After nearly six months of waiting, Texas Rangers baseball is finally back. 

Texas will kick off its 2026 season with an Opening Day tilt against the Philadelphia Phillies in the City of Brotherly Love on Thursday. 

Let’s break down everything you need to know about the Texas Rangers' 2026 Opening Day game.

What Time Is the Game? - First pitch of the Rangers and Phillies Opening Day game will be at 3:15 PM CST. 

Where Can I Watch and Listen to the Game? - This afternoon’s game will be available to watch on the Rangers Sports Network for fans inside Rangers TV territory (Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Easternmost counties of New Mexico) and for fans outside of the designated area on MLB TV. 

As for the radio side of things, fans in the DFW area can catch the game on 105.3 The Fan (English) and KFLC 1270 AM (Spanish). Fans outside of DFW can catch a radio broadcast of today’s game on the MLB app with MLB TV.

Who’s Taking the Mound for the Rangers? - For a third consecutive Opening Day, the Rangers will send Nathan Eovaldi to the mound to begin the season.

Last year on Opening Day, Eovaldi went six innings, allowing just two runs in an eventual 5-2 Rangers loss to the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Field.

This season, Eovaldi figures to be amongst the best pitchers in the American League if he can stay healthy following an injury-riddled yet very strong 2025 season that saw him go 11-3 with a 1.73 ERA. 

Who Will the Rangers Lineup Face? - The Phillies will send star lefty Cristopher Sánchez to the mound.

Just three days ago, the Phillies signed Sanchez to a six-year, $100-plus-million-dollar contract extension. 

Last season, Sanchez went 13-5 with a 2.50 ERA, finishing with a league-leading 8.0 WAR in a breakout season.

What Other Storylines Should I Watch For? - There are plenty of storylines to follow when it comes to this game, but a couple stick out in particular.

* Adolis Garcia Faces His Former Team - For the first time in his big-league career, former Texas Rangers World Series hero Adolis García will face what is now his former team.

Back in December, Garcia signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Phillies after the Rangers did not tender him a contract.

In parts of six seasons with the Rangers, Garcia hit 141 home runs, drove in 458 runs, and was named an American League All-Star twice.

However, it was what he did in October 2023 that forever made him a DFW sports icon. In the American League Championship Series against the rival Houston Astros, Garcia hit .357 with 10 hits, five of which were home runs, with 15 RBIs in the seven games.

In Game One of the 2023 World Series, Garcia blasted a walk-off home run to win the game and set the tone for a series the Rangers would eventually win four games to one. 

* Brandon Nimmo’s Rangers Debut - Opening Day will mark the first time we get to see Brandon Nimmo take the field in a Texas Rangers uniform.

The Rangers acquired Nimmo in a trade with the New York Mets, which saw Marcus Semien head to Queens. 

There is no doubt that Nimmo will play a huge role in whatever successes the Rangers have this season as he will be their everyday leadoff hitter and right fielder.

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