Two things happened that ensured that, despite their excellent 96-win season and consistent dominance throughout, the Phillies would not go to a World Series this year. One was that their best pitcher and probable Cy Young candidate was out for the last two months of the season. The other was that, despite their best efforts, this team was still cursed with a first round bye. A lot of teams have been able to withstand a first round bye, especially this year, but not the Phils. Even with their last real chance to compete, with an even bigger and badder team, they were cut down very early by the team that would eventually win the World Series.
It really was 2011 all over again.
There is still a chance this team can withstand the losses of a lot of big pieces, and rebuild enough to match the Mets, Braves and Marlins, but the process may be over, and without a Maxey as well. Bryson Stott came up with big promises as an infield bat, and while he's been good he still hasn't graduated to fully great yet. This year Stott hit .257 with 66 RBIs and 13 homers, plus decent defense. The fear is he's evening out after 2023. He's contracted for another two years, but I think 2026 will be the make or break one for him, seeing as the Phils famously have another middle infielder down the pipeline.
2026 Prediction: Rises one spot in the lineup, returns to .280.
Brandon Marsh, meanwhile, saw some of his power and defense drop off, and was platooned a bit with Kepler and Bader down the stretch. He did hit .280 with 11 homers and 43 RBIs, but I think the Phils have discovered some of the limits of the Brandon Marsh experience.
2026 Prediction: Like Stott, he's got 2 more years on contract, so he's also got to prove himself this year. He will...but perhaps not in the way he intended. Like...perhaps in a way that attracts the attention of another team.
Taijuan Walker signing in Philly did seem like a good idea at the time, as he was considered to be a smart choice for a low-rotation innings eater. However, his 2024 campaign was positively disastrous, and the fans were begging him to get hurt so someone else, a rookie perhaps, could take over. By that metric, Walker's 2025 was an improvement. I saw two starts of Walker's this year, and both honestly went pretty well, even against a tough Yankees team. His dominance came from keeping balls in play, and despite a 4-8 record he had a 4.04 ERA and 86 Ks in 34 games, 21 of them starts. I think this team just needed to figure out how to use Walker, and from that point on he was very helpful.
2026 Prediction: Similar swing-work, though perhaps not as successful as this year.
I still think the Edmundo Sosa for JoJo Romero trade is one of the most evenly-matched ones in recently memory, because both teams got a very crucial piece out of it. The Cardinals got one of their most valuable relief pieces, and the Phils got a very talented utility infielder. Sosa had another strong season of backup work for the Phillies, covering Trea Turner at short for his injury stint. In 89 games, he hit .276 with 11 homers and 39 RBIs, fantastic for a depth infielder.
2026 Prediction: The kind of season that gets somebody to start him, in a decent contract, for 2027.
So fun fact, as a tall, lanky, long-haired guy, I'm aware I have the slightest resemblance to Matt Strahm. Living in this area has that effect. So I went to a game this summer at the Bank, and they do a lookalike cam, like a lot of stadiums. I got on for looking like Strahm. And honestly, that's a heck of a compliment. Strahm's been an excellent reliever for the Phils since coming over, and had another strong year this year, with a 2.74 ERA and 70 Ks in 62 innings. The ninth was an issue for this team for a while, as was relief in general, but Strahm never gave us much of a scare.
2026 Prediction: The word on the street is that the Phils are trying to deal him, which doesn't make sense to me. Ultimately I think he sticks around for another year, and he'll give another strong campaign that might even lead to another nice deal afterwards. Dude's just a solid relief piece, his luck hasn't run out yet and it won't for a while.
Tanner Banks was another very impressive, and very reliable, relief asset for the Phils this year. He led the bullpen in innings with 67, and went 6-2 with a 3.07 ERA and a 1.010 WHIP. Banks was also scoreless in two postseason appearances.
2026 Prediction: Some troubles but a helpful finish.
Midway through the season, after no teams wanted him during the offseason, David Robertson, at age 40, made himself available to teams. He could still pitch, and wanted to go somewhat deep, thinking retirement would be on the horizon. This led to his third stint with the Philadelphia Phillies, and at the very least he stayed healthy for this one. In 20 games he went 2-0 with a 4.08 ERA, and was responsible for a truly torrid third of an inning during the playoffs.
2026 Prediction: Finally retires.
And most bizarrely of all, as the season wound down and the Phils still had a glaring hole in their rotation without Wheeler, Walker Buehler was called to the scene. Buehler was mediocre with Boston, with a 5.45 ERA in 17 games, but the Phils let him work some kinks out in Lehigh Valley, and apparently his one start in the minors was decent enough to give the Phils confidence. He had 3 games with the big club, and was pretty good, going 3-0 with a 0.66 ERA and 8 Ks. I think if Buehler had been relied upon in the postseason, against his old club, some outcomes would have been a little different.
2026 Prediction: One year deal with a non-competitor, does well enough that a competitor overpays for him next year.
Coming Tomorrow- The Pirates had a Cy Young winner this year. And not much else.
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