PECOTA Projects 2022 NL Champion Phillies to Finish Third in NL East

Tuesday, Baseball Prospectus released its annual PECOTA projections, for the 2023 Major League Baseball season. The simulations had the reigning National League champion Philadelphia Phillies finishing in third place in the National League East for the second straight season.

Tuesday, Baseball Prospectus released its annual PECOTA projections, for the 2023 Major League Baseball season.

The simulations had the reigning National League champion Philadelphia Phillies finishing in third place in the National League East for the second straight season.

PECOTA has the New York Mets winning 97.2 games en route to the club's first division title since 2015.

The Atlanta Braves, division champions for the last five years and counting, received 91.8 wins in PECOTA's projections, finishing outside of first place for the first time since 2017.

PECOTA had the Phillies winning 89.5 games, just over two games behind the Braves in the division.

The Phillies, with baseball's fourth-highest payroll, hope to be even better in 2023, than they were a season ago.

Executive Dave Dombrowski signed shortstop Trea Turner to an 11-year, $300 million contract. In hopes of solidifying the club's rotation, he also signed Taijuan Walker to a four-year, $72 million contract. He also beefed up the club's bullpen, signing Matt Strahm and David Robertson, and trading for All-Star Gregory Soto.

Bryce Harper missed a significant chunk of time due to injury last season. Once he returns from Tommy John surgery early in the season, he hopes to play more than the 99 games he played in 2022.

With a healthy Harper and the club's new additions, the Phillies have high hopes for 2023.

BETMGM has the Phillies' over/under win total set at 88.5.

For more on Baseball Prospectus' PECOTA projections, here's how Baseball Prospectus defines PECOTA:

"Please remember that PECOTA and our simulations do not "pick" a team to 'win' any particular number of games. Rather, they identify an estimated range of games a team might win and tells you the average of that fairly wide range. That is the point of the visualizations. Any one of those outcomes is possible. However, some of them, as you can see, are more likely than others."

Check out the latest episode of the Jack Vita Show!

Subscribe to the Jack Vita Show on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Amazon | iHeartRadio | Stitcher | Pandora | TuneIn | Listen Notes | Podtail | Podchaser | Hubhopper | Audio junkie | Himalaya | Podcast Addict | Available wherever podcasts are found.

For more from Jack Vita, follow him on Twitter @JackVitaShow, and subscribe to his podcast, the Jack Vita Show, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Facebook, Amazon, iHeartRadio, and wherever podcasts are found.