2 weeks Ago
Under the guidance of president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, the Philadelphia Phillies have become one of the few legitimate World Series contenders in the MLB. Since he took over in 2021, the team has increased their regular season win total every seasons. They had 82 in his first year at the helm, then won 87, 90 and 95.
The Phillies have made the playoffs in three consecutive years. But, as their win totals have increased, their stay in the postseason has shortened. In 2022, they reached the World Series but were defeated by the Houston Astros .
The following year, a collapse occurred as they held a 3-2 lead in the NLCS over the Arizona Diamondbacks but lost Games 6 and 7 at home. This most recent postseason, Philadelphia was eliminated by their National League East rivals, the New York Mets , in four games in the NLDS. Certainly not the October performance anyone was hoping for, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that Dombrowski has been doing an excellent job during his tenure in Philadelphia.
This is an incredibly strong roster from top to bottom, loaded with All-Stars. They get the job done in every facet, capable of producing runs with power or deft base running with speed and athleticism. On the mound, there isn’t a team in baseball who has as talented of a starting rotation as the Phillies.
Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo and Taijuan Walker have been excellent. Eventually, Ranger Suarez, an All-Star in 2024, will return to the mix and top prospect Andrew Painter will join the party as well. The bullpen has a dominant trio with Jose Alvarado, Orion Kerkering and Matt Strahm anchoring the group.
The Phillies can go toe-to-toe with any lineup and pitching staff in the game. It wasn’t don't by accident either, as Dombrowski and his staff have done a wonderful job plugging holes and adding pieces when necessary. It is one thing to not be afraid to take big swings in free agency or the trade market; it is another to find the right pieces that fit, which they have done with regularity.
“Have they made some bad free-agent signings? Sure, I guess, one out of every five. But they don’t swing and miss that often and they never miss on trades. Ever.
They evaluate their own players better than anyone. When was the last time Dave got burned on a young prospect? It just doesn’t happen,” said one official who partook in the ranking of MLB front offices over at The Athletic (subscription required), referencing Philadelphia’s ability to build up the roster without draining the minor league system. To acquire Luzardo from the Miami Marlins , the Phillies traded shortstop Starlyn Caba, one of their top prospects.
But, they still have Aidan Miller at the position along with outfielder Justin Crawford moving up the ranks. Painter is going to make his Major League debut sometime this summer, making it possible for a sustainable, long-term winner to still be built when it is time to move on from this current core. There are several homegrown players providing an impact at the Major League level currently as well, as Dombrowski has done a wonderful job improving the franchise’s outlook in the present and future.
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