Five Intriguing Phillies Predictions Before Opening Day Against Nationals

Here are five predictions for the Philadelphia Phillies before they face the Washington Nationals on Opening Day.

Sep 17, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies enter the 2025 MLB campaign with championship expectations. They also have a veteran core that could look noticeably different this time next year.

That means the pressure is on the Phillies to win now and ultimately push the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers for the National League pennant.

Games that count are on the horizon, so lets make five predictions for Philadelphia's 2025 season.

Phillies Win NL East, Make NLDS

The Atlanta Braves and New York Mets make for stiff competition within the division, but the Phillies ultimately finish with the best record among the trio.

The Phillies are well positioned to come out of the gate hot with three games against the young Washington Nationals followed by three against the Colorado Rockies. That's six games to start the year against two teams projected to finish well below .500.

Long-term Philadelphia has a strong, veteran lineup paired with one of the league's best rotations, making them the team with the best chance to knock off the loaded Dodgers in October.

Zack Wheeler Wins Elusive First Cy Young Award

Speaking of premium pitching, the Phillies headliner wins his first Cy Young award in 2025.

Pittsburgh Pirates flame thrower Paul Skenes stands in Wheeler's way, but the Pirates are expected to be a sub .500 team, which gives Philadelphia's ace an edge against last year's NL Rookie of the Year.

Opening the year with starts against the Nationals and Rockies doesn't hurt Wheeler's prospects, either.

Wheeler has been the runner up in this race twice in his career, including last season, making him a top of the line pitcher that truly deserves a Cy Young award win.

Jesus Luzardo Wins Comeback Player of the Year

Luzardo is coming off an uneven 2024 campaign, but he already has six Big League seasons under his belt even though he won't turn 28 years old until September. He's moving from a Miami Marlins team that had no real shot at the postseason last year, to a Phillies squad that could realistically win the World Series at season's end.

Luzardo is not only in a classic bounce back spot, but he's in a perfect position to have a career year on the best team he's ever pitched for. He was a dark horse Comeback Player of the Year contender a month ago, heading towards the start of the regular season a hot first start against Washington could push him towards the front of this race.

Kyle Schwarber Leads NL in Homers

Schwarber led the NL with 46 homers in 2022, so he's already shown that he can do this.

Now he's in a contract year with 131 homers over the last three seasons. Let's predict that he goes over 50 for the first time in his career in 2025, leading the NL for the second time in four seasons.

Phillies 2025 Record Prediction: 93-69