What to Know: Texas Rangers Announce Details for 2023 Opening Day and First Homestand

By Texas Rangers Communications

Posted on March 29, 2023, March 29, 2023

The Texas Rangers today announced details for the team’s 2023 season opener with the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday, March 30 at 3:05 p.m. It will be the team’s fourth opener at Globe Life Field and 52nd overall since the franchise moved to Arlington for the 1972 season. 

Information for the season opener:

TICKET AVAILABILITY: As of Tuesday, March 28, 2023, less than one thousand reserved tickets remain for the 2023 home opener with the Phillies. Tickets can be purchased at rangers.com, by calling 972-RANGERS and at the Globe Life Field box office, which is located adjacent to the Southeast entrance.  

CEREMONIAL FIRST PITCH: The Rangers will commemorate the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Texas Rangers, a division of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Founded in 1823, the Texas Rangers conduct major violent crime, public corruption, cold case, and officer-involved shooting investigations, and oversee the department’s tactical and crisis negotiation.

Throwing the ceremonial first pitch representing the Texas Rangers will be Lieutenant Reuben T. Mankin, a 21-year veteran of the Texas Department of Public Safety who is assigned to Company B in Hurst, Texas.

Participating with Lieutenant Mankin in the first pitch ceremony will be a pair of distinguished Texans: the 43rd President of the United States and the 46th Governor of Texas George W. Bush and the current 48th Governor of Texas Greg Abbott. In addition, the two players in the National Baseball Hall of Fame depicted wearing the Texas Rangers cap on their plaques will also be participants. Major League Baseball’s all-time strikeout leader and former Rangers pitcher and team President Nolan Ryan will accompany Lieutenant Mankin to the mound. The all-time MLB leader in games caught and 13-time Gold Glove recipient Ivan Rodriguez, will catch the ceremonial first pitch.   

NATIONAL ANTHEM: Performing the Star Spangled Banner will be three-time Emmy Award winning vocal group The Texas Tenors. Founded in 2009, the trio consists of country singer JC Fisher, classical singer Marcus Collins, and opera signer John Hagen. The Texas Tenors have performed in concert in over 20 countries and recorded numerous albums. The trio will also sing God Bless the U.S.A. during the seventh inning stretch on Thursday. The National Anthem will be signed on the field by Amber Nall of Abilene, Texas.   

SALUTE THE FLAG: The colors will be presented by the Texas Department of Public Safety, and large United States and Texas flags will be unfurled in centerfield by members of the Texas Rangers front office. Members of the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Texas Rangers and the Arlington Police Department Mounted Patrol will escort the flags onto the field. 

COMMISISONER ON HAND: The tenth Commissioner of Baseball, Rob Manfred will be in attendance on opening day in Arlington. Major League Baseball awarded the 2024 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard to the Rangers last November. The game, which will be played on July 16, 2024, will be Baseball’s 94th Midsummer Classic.      

RANGERS HALL OF FAMERS: In addition to Nolan Ryan (2003) and Ivan Rodriguez (2013), six other former players in the Texas Rangers Baseball Hall of Fame will be introduced on the field during the pregame ceremonies: Jim Sundberg (2003), Toby Harrah (2009), Tom Grieve (2010), Jeff Russell (2015), Michael Young (2016), and Ian Kinsler (2022).  

MORE ACTIVITIES: There will be on-field introductions of both the Phillies and Rangers. Joel LaGrone will sing Texas, Our Texas to begin the pre-game ceremonies. All fans attending Thursday’s home opener will receive a 2023 Texas Rangers Magnet Schedule, presented by Anheuser-Busch. Weather permitting, there will be a flyover of Globe Life Field at the conclusion of the National Anthem.

TIMELINE: Globe Life Field parking lots will open at 11:00 a.m. and ballpark gates will open at 12 noon on opening day. The Rangers encourage fans to arrive early on opening day. Rangers’ batting practice begins at 12:05 p.m. followed by the Phillies at 12:55 p.m., and the pregame ceremonies are scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m. 

SEASON OPENER NOTES: The Rangers are 23-28 overall in season openers, losing two straight, five of six, and eight of ten, the longer span beginning 2013. Texas dropped a 10-8 decision at Toronto in the 2022 opener on April 8, The club is 25-26 in the home opener at three different parks, dropping seven of the last nine beginning 2014. The team is 1-2 in the season’s first game at Globe Life Field, defeating Colorado in 2020 and losing to the Blue Jays and Rockies the last two years. 

This will mark the second time that the Rangers have opened the year with the Phillies, dropping a 14-10 decision in the season opener at Globe Life Park in Arlington in 2014. Beginning in 2019, Texas has opened its home schedule with a National League opponent in four of the last five seasons: Cubs in 2019, Rockies in 2020 and 2022, and Phillies in 2023.

REMAINDER OF HOMESTAND: After a team off-day on Friday, March 31, the Rangers and Phillies play game two of the series on Saturday, April 1 at 3:05 p.m. and conclude the three-game set on Sunday, April 2 at 6:08 p.m.

