The Philadelphia Phillies slugged and pitched their way to the second-best record in MLB in 2024 while sitting on top of the mountain for much of the year.
Finishing the with a 95-67 record, their best since winning 102 games in 2011, the club won the National League East for the first time since that very same year, making the postseason for the third time in as many tries.
While many other playoff teams bolstered their records with strong showings against their divisional opponents, that was not the case for the Phillies.
They produced just a 29-23 record against National League East foes, going just 6-7 against the Atlanta Braves and 7-6 against the New York Mets.
While the Mets have not done much to improve as a whole, they did land superstar outfielder Juan Soto in free agency. Their pitching is still a weakness, however, and not something any contender should worry about.
On the other hand, the Braves spent the lion’s share of 2024 without the 2023 National League MVP, Ronald Acuna Jr., and without their ace, Spencer Strider.
Acuna played in just 49 games, while Strider made just two starts and totaled only nine innings.
Philadelphia did make moves this winter, with their biggest (so far) being a trade to acquire Jesus Luzardo from the Miami Marlins. While this unquestionably gives the club the best rotation in MLB, they still did not make that splash to lengthen their lineup and add more depth.
Atlanta has not made any splashes this offseason, either, but still gave the Phillies fits in 2024, even without their two best players.
In 2025, with their top two players back on the field, it looks to be much more of the same, perhaps at an even greater level.
