Like many in the greater Philadelphia area, I’m a huge Phillies fan. I’ve gotten more into them as I’ve gotten older, but I’ve enjoyed watching the team play for as long as I can remember. The highlight of my life (so far) was October 23, 2022: the Phillies had just defeated the Padres 4-3 in game 5 of the NLCS and were headed to the World Series. Bryce Harper, the swing of his life, he may never have another. Rhys Hoskins with an iconic 2-run home run. Insane Philadelphia energy. Being present at that game was surreal. No game I’ve been to since has even remotely compared. With opening day behind us, I want to dive into the statistics and assess the chances for another World Series.
In December, the Phillies and Kyle Schwarber finalized a five-year, $150 million deal to return to the franchise. Schwarber was the runner-up for the National League MVP in the 2025 season, finishing with 56 home runs and 132 RBIs. Since joining the franchise in 2022, Schwarber made two All-Star teams and finished top 20 in NL MVP voting in each of those seasons. He’s also become a walk machine in recent seasons, walking an NL-best 106 times in 2024 , and 108 times in 2025. He helped the Phillies win the NL East and make playoffs, but they were eliminated in the NLDS by the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Phillies remain third in the league in the odds to win the World Series. The Phillies are well behind the Dodgers in the odds to win the World Series, but they appear to be a strong contender in the National League.
The Phillies have an insanely stacked roster: Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper, to name a few. The three top players were off to a rough start in the beginning of the 2026 season, but they’ve since been doing rather well. Arguably, they haven’t been playing to their full potential, but it’s still very early to say anything for certain. Additionally, rookie Justin Crawford has proven himself to be a worthy player. Recently earning his first walk-off hit, Crawford leads the team with the highest batting average of 0.306. Then there are the menaces in the field, like Bryce Harper, Brandon Marsh, JT Realmuto, and Edmundo Sosa. Harper is a phenomenal first baseman (although I’ll always be upset he replaced Rhys Hoskins), Marsh is good in left field, Realmuto has consistently been one of the top catchers in the MLB, and everybody loves Sosa. Then there’s the pitching staff. Christopher Sanchez is a top starting pitcher. 23 strikeouts in 3 games, with a 1.65 ERA. Jhoan Duran (aka Durantula) is a top closer. 4 saves, 7 strikeouts, and a 2.59 ERA. The two of them are certainly forces to be reckoned with. Then there are people like Taijuan Walker, who lower fan morale like no other. 10 earned runs in 2 games, 9.31 ERA, and only 6 strikeouts—awful. At least newbie Andrew Painter has proven himself a starter. I certainly don’t know everything about the team’s chances, but I’d like to say they can at least make it to the playoffs.