The Philadelphia Eagles’ season is over, which means Philly sports fans will start to shift their attention back to the Philadelphia Phillies as spring training nears. Fans are hoping for a better outcome in 2026.
Despite finishing with the second-best record in the majors and as NL East champions for the second consecutive season, the Phillies couldn’t get the job done in the playoffs. After a first-round bye, the Phillies drew the short end of the stick, having to face the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS.
Phillies fans have grown frustrated with the team following two consecutive early playoff exits in the NLDS. They want to see significant changes, but it looks like the Phillies will be running it back with largely the same group once again.
Phillies land in top 5 in MLB and ESPN power rankings for 2026
The first power rankings of 2026 are here. To some fans’ surprise, the Phillies came in at No. 5 in ESPN’s rankings and No. 4 in MLB.com’s for the upcoming season.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Phillies are regarded as one of the top teams in baseball. The starting rotation is as elite as they come, with multiple Cy Young-caliber pitchers, and the organization was able to bring back the 2025 NL MVP runner-up Kyle Schwarber on a five-year deal in free agency.
The bullpen has some new faces, Trea Turner is the reigning NL batting champion and Bryce Harper is gearing up for a bounce-back season. Not only do the Phillies have a veteran-led roster that has the talent to compete for a World Series, but the big league roster is also expected to feature some of the organization’s top prospects in 2026.
The Phillies are a great team, and their rankings show that. The fans, however, are having a hard time believing that this core group can finally get the job done after four failed tries.
The Phillies have been linked to multiple high-profile free agents and trade targets this offseason. Although there’s still time to make a splash, such as signing All-Star infielder Bo Bichette, the Phillies’ two biggest outside additions this offseason were Adolis García and Brad Keller.
García and Keller are fine players who can help this team win games, but fans wanted more this offseason. There’s no reason to believe that the Phillies got better or improved their odds to make a deep playoff run in 2026 and take down the daunting Dodgers.