The Philadelphia Phillies have been on the cusp of big things for the last two seasons in a row.
They were defeated the NL East champions in the Division Series for the second consecutive year, despite finishing 14 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the standings. Philadelphia doubled down on its core over the majority of the summer, signing Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola to long-term deals. However, whether the Phillies took enough action in the off-season to guarantee a top spot in the league is yet to be seen.
During the offseason, the Philadelphia Phillies made significant moves to strengthen their team. They signed Nola, one of their key players, to a long-term contract extension, ensuring that he will remain with the team for years to come. They also extended Wheeler’s contract, a move that solidified their starting rotation. Lastly, they signed Spencer Turnbull to complete their starting rotation, adding another talented pitcher to their roster.
In addition, the Phillies signed Whit Merrifield, a versatile and reliable player, to provide depth and support from the bench. Veteran support on the bench will help the Phillies’ rookies develop.
The Phillies’ performance during the spring training season could have been more impressive, with a mediocre record of eight wins and 13 losses. The team’s starting players have not been able to showcase their full potential, but it’s important to keep in mind that spring training is not always a reflection of the regular season.
The starting pitching rotation of the Phillies is excellent and the bullpen looks promising too. The starting five players of the Phillies are amongst the best in baseball. In the offseason, the team made a few moves to improve the bullpen, and some rookies are expected to make an impact this year. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Phils has allowed only 22 walks in the first eight games, largely to the staff’s new motto of “Don’t overthink. Just throw strikes.”
Hopefully, the Phils can just bring the whole team together. They need to build the chemistry if they want to make a deep playoff run this upcoming season.
So far, the team has had a promising start. As of publishing today, the team sits at second in the National League East with a .50 percentage, trailing the Braves by one win. They are coming off a win against the Cardinals yesterday after nearly sweeping the Nationals last weekend.
Phillies favorites like Bryce Harper have been active in connecting (Harper hit his first grand slam of the season against Cincinnati) and returning faces like Brandon Marsh have fared well so far.
This is also despite the mixed reviews that have come in regarding the new City Connect Phillies jerseys, which sport blue and yellow lettering (reflecting the Philadelphia flag) rather than the traditional red and white coloring.
This year will likely be a repeat of the last two years, cold in the first half of the season, and then really hot in the second half of the season. Now, if the Phillies could have a good first half and have that stellar second half, they could be number one in the division.
“I’m pretty excited about this year,” said English teacher Mrs. Sherman. “I think a lot of fans are going to expect a lot out of the pitching this year. Our field game is pretty solid, but I’m looking forward to seeing what Turnball can do.”
The Philadelphia Phillies seem to have a promising year ahead of them, as they set their sights on winning the coveted World Series title. With a strong team in place, the Phillies are certainly capable of achieving that goal.
