Phillies: 10 keys to winning the National League East
The stars have to align
Ignore Drew Butera and just marvel at the star power Matt Klentak assembled this offseason. Just like Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, and Roy Halladay all finished in the top-five of the Cy Young race in 2011 the Phillies have three legitimate MVP candidates in the middle of their lineup.
Bryce Harper, Rhys Hoskins, and J.T. Realmuto sound like the next Murderer’s Row after hitting a combined 85 home runs last year. The protection throughout this lineup for hitters like Cesar Hernandez, Odubel Herrera, and Maikel Franco will be ridiculous thanks to the work Klentak put in this winter.
More from Phillies News
- How Phillies’ Ranger Suárez is set to build on 2022 postseason dominance
- What can Philadelphia Phillies expect from Bryson Stott in 2023?
- 3 Reasons to get excited for Phillies’ Craig Kimbrel signing
- Phillies-Mets owners’ rivalry grows after shocking Carlos Correa deal
- Could Rich Hill become ‘Jamie Moyer 2.0’ in Phillies rotation?
Philadelphia needs all three of their superstar hitters to live up to expectations in 2019. That could mean 100 home runs between the three next season (40-35-25 isn’t out of the realm of possibility). Realmuto hit 21 with the Marlins last year and playing the majority of his games in Citizens Bank Park projects
All three should be All-Stars in 2019 and push for the aforementioned MVP. Harper has to live up to his contract while Hoskins and Realmuto play for their respective paydays. It might be asking for a lot from these three, but the potential for this lineup is beyond imagination.
Next. Bold Predictions for the 2019 Phillies. dark
Clearly, expectations are high for not just this trio fo stars but the entire roster, and anything short of a playoff appearance would incite a famished fanbase. A lot of things have to go right for any team to succeed, but luckily the City of Philadelphia has a lot to look forward to in what’s hopefully the next great era of Phillies baseball.