The starting pitching matchup is set for the Nationals and Phillies to open the season with a division rivalry at Nationals Park.

The young Nats will be anchored by MacKenzie Gore in his first Opening Day start, while the Phils will be led by veteran All-Star Zack Wheeler.

Last season, Wheeler was 2-0 with a 2.29 in three starts against the Nationals. In four starts versus the Phillies, Gore was 1-1 with a 3.42 ERA.

First pitch is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. ET on March 27.

RHP Zack Wheeler
Previous Opening Day starts: 1 (2024)
2024 season: 16-7, 2.57 ERA, 32 starts, 200 IP, 224 K, 52 BB, 0.96 WHIP, 6.1 WAR

A strong argument can be made that Wheeler has been baseball’s best pitcher the past five years.

Wheeler leads baseball with 25.4 WAR, according to Baseball Reference. The next-closest pitcher? Gerrit Cole (19.9 WAR). Wheeler is second in baseball in wins (59), behind Framber Valdez (60). He is second in innings (829 1/3), behind Aaron Nola (850). He is second in WHIP (1.03), behind Corbin Burnes (1.02). Wheeler also is third in ERA (2.94) and sixth in strikeouts (899). And that’s just the regular season.

Wheeler has been a stud in the postseason, too. He is 4-3 with a 2.18 ERA in 12 postseason appearances (11 starts). Wheeler's postseason ERA ranks 10th in baseball history (minimum eight starts). That’s better than Curt Schilling (2.23), Orel Hershiser (2.59), Jim Palmer (2.61), John Smoltz (2.67) and Whitey Ford (2.71).

The only thing Wheeler hasn’t done in his first five seasons with the Phillies is win an NL Cy Young Award. He’s come close. He finished second in 2021 and again in 2024. Cy Young or not, the Phils rewarded him with a three-year, $126 million contract extension. This is the first year of that deal. What happens when it’s done? Wheeler, 34, said he plans on retiring.

LHP MacKenzie Gore
Previous Opening Day starts: N/A
2024 season: 10-12, 3.90 ERA, 32 starts, 166 1/3 IP, 181 K, 65 BB, 1.42 WHIP, 0.8 WAR

Gore earns his first Opening Day nod as he enters his fourth Major League season. The 26-year-old led the Nationals in ERA last season, and he set career bests in starts and innings pitched.

Gore dropped his home run rate from 1.8 in 2023 to 0.8 in ‘24. That mark ranked fifth in the National League. Gore held opponents to nine homers in his last 20 starts of the season.

Among NL pitchers, Gore also ranked seventh in strikeouts per nine innings (9.79), and his squared-up contact percentage (27.7) was ninth lowest among all pitchers with a minimum of 500 competitive swings, per Baseball Savant.

Gore will look to pick up on Opening Day where he left off at the end of 2024. From Aug. 23 to the end of the season, Gore ranked fifth in baseball with a 1.55 ERA. He gave up two or fewer runs during those seven starts.

Gore was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2017 Draft by the Padres and was acquired in the Juan Soto blockbuster deal in 2022. He was named the 2017 Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year.