The 2024 Philadelphia Phillies season was one of the best seasons in recent memory. Until it wasn’t and ended in the most disappointing way possible. The good news is that there is another season coming up in only a few weeks and it has most of the same characters that made 2024 so exciting.
Lets start with how the off-season has gone so far. The Max Kepler signing was good. Austin Hays last year was an absolute dud. The fact that it is just a one year deal is good because if Max sucks, the Phillies can just ship him off somewhere for a prospect or something. Kepler will be a good left fielder so Manager Rob Thompson can fiddle with the Center Field position all year for a 3rd year in a row. Someone has to tell Rob Thompson that if you have 2 center fielders, it means that you don't have one. Jordan Romano is also a great signing for the bullpen. 1 year deal for 8.5 million dollars is a nice price for the resume that Romano has. The only thing with Romano is that he was terrible last year, but that was because he was hurt. Hopefully he is not hurt as he is going to be a key piece in this bullpen. As long as he does not pull a 2023 Craig Kimbrel on us, I am happy with however he does. I am glad that the Phillies made no huge moves. The Phillies lack of skill was not the reason why they got bounced out in the NLDS last year. Spending more money would not fix the problem.
For the players that were already on the Phillies, they just need to do whatever they did last year in the regular season. Bryce Harper is going to return to MVP form in 2025 I promise you that. He is going to absolutely tear it up all year long and be in the MVP conversation all year. Zack Wheeler is going to win the Cy Young. He has come runner up twice now in his time with the Phillies and I am sure that losing to Chris Sale pissed him off so much. If Trea Turner can stop being a slightly above average shortstop and start being the 300 million dollar shortstop we paid him to be, that would also be great.
Christopher Sanchez is going to keep improving just like he did last year. That contract extension will be talked about as the most bang for your buck deals in a few years. Hopefully Aaron Nola can keep up with his incredibly consistent career. It is very easy to forget about Aaron Nola, but he is the longest tenured current player on the Phillies and he gets a lot of respect in the clubhouse.
Now for the guys that I think will not be good this year. Pitchers across the league have figured out that Alec Bohm cannot hit inside fastballs. He was good last year all the way until the all-star game and then the wheels fell off. If I was an old man I would say it was the Home Run Derby that messed up his swing. Bryson Stott needs to be better. If Stott is not playing at or near an all-star level the Phillies need to get a new second baseman. Lastly, Ranger Suárez cannot start off April by winning pitcher of the month, and then shitting the bed for the rest of the year. I love Mr. Rager, I think he is a fantastic playoff pitcher and that he shines in the spotlight, but he fell off of a cliff last year after May to the point where there was talks of making him the 5th starter.
J.T. Realmuto, Nick Castellanos, Brandon Marsh, and the bullpen just need to do whatever they did last year. Those guys are the work horses that give the stars of the team the ability to be a star. If the bullpen can not have a closer by committee like they did last year that would be great. It would be nice to have a guy that is just always lights out in the 9th inning and rack up a bunch of saves.
Now for some season predictions
MVP - Zack Wheeler - Every 5th day is going to be a guaranteed win for the Phillies as long as Wheeler can stay healthy.
Breakout - Christopher Sanchez - Our #3 pitcher is most teams ace. Sanchez is going to be a household name by the end of 2025
Stinker - Alec Bohm - No one was higher on Bohm when he came to the league than me. His disastrous 2nd half and October performance has turned me to a hater. Please prove me wrong Alec.
X Factor - Kyle Schwarber - This team runs through Schwarber. He is the leader in the clubhouse and if he is ass, the whole team falls apart. I cannot go through the gauntlet that is finding a competent leadoff hitter if Schwarber goes down.
Record and Place - 93-69 good for first place in the NL East. The Mets and Braves are going to make NL East race quite interesting, but I believe that the Phillies will prevail.
Please like and share with a Phillies fan, or a sad Mets fan.
That is todays Tea, with T.
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