The Phillies squeaked into the playoffs last year as the third wild-card team in the National League and made it all the way to the World Series. Now, after a busy winter, Philadelphia’s hopes are high yet again heading into the 2023 season.
Trea Turner headlined the additions made by the Phillies, who also bolstered their bullpen with Craig Kimbrel and Gregory Soto, and added Taijuan Walker to the starting rotation.
The Phillies finished behind both the Braves and Mets in the division last year, but there is a path for them to take the NL East crown in the upcoming season.
Former Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon was a guest on the Audacy Original Podcast “Baseball Isn’t Boring” and explained why he’s betting on Philadelphia to win the NL East this season.
“Damn, I love the Phillies, baby. I do, man,” Papelbon said (21:39 in player above). “Schwarb, Harp, these guys are hungry. Harper has become 10 times the player he was when I played with him, 10 times the leader, and he’s got another guy Schwarber with him to help carry that load. And I think that is huge just like David helped carry the load with Manny. You need that. Man, don’t let them go get a big-name pitcher at the trade deadline.”
The Phillies were also active at last year’s deadline, although Brandon Marsh, Noah Syndergaard, and David Robertson may not qualify as “big-name” acquisitions. However, the front office of John Middleton, David Dombrowski, and Sam Fuld have shown they're willing to do what it takes to win.
“I love this new owner, man. I love him,” Papelbon said. “Middleton was there but he was also in it with a lot of other guys, he bought them out, and now he can make the full-on decisions without the other group.”
It may still be a bit of an uphill battle for the Phillies in the NL East, though. The Braves and Mets are the betting favorites at around +135 and +140 respectively. The Phillies are slightly behind them at +300, but that’s just another reason why Papelbon is betting on them this season.
“Not only do I like them, but I can get more value with them and know that OK, the owner, the coach – man, I love the new coach, (Rob) Thomson, he’s a players’ coach,” Papelbon said. “With all these little outside things being said, don’t let them go get a pitcher at the trade deadline if they’re in it. They’re hungry.”
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