Rookie manager Gabe Kapler has announced the Philadelphia Phillies will have a first-time Opening Day starter to kick off their 2018 season, as the skipper said 24-year-old Aaron Nola will get the ball for the team's first game of the year.

Nola led a Phillies pitching staff last year as the only qualified starter on the team with a 12-11 record over 27 starts and 168 innings. Among starters with at least 50 innings pitched, the right-hander led the club in ERA, FIP, and strikeout rate.

The Phillies will open the 2018 season against the Atlanta Braves at SunLife Park on March 29.

Nola is 24-22 as a member of the Phillies, with 356 2/3 innings pitched since debuting in 2015.

While Nola was the most likely choice to take the ball on Opening Day, Kapler and the Phillies will focus on filling out the remaining four spots in the rotation over the remainder of spring training. Among the top candidates, the Phillies have Jerad Eickhoff, Vince Velasquez, Nick Pivetta, Ben Lively, Jake Thompson, and Zach Eflin all vying for rotation spots.

In two innings this spring, Nola has allowed three runs - all earned - on four hits while striking out three.