It’s always fun to look at the Philadelphia Phillies going into spring training and envision the best possible outcome for the team but also for each individual player.
Coming into the season, players have certain expectations and goals for themselves that they are striving to reach. For some, it may simply be to bat over .300 or reach the 100 RBI threshold. For others, it could be competing for end-of-season awards like Silver Slugger, Gold Glove, or even MVP.
The Phillies have a roster full of players who surely have their sights set high, looking to play at their highest level and be recognized with the most illustrious of awards.
Last season, the Phillies had two award winners, one on the offensive side and one on the defensive side. Zack Wheeler took home his first Gold Glove Award, and Bryce Harper won his third career Silver Slugger Award, this one at the designated hitter position.
With the Phillies projected to be one of the better teams in the league, there will be more opportunities for Phillies players to bring home some hardware in 2024
Let’s dive into some predictions on which Phillies players have the best chance of winning a year-end award.
Zack Wheeler: Cy Young Award
Starting with one of the players who won an award last year, the 33-year-old bona fide staff ace Zack Wheeler will finally bring home the most sought-after award for pitchers.
Wheeler will get to the apex of the mountain and win the NL Cy Young Award after three straight years of being in the conversation. In 2021, Wheeler finished second in Cy Young voting with a 2.78 ERA and 1.008 WHIP. In 2022, he finished the year with a 2.82 ERA and 1.039 WHIP. Finally, in 2023, Wheeler ended the year with a higher-than-usual 3.61 ERA but just a 1.078 WHIP.
In fact, according to FanGraphs, from 2021 through 2023, Wheeler leads all MLB pitchers with 17.3 fWAR. The next closest pitcher is Kevin Gausman, with a fWAR of 15.8. It’s just a matter of time until Wheeler takes home the hardware.
Steamer's 2024 projections have Wheeler ranked second in all of baseball with a projected 4.7 fWAR, just behind NL East foe Spencer Strider. While you should take projections with a grain of salt, Wheeler is clearly one of the favorites. If a few things fall his way, he can easily be the last man standing.
Although the Cy Young Award is a regular-season award, looking at Wheeler’s playoff numbers, the last two seasons are mind-boggling. Over 63 1/3 innings between 10 starts and one relief appearance, the Phillies ace registered a 2.42 ERA and a 0.72 WHIP.
Wheeler has proven to be a guy who’s not afraid of the bright lights and is built for the big moments. Pitching at a high level on a consistent basis, he has shown year after year that he is one of the best pitchers in the league. The only thing missing for Wheeler is a Cy Young Award and a World Series ring. Maybe he can check both off the list in 2024.