The Philadelphia Phillies have kicked things off at spring training and will be hoping to bounce back after an early postseason exit.
Coming into the winter, the Phillies were certainly reeling a bit from a much earlier-than-anticipated exit from the postseason. Last year, Philadelphia looked like they had put together a pretty complete team to make a long run in October.
Unfortunately, they won just one playoff game and were eliminated in the National League Division Series.
There were a couple of reasons for the loss, but mainly it was because of the lack of production from the bottom of their order and some struggles once again with the bullpen.
This offseason, the Phillies have made some moves to improve their areas of need, but for them, it’s all about success in October at this point.
The core of Philadelphia is getting a bit older and with some hitting free agency next year, this might be the last run at it for this group in 2025. However, there is still a lot of potential for this team.
One reason why the Phillies can bounce back in 2025 is because of some of their talented sluggers.
Andrew Simon of MLB.com recently projected every team’s leading slugger. For the Phillies, designated hitter Kyle Schwarber was projected to lead the team in home runs with 38 this coming season.
The 31-year-old is entering the final year of his contract with Philadelphia and should be highly motivated to have a great campaign.
In 2024, the former All-Star had an excellent season. He slashed 248/.366/.485 with 38 home runs and 104 RBI. While he still struck out nearly 200 times, he did see his batting average go way up from previous years.
Schwarber has established himself as one of the best power hitters in the game with multiple campaigns over 45 home runs. Even though he usually bats at the top of the order for the Phillies, he drives in a lot of runs as well.
Overall, he has been an excellent addition to the team the last couple of years, but as an impending free agent, this could be his final season in Philadelphia.
With that being said and free agency looming, he should be focused on having a great year to earn his next significant contract.
As the leader of the team in home runs since signing with the Phillies, the only thing that would likely hold him back from reaching that would be an injury.
