5 Phillies who could be the difference between success and failure in 2024

2024 will be another significant season for the Philadelphia Phillies. After surprising with a run to the World Series two years ago, Philadelphia entered last year with expectations of winning a championship.

The Phillies have several players whose performances in 2024 could dictate whether the team succeeds, leading to a championship, or struggles and comes up short of their ultimate goal once again.

Last season ended with disappointment as the Phillies fell short of returning to the World Series. Considering the talent assembled throughout the roster, this year will be pivotal. If Philadelphia does not win the Fall Classic, it is fair to question if this is the right group of players and manager to win a championship.

Here are five Phillies who could be the difference between success and failure in 2024.

Alec Bohm

Defensively, Alec Bohm took a step in the right direction last year. He needed to step in at first base while the Phillies dealt with injuries to Rhys Hoskins and Darick Hall. Once Bryce Harper began to play the position, the third baseman played more frequently at his natural position.

Bohm played in 80 games and started 59 of them at first base. He had five errors and a .990 fielding percentage. The 2018 draft pick played in 90 contests at third base, starting in 80. He finished with a .978 fielding percentage, his highest at the position during his four-year career. He made several key plays defensively during the postseason to aid the Phillies, committing one error in 13 contests for a .966 fielding percentage.

Bohm's bat continued to improve

Alec Bohm continued to progress on offense during his fourth season in the majors. The third baseman improved upon lowering his strikeout totals from 110 in 2022 to 94 last year. He set career highs with 42 walks, 31 doubles, and 20 home runs.

The statistical increase that is most noticeable is in his RBI total during the last two seasons. Bohm finished with 72 RBI in 152 games during 2022. He nearly finished with 100 RBI, totaling 97 in 145 contests last year. He continues to improve hitting with runners in scoring position based on his increase in the category over three consecutive years.

Bohm seemed to find success wherever manager Rob Thomson placed him in the lineup, which ranged near the top to the seventh spot in the batting order. The 27-year-old stepped up offensively, batting second briefly when Trea Turner and Nick Castellanos were both in slumps.

Bohm's postseason performance needs to improve

During September, the Omaha, Nebraska native finished with his worst line of the season - .235/.278/.412 in 102 plate appearances. His struggles carried over into the playoffs, and he couldn't provide enough support offensively, hitting fourth behind Turner and Harper.

He finished with a line of .239/.340/.370 in his 46 at-bats during 13 games. When the club excelled offensively during the games they won during the postseason last year, Bohm's contributions were minimal. Ironically, in three of the four games the Phillies lost in the National League Championship Series, the third baseman made an impact while the rest of the team had difficulty at the plate, particularly in Games 6 and 7.

His lone home run in 13 playoff games was during the final game of the NLCS when he had one of their five hits. The only two playoff contests in which Bohm had more than one hit were during Games 3 and 6 in the series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Following a meager stat line during the 2022 playoffs — .224/.292/.362, along with 16 strikeouts in 58 at-bats during 17 games — Bohm had another postseason with inconsistent offensive success. He needs to have a more productive, steady offensive production with fewer strikeouts, particularly during the playoffs, if Philadelphia is going to win a championship in 2024.

The Phillies' closer, whoever it is

Following former closer Craig Kimbrel's rocky one year with the Phillies, Philadelphia's eighth and ninth-inning pitchers have yet to be determined. One of the pitchers may not yet be on the roster. The club is rumored to have an interest in signing free agent reliever Jordan Hicks. The right-hander has the same amount of experience as a closer as José Alvarado, who was their setup reliever and occasional closer.

If Alvarado becomes the Phillies closer, other options currently on the roster to compete for the setup role include Seranthony Domínguez, Gregory Soto, Jeff Hoffman, Matt Strahm, and youngster Orion Kerkering.

Soto has extensive experience as a closer with the Detroit Tigers. The left-hander converted 18 of 19 save opportunities in 2021 and 30 of 33 during the 2022 season. He was successful in three of six save situations last year during the regular season for the Phillies.

Phillies need to choose a closer

The Phillies would benefit from having a reliever emerge as their closer this season. Having Brad Lidge as their clear-cut closer in 2008 was significant in Philadelphia winning the World Series that season.

