Despite a lackluster off-season, Phillies start 2024 in the Top .

Despite a lackluster off-season, Phillies start 2024 in the Top .

The Phillies continue to rise after what most fans considered to be a lackluster

offseason. MLB.com ranks them as the fifth-best team in baseball as of the beginning of the new year.

Even though the Philadelphia Phillies had a dismal finish to 2023—losing two straight games at home to the inferior

Arizona Diamondbacks—MLB analysts still have confidence in the team going into 2024.

At the beginning of the year, MLB.com’s Will Leitch published his first 2024 power rankings, and the Phillies were

ranked fifth, just behind some of the league’s top teams. They are behind the Texas Rangers, the defending World

Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Atlanta Braves (1), and the Baltimore Orioles

The Phillies of 2023 have demonstrated their playoff ability over the last two

years, finishing among the final four teams in the postseason. They are ranked higher going into 2024 than the

Diamondbacks, who finished their season a few months ago. They have fallen behind teams like the Atlanta

Braves, though, who they defeated in the National League Division Series the previous two seasons.

The Houston Astros (6), Tampa Bay Rays (7), New York Yankees (8), Diamondbacks

(9), and Toronto Blue Jays (10), among others, are among the other teams ranked in the top 10

The Phillies and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski haven’t done much since signing Aaron Nola in

November, so it’s not shocking to see this team crack the top five for 2024. Even though they did not play to their full

potential, a team that finished with 90 wins in 2023 could easily end up with 95 wins in 2024.

A new beginning suggests a more prosperous season for the following year,

given the notable absences of players like Bryce Harper, Aaron Nola, and Ranger

Suárez in 2023 and the strong slumps of Trea Turner and Carlos Alvarado. At the end of the season, a healthy Harper for

the entire year and successful comeback seasons for All-Stars like Turner and Nola could easily add a few more

Similar teams are making significant roster additions in an effort to identify

the secret to October success. The Los Angeles Dodgers have significantly

improved their play on both sides of the ball. The Atlanta Braves have indicated that they are not happy with the final

product either by making a number of changes, such as adding Chris Sale, a former elite starter.

The Phillies’ postseason performance will be the main topic of discussion. The

roster is lacking some players. Guys like Cristopher Sánchez, Jake Cave, and Johan

Rojas might not be enough to motivate a championship-chasing team to pursue the ultimate goal of a World Series.

The Phillies rank among the top five teams in the league right now. It will take maneuvers to be able to match up

against the National League’s titans in order to get to the top rung on the ladder.

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