Cristopher Sanchez officially named Phillies’ Opening Day Starter, Topper sets rotation moving forward

Cristopher Sanchez will take the ball Thursday at Citizens Bank Park against the Texas Rangers. Rob Thomson confirmed it Friday after Sanchez made his final spring start at BayCare Ballpark, throwing five innings of one-run ball against Detroit.

Cristopher Sanchez gets the nod Opening Day

The season starts with Sánchie pic.twitter.com/POxpKD6avO

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) March 20, 2026

Zack Wheeler has started the last two openers but he is still a month away from returning from thoracic outlet surgery. His absence created the opportunity. What Cristopher Sanchez has done over the last two seasons earned him the right to take it.

A 2.50 ERA over 202 innings in 2025. Thirteen wins. 212 strikeouts. Twenty-two quality starts, tied for the most in baseball with Logan Webb and Garrett Crochet. He finished second in NL Cy Young voting to Paul Skenes. The Phillies’ rotation led the majors with 84 quality starts, twelve more than any other team, and Sanchez was the engine of it.

The origin story matters here.

The Phillies picked him up in a minor league trade with Tampa Bay before the 2020 season. A big-armed project with command issues. Over time he developed one of the best changeups in the game, sharpened his strike throwing, and this spring he has worked his slider into a legitimate third weapon.

What he is now looks nothing like what he was when the Phillies quietly acquired him five years ago.

Cristopher Sanchez was clean all Spring, in Clearwater and at the World Baseball Classic. Seven innings across two Grapefruit League starts, one run, zero walks, eight strikeouts.

He also made two starts for the Dominican Republic in the WBC, struggled in the first one against Nicaragua, and came back in the second to throw five shutout innings with eight strikeouts against Korea.

The bounce-back was the thing. He does not let bad outings linger.

Cristopher Sánchez is locked in early 🔥 pic.twitter.com/KHVauOGFfT

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 13, 2026

Home Cookin’ for Cristopher Sanchez

Cristopher Sanchez loves Citizens Bank Park and the numbers back it up in a way that borders on absurd. He went 6-0 with a 1.94 ERA in 15 home starts last season and 7-3 with a 2.21 ERA in 17 home starts in 2024.

The place will be full on Thursday and he pitches better when it is.

Rob Thomson Sets Phillies Rotation

Thomson also set the full rotation. Sanchez opens. Aaron Nola slides in second. Jesus Luzardo third. Taijuan Walker fourth. Andrew Painter fifth. Painter has officially made the team, which was never really in doubt after the spring he had.

Wheeler will throw in a minor league game Monday and continue his buildup from there. When he is ready this rotation becomes something else entirely.

For now it starts with Cristopher Sanchez. Thursday at Citizens Bank Park. Five straight postseason appearances on the line and a World Series that has not come home since 2008. He has wanted this his entire career. Time to go get it.

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