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The Philadelphia Phillies retain most of a roster that won 95 games last season while also adding left-handed starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo and outfielder Max Kepler. They should once again be a force near the top of the National League. But everyone is chasing the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers, who somehow got considerably better on paper after a fruitful winter.
They could be one of the most intimidating teams ever assembled. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is not trembling, however. He thinks his ballclub is equipped to beat LA and is citing recent history to help make his point.
“I don't hear anybody say, ‘Hey, the Phillies beat the Dodgers five out of six last year,'” the longtime executive said at the team's spring training facility in Clearwater, Florida, per NBC Sports Philadelphia's Corey Seidman. “We did. They've got a tremendous club, as do others in our league, but I think we match up against anybody. I hope we get that opportunity in October.”
That is an… interesting argument. Regular season head-to-head matchups are irrelevant when the champ is crowned. Dombrowski should know that better than anyone, considering he constructed the Florida Marlins squad that won the 1997 World Series from the wild card slot. October is unpredictable. Though, plenty of people saw the Phillies' 2024 demise coming.
Phillies look to bounce back after another bitter playoff defeat
The New York Mets entered the postseason with more momentum and soundly defeated the NL East champions in the Division Series. Philadelphia's bats went cold, just as they did in the 2023 NL Championship Series versus the Arizona Diamondbacks. It is unclear if the issues have been rectified, but the lineup is brimming with talent. Moreover, Luzardo joins a top-notch starting pitching rotation that already boasts Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suarez and Cristopher Sanchez. This team is loaded and possibly more dangerous.
But so are the Dodgers. They did not have Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, Tanner Scott or Kirby Yates in those aforementioned losses to the Phillies last season. There were also multiple stars sidelined with injuries. And oh yeah, Shohei Ohtani was not pitching. Again, it is irrelevant to recall regular season results. The Dodgers themselves know that.
They won 317 games from 2021-23 and looked like a juggernaut going into the playoffs in each of those years. And yet, the Boys in Blue reached the NLCS only once in that span. Now, they are the defending champions.
Perhaps the Phillies can finally break through in 2025 and redeem their past postseason shortcomings. Regardless of his logic, Dave Dombrowski is exuding the type of confidence that players crave from management.