No. 4: Kyle Schwarber, 2.4 fWAR
Known to be a prolific hitter throughout his illustrious career, designated hitter Kyle Schwarber finds himself comfortably in fourth place on this list. No one will probably ever question Schwarber’s enormous power and run production. After all, he has averaged over 40 home runs and 90 RBI over a 162-game schedule pace each season in his 10 years in the big leagues.
As it turns out, 2024 was no different, as Schwarber led the Phillies in runs scored with 110, home runs with 38 and RBI with 104. He also led the National League in walks with 106. Together with a formidable .851 OPS, it made him the No. 1 offensive driving force for Philadelphia throughout the season.
However, since Schwarber is now predominantly in the designated hitter role for the Phillies, his potential contributions on the defensive side of things are severely limited. But even if they do let him back on the field, there would be a good chance it would likely impact his fWAR negatively based on his previous misadventures in the outfield. As a result, it prevents him from being any higher on the list, but there’s no doubt a lot of the Phillies' success from 2024 can be attributed to Schwarber.
No. 3: Alec Bohm, 3.5 fWAR
So much for the hot rumors throughout this current offseason that the Phillies should trade their star third baseman Alec Bohm. Do people even know that he actually had the third-best fWAR on the team in terms of position players? In addition, do many even remember that the Phillies gave Bohm the most important and potent cleanup spot for the bulk of the 2024 season?
In doing so, Bohm compiled a strong .280 average and .779 OPS, with 62 runs scored, a team-leading 44 doubles, 15 home runs and 97 RBI in 143 total games played en route to his first-ever All-Star nomination. In fact, he was even voted in as a starter for good measure, becoming the first Phillies third baseman in over 20 years to start in the Midsummer Classic. He was no slouch at the hot corner as well, recording five outs above average, ranking him in the 87th percentile in the league.
Yes, Bohm sure disappointed during the postseason when he managed only one hit in four games against the New York Mets in the NLDS. And yes, the Phillies wanted to do a drastic shakeup to the roster to light a fire under the group by including him on the trade block. But they shouldn’t give up already on a budding star heading into his prime at just 28 years old, especially when he was among the top three most important contributors on the team.