Wednesday, April 02

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- There have been more exciting camps this spring than the Phillies’ at BayCare Ballpark.

Most of the gang is back. There are a few new faces, such as Jesús Luzardo, Max Kepler and Joe Ross. But for the most part, the core returns. It means a star-studded lineup with Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber. It means a star-studded rotation with Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sánchez and Aaron Nola. It means big arms in the bullpen with Jordan Romano, Matt Strahm, José Alvarado and Orion Kerkering.

It means a team with World Series aspirations.

What needs to go right?

The easy answer is health. Every team will have injuries, but almost no team can handle major blow after major blow, especially to its core. If the Phillies stay healthy, they should compete for a second consecutive National League East title and a World Series championship.

But the real answer is they need to play well in October. Everybody knows the story by now. The Phils lost in six games to the Astros in the 2022 World Series, they lost in seven games to the Diamondbacks in the 2023 NL Championship Series and they lost in four games to the Mets in the 2024 NL Division Series. The team has improved each regular season record-wise, but it has regressed in the postseason.

Everything about the Phillies this season is geared toward October. Can they play well when it matters most?

Great unknown

The Phillies signed Kepler to a one-year, $10 million contract in December after he endured one of the worst years of his career last year. He has been injured a lot, but Kepler has looked good this spring following an offseason surgery to repair a partially detached abdominal muscle and mechanical adjustments to his swing.

If health and an improved swing are signs of things to come, the Phillies will be thrilled with their new left fielder, who would provide another big bat in the lineup, as well as solid defense in the field.

Team MVP will be ...

The easy pick for the NL MVP is Dodgers slugger/pitcher Shohei Ohtani, especially once he returns to the mound. But Harper loves a challenge. He remains one of the most feared hitters in baseball because he is one of the most clutch hitters in baseball. If he’s hitting second or third in the Phillies’ lineup, it’s easy to picture him putting up monster numbers, coupled with Gold Glove-caliber defense at first base.

If Harper stays healthy and puts everything together, forget team MVP -- he could make a run at his third NL MVP.

Team Cy Young will be ...

Wheeler enters every season trying to win the NL Cy Young Award. He finished second in 2021 and again last year. Maybe he will win it this year. There is no reason to think he can’t.

But one of Wheeler’s top competitors for the NL Cy Young Award might be Sánchez. If what he has shown this spring is real -- and there’s no reason to think it isn’t -- Wheeler and Sánchez will be one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball, leading a rotation that includes Nola, Luzardo and Ranger Suárez, with top prospect Andrew Painter possibly joining the team this summer.

Bold prediction

Alvarado will not only be the first Phillies reliever to save at least 30 games since Jeanmar Gómez (37 saves) in 2016, but he will lead all lefty relievers in strikeouts. 

Prior to Strahm making his first All-Star team last year, who was the Phillies’ last left-handed reliever to make an NL All-Star team?

A. Rhéal Cormier

B. Billy Wagner
C. J.C. Romero

D. Scott Eyre

Strahm struck out three batters in a scoreless inning on Saturday at the Carpenter Complex. It was his first appearance in a game since March 5 because of inflammation and a bone bruise in his left shoulder. He will likely be on the Opening Day roster.

Strahm struck out the last batter he faced on a changeup. He did not throw a changeup last season and threw five in 2023. He has not thrown more than 67 in a season since 2019.

But after fiddling with prospect Seth Johnson’s kick-changeup grip and liking its movement, Strahm threw a few to the last batter on Saturday. He essentially spikes a finger on the ball, which creates more depth than his typical changeup.

He said he would be comfortable throwing it during the season.

“As long as J.T. [Realmuto] calls it,” Strahm said.

Why add a changeup now?

“Pitch until I’m 40,” said Strahm, who is 33.

Peacock launched in-market streaming for NBC Sports Philadelphia on Tuesday, meaning Peacock subscribers can subscribe to stream Phillies, 76ers and Flyers games. Peacock Premium or Premium Plus subscribers located in NBC Sports Philadelphia’s territory can purchase a monthly add-on subscription in addition to their Peacock subscription.

To learn more and to subscribe, users can visit NBC Sports Philadelphia.

B. Billy Wagner

Wagner made the 2005 NL All-Star team on his way to finishing with a 1.51 ERA and 38 saves over an MLB-leading 70 appearances.

To subscribe to Phillies Beat, visit this page and mark "Phillies Beat" from our newsletter list. Make sure you're following the Phillies or that they're checked as your favorite team.

View Online

© 2025 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. MLB trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball. Visit MLB.com. Any other marks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners.

Please review our Privacy Policy.

You (mlb-newsletters@mlb.com) received this message because you registered to receive commercial email messages or purchased a ticket from MLB. 

Please add info@marketing.mlbemail.com to your address book to ensure our messages reach your inbox. If you no longer wish to receive commercial email messages from MLB.com, please unsubscribe or log in and manage your email subscriptions.

Postal Address: MLB.com, c/o MLB Advanced Media, L.P., 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.