Inside The Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies Broadcaster Reveals X-Factors For 2024 Team

Larry Andersen revealed two players who could be crucial to the 2024 Philadelphia Phillies.

Tyler Maher

Philadelphia Phillies Broadcaster Reveals X-Factors For 2024 Team
Philadelphia Phillies Broadcaster Reveals X-Factors For 2024 Team /
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The Philadelphia Phillies are a veteran team loaded with established talent at nearly every position. One look around the diamond reveals big names like Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, J.T. Realmuto and Aaron Nola.

Those players are expected to carry the Phillies in 2024, just as they have the last few seasons. If Philadelphia wants to win the World Series, its stars need to shine in October.

That said, there are also a couple of less-proven players who could be vital to this year's team. If they break out and elevate their game, they could help put the Phillies over the top this year.

On Thursday, team radio announcer Larry Andersen discussed the importance of center fielder Johan Rojas and reliever Orion Kerkering to the 2024 club.

Andersen said he expects both players to step up this season despite their relative youth and inexperience.

Andersen felt Rojas' lack of experience was exposed last postseason. Despite batting .302/.342/.430 with 14 steals during the regular season as a rookie, Rojas fell into a horrific slump in October and went just 4-for-43 (.093) in the playoffs.

Andersen noticed that Rojas "bulked up a little bit" this offseason, apparently in an effort to hit for more power. Rojas only hit two home runs in 59 games last year, but perhaps the added muscle will help him reach double-digit bombs in 2024.

As for Kerkering, he's expected to be a key part of Philadelphia's bullpen this season. The 22-year-old flamethrower also struggled in his first taste of the postseason last year, posting a 7.71 ERA and a 3.43 WHIP in the Phillies' NLCS loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Both players showed major potential last year but came up short in critical moments. Hopefully they get the chance to redeem themselves this fall.

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Tyler Maher
TYLER MAHER

Tyler is a writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. He grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

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