2024 MLB season is upon us and the NL East rival Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies give us Opening Day's best pitching matchup: Spencer Strider vs. Zack Wheeler. It gets no better than that. The Braves have won the division each of the last six years, though the Phillies eliminated Atlanta in the NLDS each of the last two seasons. This rivalry is fierce.
Here now is what you need to know before the Braves and Phillies meet on Opening Day at Citizens Bank Park, though they won't meet on Thursday. The opener on March 28 got pushed back a day due to rain and the teams will now begin their seasons on Friday, March 29.
Braves vs. Phillies
Date: Friday, March 29 | Time: 3:05 p.m. ET
Location: Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia)
Live stream: Fubo (try for free), MLB.TV | TV: NBC 10, Bally Sports South
Probable pitchers: RHP Spencer Strider vs. RHP Zack Wheeler
Odds: ATL -125; PHI +105; over/under: 7.5 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Storylines
Braves: With 104 wins, the Braves were the best team in baseball last season, and they slugged .501 as a team. That slugging percentage would earn you a spot in the All-Star Game and maybe some MVP votes, and Atlanta did it as a team. Incredible. Reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. will look to build on last year's historic 41-homer, 73-steal campaign. It was the greatest power/speed season in baseball history. The Braves will once again be one of the best teams in baseball and on the short list of World Series contenders in 2024. They are the sport's model organization right now.
Phillies: For all Atlanta's division titles, the Phillies have eliminated the Braves from the postseason the last two years, and they again look poised for a deep postseason run. Their offseason was more low-key than usual -- there was no massive free-agent signing for the first time in several years -- but their cornerstone players remain productive and in their primes, and it stands to reason Bryce Harper will be better as he gets further away from Tommy John surgery. Trea Turner should be better in Year 2 too. On paper, the Braves have the edge going into 2024, but don't be surprised if the Phillies battle them for the division title deep into September.