5 days Ago
The Philadelphia Phillies have consistently been one of the best teams in baseball over the last few years. Coming into the 2025 season, many fans and analysts thought they had the best chance to compete with and overcome the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers , who loaded up their roster with even more talent over the offseason. The Phillies had a quieter than anticipated winter, making very few moves with their roster.
It is hard to blame them for taking that route, given that they won 95 games in the regular season last year and took home the National League East crown. They are going to face more challenges this year with other teams improving, but they have the talent and depth to compete with anyone. That, in part, is what makes Philadelphia one of the most watchable teams in the MLB, as shared by David Schonfield of ESPN .
The MLB writer placed them at No. 3, behind only the Boston Red Sox and Dodgers, who are, respectively, Nos. 2 and 1.
They maxed out their star power ranking; Los Angeles and New York Mets are the only other teams to do that. The Phillies also scored a maximum score for minutiae as the fan experience is top notch whether it is attending a game at Citizens Bank Park, watching on television or listening along on the radio. “The Phillies are good, they have fun players, they have the best mascot and they play in front of sellout crowds.
Now they just need a World Series title,” Schoenfield wrote. Leading the way in terms of fun players to watch are Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber. Harper's incorporation of the Phillie Phanatic into his gear has gone viral on social media.
Still one of the most popular players in the game, and every time he steps to the plate, fans are going to tune in. Schwarber is the epitome of a three-outcome player but is still amongst the most productive players in the league. Only Aaron Judge has been a more prolific power hitter than him in recent years.
What separates Philadelphia from their competition is their pitching staff. With Cristopher Sanchez taking his production to another level and Jesus Luzardo looking like the best version of himself , this is a staff no one will want to face off against throughout the season, especially in a playoff series. Those two being behind Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola is a lot for opponents to handle.
Not to mention, their depth in the rotation looks to be elite. Ranger Suarez was an All-Star last year and Taijuan Walker has put an abysmal 2024 behind him, stepping up with Suarez currently on the sideline . The staff will be getting another boost down the line from top prospect Andrew Painter, who is expected to debut sometime during the summer, as he will be on a strict innings limit after missing the last two seasons.
There are a lot of reasons to be excited about the Phillies, both presently and in the future; they could be near the top of these rankings for a long time. Recommended Articles.
