The Phillies Resigned Their Star—But Is It the Missing Piece to Championship Glory?

So, here we are again, gearing up for another rollercoaster season with the Philadelphia Phillies — a team that’s kind of like that friend who looks like they have all the ingredients for the perfect meal but somehow keeps missing the flavor punch. Last year, they weren’t just good; they practically sprinted past everyone with 96 wins, yet stumbled when it mattered most in the playoffs. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it? Is this the year they finally put all those puzzle pieces together? With key players like Kyle Schwarber and JT Realmuto locked in, and a pitching staff looking to roar back with Zack Wheeler healthy, the Phillies smell like contenders. But will their rebuilt bullpen and lineup depth hold up? As odd as it sounds, the betting lines seem almost too generous with a 90.5 win projection — I’m leaning towards the over, and itching to see if Philly can shake up the National League hierarchy once again. Curious to dive deeper and see if these Phillies are poised to silence their doubters?

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Philadelphia Phillies Preview

If you didn’t catch the first in this series, on the Milwaukee Brewers, I suggest you go check it out. I will explain briefly the goal with these pieces again, but if you want to see any team, you can search my name and see which have been published. This is just the second article on baseball for the 2026 season, but there will be a ton. I plan to do a brief preview of every team and some thoughts on betting instead of doing long division articles. The focus for today is the Philadelphia Phillies and what we can expect from them next season.

Last year recap:

The Phillies are one of those clubs that seem to have everything, but they don’t always get the pieces to click the way you’d expect. You probably thought the Dodgers, who won the World Series, had the most wins in baseball last season. They did not. They weren’t even second, that was these Phillies who ended the year with a 96-66 record and coasted to the AL East title. In the Playoffs, they weren’t quite as fortunate as those aforementioned Dodgers beat them in four games. It was a disappointing end to a strong campaign from the Phillies.

Offseason Moves:

The main moves from the Phillies this year came in the form of resigning current players. There was a bit of a scare they wouldn’t get Kyle Schwarber back, but they did what they needed to do and got him locked up. It seemed like a mutual desire, and the Phillies get their clubhouse guy, power threat, and overall good player to be at the top of their lineup for a few more years. The other was resigning JT Realmuto. Realmuto hasn’t quite been the top-tier catcher he was a few years ago, but his production is still there and he should be okay to be the primary catcher for a couple more seasons. The other moves were a bit more under-the-radar, but still important. They bolstered their bullpen quite a bit – this was an area of concern for them for much of last year. They also signed Adolis Garcia. He isn’t the same power hitter he once was, but still has some pop left in that bat.

Roster:

Starting with the pitching, the biggest addition might be that the team should get back Zack Wheeler. Wheeler is a Cy Young caliber guy who can give the front of the rotation a huge lift. He was shut down last season, and the team probably missed him most in the playoffs, rather than just during the regular season. Cristopher Sanchez looks like he also could be a Cy Young candidate, and put together a fantastic season last year. Aaron Nola and Jesus Luzardo are both middle-rotation guys, but better than a lot of clubs have. The fifth spot will likely go to Taijuan Walker who is also probably better than most fifth starters. Their bullpen issues should be gone with the additions, and a full season of Jhoan Duran could push the Phillies over the edge. For their lineup, you’d really have to search for a spot that the team struggles. 1-9 can hit the ball. Injuries and age might be a factor as a lot of these guys are on the back-half of their career, but there still should be a few seasons remaining for them.

Betting Outlook:

The books have the Phillies listed at 90.5 games for their win total. I really don’t see how they don’t hit this. Looking at their lineup, even if one guy goes down, they have some good redundancy in the infield. Outfield help might be the biggest issue. I suppose the thought is that the Braves will be better and so will the Mets. The Phillies went 6-7 against the Mets last season, and 8-5 against the Braves. The Marlins and Nationals do not bother me even a little bit. Give me the over. I think they win the division again as well. This rotation is very strong, and a rebuilt bullpen should give them the push in close games. That is at just +160 which isn’t great value considering you have to wait so long to cash it, but I do like it. I think the Phillies could give the Dodgers a run for their money this season. At +700 to win the NL Pennant, I actually like that bet, too. Just to reach the NLCS was +250, and winning the World Series is +1400. I don’t know that I’ll do both of those, but I’ll certainly take the over and figure out the rest of how I want to manage the futures for the Phillies from there.

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