5 early Phillies spring training overreactions after the first two weeks of play

Spring training is off and running for the Philadelphia Phillies; everyone couldn’t be more excited. When the season ended in October, anticipation grew day by day for Phillies fans until we finally saw the team take the field in late February. Expectations are high for this team, and spring training is the first time we can dive into the team and maybe even alter those expectations.

Rightfully so, when the players come into camp and start playing, fans begin to get ideas. Ideas that raise or lower the bar for the player. These reactions may even, dare we say, be an overreaction.

Let’s take a look at five overreactions from the first couple weeks of the 2024 Phillies spring training action.

5 Phillies spring training overreactions after two weeks of action

Bryce Harper will win the Gold Glove Award at first base

Bryce Harper has leaned all the way in on being the Phillies' first baseman of the future. As great players do, he has continued to work as hard as possible to get better at his craft and to make all the plays that a seasoned first baseman would make.

But the 31-year-old superstar isn’t just any old player. Harper is one of the best baseball players and athletes in the game. Last season, in his very first game at first base, he made an incredible leaping grab in foul territory, falling over the rail. As the season progressed, he got more confident and comfortable.

So far in spring training, he has made all the plays you’d expect from a veteran first baseman but also has made standout plays that make your jaw drop.

Harper isn't one to get complacent. He will continue working day in and day out until he is great. That ambition will carry him to a Gold Glove Award this season.

Alec Bohm is going to be elected to his first All-Star game

The 27-year-old third baseman Alec Bohm has been a lightning rod for conversation over the last couple of years. Half the fan base wants to see the Phillies double down on him and commit to the homegrown talent, and the other half wants to see him traded in favor of really anything at the hot corner.

But there is no denying that Bohm has been as solid as can be and has consistently improved every year for the last four seasons. Last season, Bohm slashed .274/.327/.337 with career highs of 97 RBI and 20 home runs. And there seems to be no sign of him slowing down.

So far this spring, in four games, Bohm has five hits in seven at-bats for a .556 batting average and an astounding OPS of 1.600. He has hit one homerun so far, and just from the eye test, he looks to be in complete control and as well-balanced at the plate as ever.

Last season, Bohm moved up and down in the lineup but batted cleanup towards the end of the season and playoffs. Wherever he hits this year, he’ll likely have an opportunity to drive in runners and accumulate eye-popping statistics.

Bohm will look to carry some of his scorching start in spring training into the beginning of the regular season and hit the ground running.

2024 All-Star Alec Bohm has a good ring to it, doesn’t it?

Trea Turner will win the NL MVP award

This isn’t so much an overreaction but more of a level-headed prediction. Turner found his comfort and groove towards the end of last year and in the postseason. He is coming into the 2024 season with a full year in Philadelphia under his belt, less pressure to perform, and a sense of comfort starting in game one.

Turner has been one of the most consistently great players in MLB over his nine-year career. From 2020 through the 2023 season, he ranks fifth in all of baseball with a 19.8 fWAR, just behind the likes of Mookie Betts and José Ramirez but ahead of perennial MVP candidates Juan Soto, Paul Goldschmidt, and Ronald Acuña Jr.

If spring training is any indication, Turner is ready to retake his place among the best of the best. So far, in six games, Turner is batting 400/.438/.600 with three doubles, two RBI, one walk, and just three strikeouts.

"I feel like the swing is kind of where it was at the end of last year," Turner said per MLB.com's Paul Casella. “I feel like I learned a lot last year and I've kind of carried that over to my work now, and it just feels good."

The two-time All-Star and former Silver Slugger is feeling good, and with the Phillies' high expectations as a team, an NL MVP for the Phillies shortstop is well within reach.

Aaron Nola will have another up-and-down season

Aaron Nola, the longest-tenured Phillie, signed a seven-year contract worth $172 million this offseason and with that comes high expectations. Over the last few years, Nola has come to be known for his inconsistency on the mound. He’ll go out and throw eight shutout innings with 10 strikeouts one night and then turn around and surrender five runs in five innings the next start.

In 2023, Nola ended the year with a 4.46 ERA, 1.151 WHIP, and just 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings. Not numbers that scream "ace."

The hope is that with a new guaranteed contract for seven years, he’ll be able to settle in and perform at his highest level more consistently. However, his first two starts in spring training look to be more of the same as last year.

In his first start, Nola was terrific, throwing two scoreless innings, striking out three and allowing no hits and no walks. His accuracy was in mid-season form, throwing 20 strikes out of 33 total pitches. But his second start didn’t go as well. He went three innings, surrendering four runs on seven hits with zero walks, but he hit one batter.

In Thursday's start, Nola's third of the spring, he had a rough first inning, giving up three runs on four hits. Luckily, he settled down and retired seven of the next nine batters he faced, finishing his 3 2/3 innings with five strikeouts.

The Phillies need Nola to step up and be one of the top pitchers, as they expect from him after handing him a major deal. However, his first couple of starts of spring training don’t bode well for the 2024 season.