I officially hate this Phillies team

[Patchmk88]

I’m sure some fans are getting turned off by the fact that the roster is basically the same as it was 4 years ago. You can have the same high end stake every night and eventually you’ll get tired of it.

This team is still very good. The starting pitching is excellent and with Walker rebounding a bit, Painter getting healthy, and Abel turning it around there is actually some depth. The relief pitching is very up and down and it is my one complaint about the offseason. The offense is fine but is definitely aging. Guys like Bohm and Stott while good have not taken the step into stardom which is a bit frustrating. I think Rojas has taken a little step forward this year which is promising (he had two great at bats last night). It does stink that we haven’t had a homegrown offensive star since the last winning core. I feel like those are the players that people really resonate with. The players like Tollins, Utley, and Howard. Maybe someone like Miller can be that player.

As long as this team is healthy, makes it into the postseason, and improves the bullpen (whether internally or externally), I think that with the starting pitching they have a chance in the postseason.

[zambonir]

It does stink that we haven’t had a homegrown offensive star since the last winning core.

Maybe just a tick short of "star" if you require MVP-type performance, but Hoskins was that guy. He was also very much missed in '23, and still is, especially at his current level of production (136 OPS+). But, barring the time machine where they never sign Nick, just wasn't really a path to keep him. Turner was billed as the big new RHB in Hoskins' absence and that hasn't worked out quite that way either.

As much as I think Dombrowski does have to roll the dice hard this year, I also don't think he's going to go crazy at the deadline. Crawford and Painter aren't going anywhere and Miller's stock is down anyway (but you still don't trade someone like him for a rental).

It's not always fun to watch a team go 4-3 instead of 5-2 or 6-1 in May or August. But it's fine in October (3-4, not so much).

[LegoDoom]

It does stink that we haven’t had a homegrown offensive star since the last winning core.

Maybe just a tick short of "star" if you require MVP-type performance, but Hoskins was that guy. He was also very much missed in '23, and still is, especially at his current level of production (136 OPS+)

Hoskins had a negative WAR last year and there is no way he's starting over Harper or Schwarber.

[zambonir]

But he's almost 1.0 already this year which puts him on pace for more than 3.0 (though it doesn't exactly work that way). Last year was his bounce-back from injury season. No question, he didn't fit with the team after Harper's own injuries, but in this fantasy he would replace Nick, not Harper or Schwarber (both LHBs so wouldn't make sense regardless of positions). If Nick wasn't here you'd have Harper back in RF. As it is, if the version of Nick we currently have after his hot start continues (.618 OPS in last 28 days) they'll need to replace him anyway. Whether they actually would, well, probably not, and almost certainly not with a major trade bat.

I also think Schwarber back in LF and Hoskins at DH is probably still better than the current line-up (where Kepler is not only a merely adequate bat, but a LHB) even if that would be sub-optimal defense at both corner OF spots.

The team is good enough right now as it is, but based on the past two Octobers we are bound to remember our RH bats failing to come through in key spots (or even just hit enough home runs) more than we'll remember weak OF defense.

[LegoDoom]

I can get behind some combination of the three, but Hoskins would sit a lot.

Also who cares? Harper and Schwarber are the most philly people ever.

[xyzabc25]

Trade for Cedric Mullins. He provides lineup/defensive impact right away. The Phillies need to make a WC push this year, and next before the core group ages further. Below is a three year Mullins performance projection.
Season Age AVG OBP SLG WAR
2025 30 0.242 0.309 0.404 2.8
2026 31 0.239 0.307 0.392 2.3
2027 32 0.240 0.308 0.393 2.2

[LegoDoom]

https://youtu.be/dzE0LGb6xLw

[zambonir]

Haven't we been talking about trading for him since 2019?

[xyzabc25]

Yes. He becomes a free agent in 2026. Baltimore's 2025 season is not going well. They will be motivated to get a return for him around the trade deadline this season.

[zambonir]

Seems to me he's not that different from Kepler or Marsh except better defensively in CF. Marsh put up the same or better WAR than him each of the last two seasons, is still younger, and Mullins doesn't get 600 ABs either.

Phillies need a corner type bat (be it at 3B or LF or RF) not better CF defense, esp when they already have Rojas and possibly Crawford. And they don't need another LHB (which Crawford is as well). If they do in fact need to shake up/upgrade the position players in July it should be by replacing one of those three positions. Or, it's the same issue they've had for three straight years, just getting a decent RH OF to play LF part-time. Perhaps next year they will just get a great full-time OF Nick will be that bench bat.

[Austinfan]

Keep an eye on Kemp (25), Kennedy (26) [Don Money's grandson], Crawford (21) and Rincones (24).
All in AAA, all off to solid starts, even if Rincones is strictly a platoon LH (OPS .261 v LH, .898 v RH)
Crawford on the other hand, .988 against LH, .756 against RH. (.734/.815 last season)

Castro (26) is playing SS, last year was a lost season for him, 22 HR in 566 AB in the majors at age 23-24, so if he's an adequate fielding SS, another depth piece with some upside left..

Problem is none of the RH IFs are being used in LF, it's hard to see any upside in Mercado or Stevenson.
If Crawford comes up, it'll be to play every day, so only need one corner RH OF.

[BostonRoss]

I don't understand how anyone can hate the 2025 Phillies. While hate is too strong a word for me to use in this context, I recognize that others might use that word differently. But if you "hate" this team, how do you describe your feelings for the Phillies of, say, 10 years ago?

As to the three outcomes, that is the state of baseball today, and if you hate the Phillies, you'd hate other teams even more since the Phillies have a lower percentage of three outcomes than the MLB average. They strike out less often than the league as a whole and also homer less often (though I wouldn't say that's a good thing). You would really hate the Yankees, who whiff, walk, and homer much more often than the Phillies.

[zambonir]

Haha yeah I don't think any of us really consider what it is like to watch any of the other 29 teams, except on the days we play them. And it still sucks more to be a Braves fan (if not a Dodgers fan) over the last few years.

Personally I can't even get that frustrated when our hitters strand a runner at third with less than two outs etc. because I know they aren't actually being told do to that. In the long run I would trade 10 sacrifice flies for 10 home runs. Just waiting for the latter to happen.

[owaistabish]

I actually like the way they are playing. Its important to get hot at the right time.

What I do “hate” is Alvardo’s suspension. Just irresponsible on his part.

[julio]

I hate this team. I just hate it when the Phillies are at .600. I miss the good old days, when the Phillies could be counted on to finish at or near the bottom of an 8-team league!

/s

[MichaelJackSchmidt]

I can't believe this is a thread someone created for the 2025 Phillies. They might not make it very far in the postseason if they make it at all. But right now there really isn't anything to complain about. It's a long season. Let's just hope that they're healthy and close to getting into a post-season spot come late September.

[zambonir]

Hey did you guys know the 2024 team won a pennant? I think we tend to forget that already too.