Andrew Noel, Editor     

Spring is here, the weather is getting warmer and the sun is up past 5 p.m. That can only mean one thing: baseball is back.

The Phillies once again enter the 2025 season with high expectations. However, after last season’s second half struggles, and after being easily swept aside by the Mets in the playoffs, many fans are not expecting much out of the largely unchanged team from a year ago.

This year’s lineup will be nearly identical to the one that Manager Rob Thompson fielded last year, with the rumors that third baseman Alec Bohms’ departure being just that, rumors. The main concern that people have with the Phillies’ lineup is twofold. First, everyone is a year older which means one of the oldest teams in baseball just got… well, older. Second, the main issue that has plagued the Phillies in recent seasons has been striking out too much and, as a unit, being very inconsistent. 

Players like Nick Castellanos and Bryson Stott have to show more hitting consistency in 2025. The Phillies also have to hope that aging superstars Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwaber do not begin to decline, as has been the case with catcher J.T. Realmuto. If the Phillies do find themselves struggling offensively, top prospect Aiden Miller is waiting in the wings for his opportunity at the big league level. The Phillies’ lineup remains the biggest question mark heading into the new season.

In terms of pitching, the Phillies’ starting rotation remains largely unchanged from a year ago, at least at the top. Zach Wheeler and Aaron Nola will once again shoulder the load and be two crucial players in determining how this season goes. Ranger Suarez and Christopher Sanchez nicely fill in the third and fourth starting spots, and newly acquired Jesus Luzardo will try to overcome the injury bug and develop into the pitcher that many people thought would be a star just a few years ago. One of the game’s best pitching prospects, Andrew Painter, is healthy again and will be looking to make an impact in the second half of the season.

The area with the most change on the Phillies roster from a year ago is no doubt the bullpen. Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez both departed as free agents in the Winter, with Jordan Romano being brought in to help fill the hole left by Hoffman and Estevez. Jose Alvarado and Orion Kerkering will both hope for bounce back years, and Matt Strahm will be hoping to build off a very good 2024 season.

The Phillies are good–no one can doubt that. However, it became clear last year that the team that will be once again fielding this year does not have the talent to win a World Series. They will certainly be in the playoff picture and will have a say in who represents the National League in the World Series, but unless things drastically change, it’s hard to see the Phillies winning the World Series in 2025, although worse teams than these Phillies have won it in the past.