The second half of the homestand welcomes the Baltimore Orioles to Globe Life Field for three games from April 3-5. The games on Monday, April 3 and Tuesday, April 4 will be played at 7:05 p.m. with the series and homestand finale scheduled for a 1:05 p.m. matinee on Wednesday, April 5. For the Phillies and Orioles, it’s their only visits to Globe Life Field during the 2023 season. 

On Saturday, April 1, 2023 against Philadelphia, the first 15,000 fans take home the Rangers Replica Cap giveaway, presented by Comerica Bank. 

The opening series of the 2023 season concludes Sunday, April 2 against Philadelphia as the first 15,000 fans will receive the Corey Seager Powder Blue Replica Jersey giveaway, presented by Medical City Healthcare. It’s also the first Blue Bell Ice Cream Sunday of the season. 

Monday, April 3, 2023 features the first Mariachi Monday presented by T-Mobile. The official Mariachi de los Texas Rangers provides live music entertainment with a brief pregame performance and in-between select innings. For more information, visit texasrangers.com/mariachimonday. 

Tuesday, April 4, 2023 is the first Coca-Cola Family Fun Tuesday of the season. Fans can enjoy discounts on ticket prices, parking, food and drink, plus meet select Rangers players and/or coaches with a pregame autograph session from 5:15-5:45 p.m. presented by Golden Chick. For more information, visit texasrangers.com/familyfun. 

Wednesday, April 5, 2023 is the first Texas Chili Company Dollar Hot Dog Day and CBS Texas Weather Day. 

Game-by-game highlights of the homestand: 

Thursday, March 30, 2023 vs. Philadelphia Phillies – 3:05 p.m. TV – Bally Sports Southwest

• Gates open at Noon 
• Giveaway: Magnet Schedule, presented by Anheuser-Busch (all fans)
• Ceremonial First Pitch: Representing the Texas Rangers will be Lieutenant Reuben T. Mankin, a 21-year veteran of the Texas Department of Public Safety
• Lieutenant Mankin will be joined at the mound by the 43rd President of the United States and the 46th Governor of Texas George W. Bush and the current 48th Governor of Texas Greg Abbott.  Nolan Ryan will accompany Lieutenant Mankin to the mound, and Ivan Rodriguez will catch the ceremonial first pitch.   
• Introduction of Texas Rangers Baseball Hall of Fame players
• National Anthem and God Bless USA: Performed by The Texas Tenors.
• Color Guard: Texas Rangers Law Enforcement Honor Guard
• Arlington Eats: Prince Lebanese Grill
• Texas 2 Split 50/50 Raffle presented by Kroger – proceeds benefit the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation

Saturday, April 1, 2023 vs. Philadelphia Phillies – 3:05 p.m. TV – FOX 

• Gates open at 1:30 p.m.  
• Giveaway: Rangers Replica Cap, presented by Comerica Bank (first 15,000)
• Ceremonial First Pitch: All-American TCU quarterback Max Duggan will throw the first pitch to be caught by TCU Head Coach Sonny Dykes 
• National Anthem and God Bless America: Performed by Lauren Hedricks
• Arlington Eats: Prince Lebanese Grill

Sunday, April 2, 2023 vs. Philadelphia Phillies – 6:08 p.m. TV – ESPN 

• Gates open at 4:00 p.m.  
• Giveaway: Corey Seager Powder Blue Replica Jersey, presented by Medical City Healthcare (first 15,000)
• Blue Bell Ice Cream Sunday ($1, kids 13 and under)
• National Anthem and God Bless America: Performed by Nicole Harberson 
• Arlington Eats: Prince Lebanese Grill

Monday, April 3, 2023 vs. Baltimore Orioles – 7:05 p.m. TV – Bally Sports Southwest 

• Gates open at 5:00 p.m.
• National Anthem: Performed by Janie Balderas
• Mariachi Monday presented by T-Mobile

Tuesday, April 4, 2023 vs. Baltimore Orioles – 7:05 p.m. TV – Bally Sports Southwest 

• Gates open at 4:30 p.m.  
• Coca-Cola Family Fun Tuesday
• National Anthem: Performed by Devin Crandell 

Wednesday, April 5, 2023 vs. Baltimore Orioles – 1:05 p.m. TV – Bally Sports Southwest 

• Gates open at 11:30 a.m.
• Texas Chili Company Dollar Hot Dog Day  
• CBS Texas Weather Day: Join the CBS Texas First Alert Weather Team for an educational, interactive event beginning at 10:15 a.m. For more information, visit texasrangers.com/weatherday  

Tickets for all Rangers home games during the 2023 season can be purchased at rangers.com, by phone at 972-RANGERS, or at the Southeast Box Office at Globe Life Field.

Related Article: With tens of thousands expected to attend multiple events from Friday, March 31 through Sunday, April 2, 2023, the Arlington Police Department is encouraging visitors to plan ahead for their visit to our city.