Just as spring flowers bloom after hibernating all winter, Weekly Wrap-Ups by yours truly are back!!! I have decided to bring it back for a few reasons; first, I am a very different writer and person since the last time I wrote it (over a decade ago, believe it or not), and second, because I want to get back into writing consistently about baseball. I loved writing the article about the White Sox losing 121 games (which they might very well do again), and hey, why not write about what you love? It’s been in many a writing advice book I’ve read.
I do want to say that this Weekly Wrap-up will be shorter than others, as I will be focusing on the team that I follow, the Philadelphia Phillies. Before I get into them, I wanted to give you all a funny video of the Colorado Rockies turning a routine sacrifice fly into one that cleared the bases. If they keep this up, the Rockies may be a dark horse for breaking the White Sox’s record of 121 losses.
For the first time in a while, the Philadelphia Phillies have expectations. Not just to do well—winning the division led to a division series loss against the Mets last season—but win it all. No one expected the Phillies to make their wild run to the pennant in 2022. The same expectations were there the next year, but trusting Craig Kimbrel in the 2023 NLCS, among other failures, led to a Game 7 loss. We don’t talk about 2024; okay, well, we do, but a stellar first half led to a second half collapse and, unfortunately, a division series loss against our bitter rival, the New York Mets. The only upside was that no one suffered career-altering injuries like Ryan Howard did when we last won the division and lost in the division series in 2011.
In the wake of this heartbreaking loss, the Phillies chose to keep their core intact, adding only Max Kepler and Jesus Luzardo to their hitting and pitching core. Speaking of their hitting core, it includes such luminaries as the iconic Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and his Schwarbombs so tasty that Wawa collaborated with him to bring a drink, also called the Schwarbomb, JT Realmuto, Best (and cutest) Catcher in the Business, and Nick Castellanos. Kepler hit a .375 batting average in spring training, and one can hope that he keeps that hitting production up this season. As I typed his name, there was a deep drive into left field that will make it a 4-0 ballgame.
Their offseason strategy of staying put contrasted with other MLB teams. The Mets, the team that beat them in the 2024 NLDS, signed Juan Soto to a 15-year, $765 million contract. Their league rival in the Dodgers, spent aggressively to acquire many free agents, including pitchers Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki, as well as bolstering their lineup by adding Teoscar Hernandez. While a lack of offseason moves shows that the Phillies’ upper management has faith in their core, it is a core that is aging. Harper, Castellanos, and shortstop Trea Turner are approaching their 30s. Given that the Phillies had a shorter postseason run than anyone expected, the time is now for these players to turn back the clock and lead the Phightins to a deep playoff run.
The only moves the Phillies made were in Spring Training. Sending catcher Stubbs to the minor leagues in exchange for bringing up Raphael Marchan hurts for the vibes,1 but makes sense for bolstering the future of the catching position. Realmuto is not only part of the Phillies’ aforementioned aging core, but coming off knee surgery that sidelined him for part of last season. Marchan impressed me in relief for the BCIB, and I am looking forward to seeing more of him. I am not looking forward to seeing Taijuan Walker pitch every fifth game, given that Ranger Suarez is starting the season on the injured list and the Phillies traded away local pitcher Tyler Philips to the Marlins. He is one of two weaknesses on a strong starting rotation that includes Christopher Sanchez (who threw two complete games last season), Zach Wheeler, and Aaron Nola. While new acquisition Jesus Luzardo had a 5.00 ERA with the Marlins, he was playing for a team that had blown its core up for the second time in a decade. Hopefully, he improves with the Phillies; otherwise, I would suggest our hitters make sure to overachieve on those starts to power the Phillies to a W.
If you want any predictions from me, all I’ll say is I hope we lose the division to the Mets or Braves. I have the same expectations for the bullpen as I’ve had for as long as I have been a Phillies fan; they will blow leads and games like nobody’s business. Any baseball analyst who expresses faith in them ought to look at Kimbrel’s appearances in the 2023 NLCS and imminently, hopefully, change their minds. I know the starting rotation is good, and I know full well the hitting is feasting on pitching or striking out like it’s going out of style. All I would like for this team to do is let the Mets or Braves win the division. It would be a welcome change for them to experience a postseason collapse instead of us.