It would be a lot to ask of the reliever to repeat Lidge's perfect season in 2008. Nonetheless, Philadelphia would benefit from having a dominant closer rather than Thomson remaining noncommittal in naming a reliever for the role at the start of the playoffs.

Having the manager decide on a closer-by-committee approach may backfire and prevent the Phillies from winning the Fall Classic this year. It's a huge advantage for a team to have an effective setup reliever and closer combination, especially during the postseason.

They need to figure out who that's going to be and stick with it, barring injury or a complete disaster by whoever is initially in the role. Phillies president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, may wait until the 2024 Trade Deadline to acquire a dominant closer if need be.

Aaron Nola

The franchise's biggest signing, or re-signing in this case, during the offseason has been Aaron Nola. Despite an inconsistent performance overall in 2023, Philadelphia was adamant in making sure the former first-round pick by the organization remained in Phillies' pinstripes presumably for the remainder of his career. The right-hander agreed with the team to a seven-year, $172 million deal on Nov. 19.

Zack Wheeler has emerged as the clear No. 1 ace in the Phillies rotation over the last few years. Nola has developed the reputation of a solid second starter for Philadelphia. The 30-year-old had 12 wins last year, his most since he tallied that same amount in 2019.

He finished with a 4.46 earned run average, the second time in the last three seasons he has finished with an earned run average over four. Disregarding the COVID-shortened 2020 league year, Nola's 202 strikeouts in 2023 were his fewest since 2017 when he finished with 184.

Nola needs to be more than just durable

The Baton Rouge, Louisiana native has finished with 32 starts in each of the last three seasons. Besides 2020, he has made between 32-34 starting appearances every year for the Phillies since 2018. His level of durability can be difficult to find in a starting pitcher, especially one who is a top-two starter.

His starting appearances in three of four postseason games last season heavily factored into the decision by the Phillies front office to re-sign the right-hander. In Game 2 of the Wild Card Series against the Miami Marlins and Game 1 of the NLCS versus the Diamondbacks, Nola gave up zero earned runs in seven and six innings pitched, respectively. Against the Braves in Game 3 of the NLDS, he had nine strikeouts.

Nola has proven to be a bit unpredictable from year to year and lacks the consistency expected of a No. 1 pitcher in a starting rotation. Despite that, he will play a significant part in whether or not the Phillies win a World Series in 2024.

Philadelphia needs Nola to be pitching at his best, particularly as he did for the majority of last year's playoffs. If not, then the club may fall short again of hosting a parade down Broad Street at the beginning of November.

Trea Turner

Trea Turner's first season with the Phillies represented the definition of volatile. He was underwhelming at the plate and in the field for a good part of 2023. It wasn't until a standing ovation from the loyal Phillies fans during a game on Aug. 4 at Citizens Bank Park helped jumpstart what everyone expected out of the shortstop offensively.

The 30-year-old infielder had a line of .235/.290/.368 before the home game versus the Kansas City Royals at the beginning of August. At the end of the month, his stat line numbers for the season were .260/.312/.439.

Phillies need Turner to put together a full season, including the playoffs

He finished with a .333/.376/.685 line, along with nine home runs and 26 RBI during August. He had a decent September with seven home runs, 16 RBI, and a stat line of .299/.364/.567. He entered the postseason with some positive momentum offensively.

Turner had one hit or more in 10 consecutive playoff games. However, he went 0-for-12 in Games 5 through 7 of the NLCS. When the Phillies lineup came up small collectively, so did the shortstop. For the regular season, he finished with 150 strikeouts, which was the most of his career. His .266 batting average was the lowest since his rookie season in 2015.

The Boynton Beach, Florida native had a rough year defensively as well. Turner's 23 errors were the most of his career. His fielding percentage of .960 was his lowest since 2020. In terms of a 162-game season, he had a .875 percentage at shortstop back in 2015. He committed four errors, another career high, during the 2023 postseason.

Turner was viewed as the missing player that would propel the Phillies to a World Series last year. Unfortunately, his underwhelming first year with Philadelphia has put the spotlight on him entering 2024.

The organization has invested heavily in the shortstop with the massive deal he signed in December 2022. If he struggles again this season, the local and national media and the fanbase will begin to doubt if the club made the right decision in signing the infielder to a long-term, expensive contract.

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