Philadelphia Phillies Remain Near Top of Pre-Spring Training Power Rankings
The Philadelphia Phillies came into the MLB offseason with a very sour taste in their mouth.
All of the hard work they put in during the regular season, winning 95 games, the second most in baseball, and winning the National League East, was for naught as their stay in the postseason was a short one.
They were eliminated in the NLDS in four games by the New York Mets, as they fell woefully short of their World Series aspirations.
The early exit led to speculation that the roster could be shaken up this winter in an effort to keep pace with the other contenders in the league.
Catching the star-studded Los Angeles Dodgers, who improved their roster exponentially despite just winning a championship, is going to be a tall task. The Phillies also have to face off against two title contenders in their own division; the Mets and Atlanta Braves.
Because of that, it is easy to see why some evaluators and analysts believe that they had an underwhelming offseason. There was no splash like for the other contenders, as New York landed Juan Soto and the Dodgers picked up Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates.
However, virtually the entire core from a 95-win team is coming back, which sets Philadelphia up nicely heading into 2025. There weren’t many areas of weakness on the roster, but they did address one glaring one.
Adding Jesus Luzardo as the No. 5 starting pitcher gives them one of the best starting rotations in the game. That will help them go toe-to-toe with any opponent and is a major reason why Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report has them holding the No. 4 spot in his pre-Spring Training Power Rankings.
“The Philadelphia Phillies began the offseason with just a few things on the to-do list, and all of those items have been crossed off with the additions of Jesús Luzardo as the No. 5 starter, Max Kepler as the new left fielder and Jordan Romano in the closer's role.”
There are certainly risks in having Kepler, who has never played left field as a professional, penciled in as the starter. Defensively, the Phillies are going to have major issues in the grass.
Jordan Romano battled injury and was ineffective in 2024, but was light out from 2021-23 as the closer for the Toronto Blue Jays. He makes for a worthwhile risk, but is he enough to help fill the void left by Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez?
It is certainly fair to question if the front office made enough moves to maintain their status as a top team in baseball. The Luzardo acquisition should be plenty, as their pitching will be the backbone of the team.
What would cement their standing is acquiring an outfielder that can push Brandon Marsh back to left field, creating a dynamic platoon in right with Max Kepler and Nick Castellanos.