Over the years, the Philadelphia Phillies have had their fair share of impactful players who have helped the team in one way or another to achieve winning and success. For some of those players, they may have even gone on to become popular fan favorites, so much so that the Phillies fans were often left disappointed when they eventually left the organization.
With Philadelphia currently finding themselves the closest that they have been to a World Series championship than they have been for the past decade, they should want to capitalize on any opportunity to give themselves the best chance at capturing the title if possible.
As a result, with numerous former Phillies that have the ability to provide that much-needed impact to bolster the club, which recent Phillies players would Philadelphia fans wish they could have back to help with their potential run in 2025? Here, we will take a look at five of those candidates.
5 recent Phillies players Philadelphia fans wish they could have back for 2025
Zach Eflin
There haven’t been too many pitchers that the Phillies likely have regretted letting go in recent years. But if there was one to pinpoint in particular, that one would have to be Zach Eflin. After consistently posting an ERA above 4.00 and a WHIP above 1.20 over his seven seasons with Philadelphia, Eflin has surprisingly evolved into a legitimate, upper-echelon starter following his departure from the organization.
In his first year away from the Phillies in 2023, Eflin posted his best year ever with the Tampa Bay Rays. Not only did he tie for the American League lead in wins with 16, but he also registered career lows in ERA (3.50) and WHIP (1.02) along with 186 strikeouts in 177 2/3 innings pitched over 31 starts.
He followed that up with a solid 2024 campaign, posting double-digit wins with a 3.59 ERA and 1.15 WHIP split between the Rays and the Baltimore Orioles. More impressively, Eflin was solid as a rock for the Orioles down the stretch following the trade deadline, going 5-2 with a 2.60 ERA in nine starts to help lead them into the postseason.
When the Phillies struggled to find a consistent fifth starter to pitch effectively for them throughout the 2024 season, Eflin definitely would have come to mind as someone who would have filled that role perfectly. But instead of retaining him following the 2022 season, the Phillies opened the vault for Taijuan Walker, and we all know how that is turning out. As a result, Eflin is one player the Phillies and their fans really would love to have back as a part of any of their World Series runs.