Philadelphia Phillies

Off-season Overview:

After a dramatic 2022 playoff run and a loss in the World Series, the Phillies added key pieces to make them even more dangerous in the 2023 season. Trea Turner is the notable HUGE addition to this offense and the biggest question is, where does he hit in an already talented lineup? Philadelphia also bolstered its bullpen creating an expectation of reliability that has been missing in the recent past. The bullpen, already having a handful of viable closers, added Craig Kimbrel, Matt Strahm, and Gregory Soto. The rotation also is joined by former Met, Tiajuan Walker who will look repeat his 2022 success in the same division. Expect top prospects Andrew Painter and Mick Abel to crack the rotation and the Phillies will be as deep as any contender. Deservedly so, the Philadelphia fans and front office have high expectations for this club who could be buyers at the deadline if they are one piece shy of another deep playoff run.

Ceiling:

World Series Champions. It should come as no surprise that the World Series runner-ups have the potential to make back-to-back trips and come out victorious this time around. Bryce Harper is out on injured reserved for at least the first half, but the offense is potent without him. Once Harper returns from his injury, there is no question the Phillies have the best offense is baseball and the lineup reads more like an All-Star game lineup: Turner, Schwarber, Hoskins, Harper, Realmuto, Castellanos. Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm have the potential to blossom under the guidance of the core veterans in Philly. The Phillies rotation lacks a shut-down arm but is still one of the deepest in the league with proven arms like Wheeler, Nola, Walker, and Suarez. With Andrew Painter likely to make his presence known, and the additions to the bullpen, the pitching staff is strong enough to get Philadelphia near the 100 win mark.

Floor:

Another Wild Card entrance into October behind the Mets and Braves repeating a 100-win season and a loss in the Wild Card round. The NL East is stacked at the top with the the Mets, Braves, and Phillies and all three teams are capable of winning the division. I don't even think injuries could deplete the depth of talent in Philadelphia. Even with Harper out of the lineup for half the season, the Phillies are legit. A bad year in Philadelphia still gets them into the Wild Card.

My Prediction:

A loss in the NLDS. The top of the NL is so good that even a stacked Philadelphia team could fall to the other contenders. I could rave about the Phillies all day and night, but I can't see another storybook run through the playoffs. The starting rotation is legit, but it simply doesn't match up game-to-game with the other NL playoff teams.

-- Max Beermann