The Phillies will start the 2025 MLB season next Thursday in Washington, where they will take on the Nationals. While the Phillies look to win the NL East for the second year in a row, the division has only gotten tougher.
The Mets and Braves are poised to have better seasons than last year with each team improving their roster and getting healthy during the offseason. The Mets made the big addition of Juan Soto and a new starter in Clay Holmes. The Braves will get back Ronald Acuna Jr who was out last year with an ACL injury. Spencer Stirder is also expected to return to the Braves at some point this season. Austin Riley be healthy to start the year which will give the Braves another boost. The Braves lineup, along with a solid starting staff led by reigning Cy Young winner Chris Sale, will make the Braves a much better ball club heading into 2025.
The Nationals and Marlins are both a few years away from posing any threat to the Phillies within the division. I do expect the Nationals to be a better team this year and win around 75 games. The Marlins are going to be the basement dwellers for the entire year as they are the worst team in the division by a wide margin.
The Phillies have the potential to finish the year on top of the division. They have the best pitching and in my opinion the most complete line up top to bottom. The Mets and Braves aren’t far off so the pressure will be on for the Phils to perform. I’ve pieced together some of my predictions for this season below:
Phillies Predictions
Here are some of my predictions for the season:
- Christopher Sanchez performs Ranger Suarez this year
- Orion Kerkring shines as a late-game reliever
- Alec Bohm hits 25+ home runs
- Trea Turner thrives in the lead-off spot
- Bryson Stott returns to his 2023 form and hits .285-.295
- Max Kepler exceeds expectations following a hot spring training
- Johan Rojas plays gold glove-caliber defense in CF while also hitting a few more homers
- Andrew Painter’s impact on the pitching rotation will be felt immediately and could be a sneaky ROTY pick
- Phillies finish the year 92-70
Despite the team not making any significant changes to the roster, the Phillies are still a great baseball team with the roster they have. The pitching this season has the possibility to be the anchor of the ball club with a starting 5 that can compete with anyone. The bullpen is the concerning piece to the puzzle but I do expect Orion Kerkring to be a crucial part of the team.
It has yet to be confirmed whether Trea Turner or Kyle Schwarber will be leading off to start the year. I expect Turner to be the lead-off man with Schwarber moving down to the 4th spot. Bryce Harper would bat second which would be a great spot for him. Harper, in my opinion, is poised for a big year offensively. He’s fully healthy, not learning a new position, and probably feels the most comfortable going into a regular season in years. The Phillies need a different approach on offense and shaking up the lineup is a great way to help generate more offense. My expectations for Max Kepler are a little higher now following his great spring training. Johan Rojas has also put together a good spring, giving me hope he can be an everyday player in CF.
I do believe this team has the complete package to win 90-plus games in 2025. The division will be tougher but I expect this team to put together another strong regular season. The big question surrounding this team will be answered in October. If the bats disappear again changes will have to be made. If the bats show up, they’ll be celebrated for making the necessary adjustments and all will be well atop the NL East come September.
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