Will 2024 be the Philadelphia Phillies' year?
The Phillies are fresh off back-to-back impressive seasons. Philadelphia reached the World Series in 2022 and the NLCS in 2023. However, Philadelphia fell short of winning a World Series in both seasons.
Expectations are high once again for this Phillies ball club heading into the new campaign. They re-signed Aaron Nola during the offseason and later signed Zack Wheeler to a contract extension. Philadelphia's overall roster looks strong as well. Winning the World Series is going to be difficult without question, as juggernauts like the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers will stand in their way in the National League.
So why will the Phillies win the 2024 World Series?
Phillies' co-aces
Wheeler and Nola are set to lead Philadelphia's rotation for years to come following their offseason deals. Both pitchers seemingly wanted to stay in Philadelphia, and they want to help the team take a step forward.
Wheeler and Nola are among the best starting pitching duos in the sport. In the playoffs, having two reliable ace-caliber hurlers is extremely important.
In 2023, Wheeler turned in a respectable regular season campaign, while Nola was rather inconsistent. The Phillies star-studded pitching duo turned on the jets in the playoffs, though.
Wheeler allowed just six earned runs across 27.2 innings pitched (1.95 ERA) in the 2023 postseason, per StatMuse. He added 35 strikeouts during that span. Overall, Wheeler owns a career 2.42 ERA with 68 strikeouts over his 35.2 innings pitched in the playoffs.
Nola, meanwhile, allowed six earned runs in 23 innings of work (2.35 ERA) during the '23 playoffs. He recorded 23 strikeouts as well. He's pitched to a 3.70 ERA during his playoff career.
In an ideal world, Nola and Wheeler will both make NL Cy Young cases for themselves during the regular season. But even if they don't, the Phillies are probably still going to make the postseason and both stars have displayed the ability to perform at a high level under the bright lights of October.
Offensive depth
The Phillies' offense is the kind of lineup you build in MLB The Show. Of course, the same can be said for Atlanta and Los Angeles, but the point still stands.
Bryce Harper (more on him later) leads the way at first base. Philadelphia almost has plus-production at every position. Trea Turner, JT Realmuto, Nick Castellanos, Kyle Schwarber, Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, Brandon Marsh, and Whit Merrifield all being in the same lineup is a scary thought for opposing pitchers.
This lineup is deep to say the least. Even if you find a way to neutralize Harper, Philadelphia can still find ways to score. They are going to hit plenty of home runs. Turner's presence gives the team a legitimate threat on the base paths.
Is the Phillies' defense questionable at times? Sure. But their offensive production cannot be denied. Consistently hitting home runs has proven to be a route to winning in the playoffs, and the Phillies will lean on that powerful strategy once again in 2024.
The Bryce Harper effect
Some athletes are just built different. They do not show any hesitancy in the clutch moments. Bryce Harper is one of those athletes.
For his postseason career, Harper has hit .276 with 16 home runs in 49 playoff games. He slashed .349/.414/.746/1.160 during the Phillies' 2022 World Series run. Harper posted similar results in the 2023 playoffs, slashing .286/.455/.643/1.097.
He hit a combined 11 home runs between the 2022 and 2023 playoffs as well. It does not matter how Harper performs during the regular season. If he is healthy during the playoffs, Harper is going to make pitchers pay.
Harper is an energetic player. As a result the fans at Citizens Bank Park get even more hyped up when Harper does something incredible on the field. And Phillies fans already bring no shortage of passion, so that is saying something.
Harper's clutch prowess is contagious. When he starts taking care of business in the big moments, his teammates often follow. It does not take long for Philadelphia to catch fire and build momentum.
In a lot of ways, Harper offers a similar impact to his sport like Stephen Curry does in basketball. Curry loves the pressure and isn't afraid to take the big shot. And when Curry gets hot and starts finding the bottom of the net on a consistent basis, his teammates begin connecting on their three-point attempts at a higher rate.
Baseball is a team game. Harper can't do it all on his own. But having a superstar like Bryce Harper on the roster in October will play a pivotal role for the Phillies to say the least.
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