The Philadelphia Phillies have one thing in mind and that's to bring a World Series championship back to their historic franchise. The roster is stockpiled full of talent and has all the makings of a true postseason contender. The talent they do have is on the older side, so there's also no guarantee that this same squad can keep trying to run it back if they can't succeed in 2025.
This year of Phillies baseball is heavily loaded with proven, but aging veterans. There's certainly young, skillful players on the current team, but the stars they've inked to long-term deals will be the key to their success. With how the team is performing even in their later years, they have to capitalize on the prime opportunity when they have it.
Zack Wheeler and Kyle Schwarber are having career seasons that the Phillies need to cash in on
The noise only grows louder about getting this team a ring. They've made up substantial divisional ground in a hurry and now find themselves two games ahead of the New York Mets in the NL East. Their 36-20 record sees them battling for the best in the majors, backed by a scorching 19-7 record in the month of May.
This team can still be really good while also having holes to fill, most recently with José Alvarado getting suspended for 80 games and missing postseason contention. The team is atop baseball's mountain right now, but it wouldn't hurt to buy stock at this year's trade deadline by adding another bullpen arm or an additional outfield bat. Additional help not only plugs holes, but also gives reinforcements to their veterans at the peak of their powers in a must-win year.
The Phillies still have some of the best players in baseball, even though their careers are drawing closer to the end. That includes starter Zack Wheeler and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber. Each of them is approaching their mid-30s, but has maintained a sustainable peak to carry the team. The only problem is, there's no real answer to how much longer they can keep up this pace or, in Schwarber's case, if he will still be here after this year.
Wheeler is pitching out of his mind again with a 6-2 record, 2.96 ERA, 94 strikeouts in 76 innings pitched and the second-best WHIP in the National League at 0.92. He also took a 22 2/3 innings scoreless streak into Thursday's start against the Braves.
With how dominant Wheeler has been, it's hard not to make comparisons to Roy Halladay (subscription required), per David Murphy of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Wheeler and the Phillies both hope he can produce like this, but decline will be expected at some point, with the 34-year-old being signed through 2027.
According to MLB.com's Jeffrey Lutz, as far as contract years, what more can be said about Kyle Schwarber. He continues to battle for the league lead with 19 home runs while leading the team every night. June Schwarber may not be here yet, but he's put it all on display in the final year of his current deal, posting a .963 OPS in 54 games. Schwarber needs to win a title with the Phillies and with this being his last year under contract, now is as good of a time as any.
Phillies have a stash of prospects to deal from at trade deadline
The World Series doesn't necessarily define what makes a franchise successful in the way it operates. But what it does do is reaffirm the belief that they're good enough to win. The players want that, the front office wants that, and the fan base wants it.
The franchise is also built for the future with the stockpile of prospects they have in the minors. Aidan Miller, Justin Crawford and Andrew Painter lead the way for what the future could look like. On one hand, it's great to have organizational depth, but also dealing top prospects is sometimes a necessity to get proven MLB talent. The top teams in the league do it all the time, so the Phillies could try to be less possessive of their prospects and deal some this season to add to a World Series hopeful roster.
To the front office's credit, the team has invested year after year up to this point. All fans ask now is that the next move that's made is the one to put the Phillies over the hump. Players like Wheeler and Schwarber won't be here forever, so the team has to make the most of it while they still can.