The second-half of the 2025 Philadelphia Phillies' season has been a breath of fresh air. Regardless of the injuries, suspensions, or slumps on the roster, they continue to chug along and play their best baseball in the final months of the regular season. They're also setting themselves up for a deep postseason run.
The Phillies had postseason aspirations before the season even began, but many couldn't have imagined how well they would've set the table in a pennant race. The Phillies have changed the feel of the team even from just last year, when it felt like the pressure was on them to finish strong and to not squander the season. That pressure seemed to get to them once October came around.
The Phillies have played to their strengths since the All-Star break and remain one of the best teams in MLB
The Phillies were a flawed team coming down the stretch last season in 2024. They were blowing the doors off of everyone with an MLB-best 62-34 record in the first half, but stumbled to the finish line with an even 33-33 record in the second. Although they did clinch the NL East, their lone postseason series against the Mets in the NLDS exploited a lot of the same concerns that came up in the final weeks of the regular season. It ended with a stumbling bullpen, and an offense that went missing for innings at a time.
The 2025 season has felt different from the jump. They had a bad stretch like any team does (subscription required), but have been consistent throughout the entire year. Perhaps more importantly, there's been no stumble coming out of the All-Star break.
Before the break, they were 55-41 (.573 winning percentage). Through Sept. 10, they've been 31-19, the second-best record in MLB during that span (.620 winning percentage). The pitching staff, even without Zack Wheeler, has been phenomenal and wreaked havoc on the rest of the league with the game's third-best fWAR at 5.9 in the second half. The offense has been chugging alongside them, with the third-best team OPS at .799 during that same time frame.
Regular season success doesn't issue any guarantees, but it does lay the groundwork for preparing for another month of baseball being played. The Phillies got to the dance last year, but it fell apart at the seams.
The Phillies have a different identity this time, backed by Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner's MVP-caliber seasons and a starting rotation that again proves to be a sight to see every night. They have the right pieces in place, and with their trade pieces hitting on all cylinders right now, it's looking like the Phillies could ride this all the way to a World Series title.