Look, this is nothing to get our undies in a twist over or anything, but Jeremy Hellickson shouldn’t be the Phillies Opening Day starter in 2017.
Manger Pete Mackanin appears to be leaning in that general direction, however, telling beat reporters down in Clearwater, “[Hellickson’s] probably got the best chance to be our opening-day starter. I’m not going to definitely announce it because anything can happen in the spring. He was last year. I’m not making the announcement that he will be, but there’s a good chance he might be.”
Hellickson did start last year’s season opener and, if Mackanin has his druthers, would become the first pitcher to start two straight Opening Days since Roy Halladay started three in a row from 2010-12.