Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- The Sixers Celtics Game Freaked Me Out

The Phillies were a pretty good team last year. They had their ups and downs in the regular season. But the talent of the roster became clear once October came around. Not only did they break a decade-long playoff drought, but they made some noise once they got there. First, they beat the Cardinals in a best-of-3 series with all the games on the road. Then they faced off with the 100-win Braves and beat them in 5 games. Next, it was the Padres, who just upset the 100-win dodgers. The Phillies needed just 5 games to finish them out. The fun stopped there, as they lost in 6 to the Astros. But losing a series to one of the best rosters in Baseball history is understandable. And now they could be even better. As 7 Phillies players have been named to MLB's Top 100 Players list.

This team had a busy off-season. After losing the World Series, they went out and added Trea Turner, Taijuan Walker, Craig Kimbrel, Gregory Soto, and other notable names. They also have a bevy of young guys itching to break out like Bryson Stott, Brandon Marsh, Alec Bohm, Ranger Suarez, and Andrew Painter.

But outside those young guys, they have a collection of proven stars, including Turner. He, Bryce Harper, JT Realmuto, Zack Wheeler, Kyle Schwarber, Aaron Nola, and Rhys Hoskins all made the list. The Phillies had 5 players make it last year. Among them were Harper, Schwarber, Wheeler, Realmuto, and Nick Castellanos. Castellanos is the lone Phillies player to fall off the list. He had a very down year. But Hoskins and Nola jumped onto the list, and they added Turner.

So where did these 7 Phillies fall onto the list? What did they do to deserve that spot? Here is where the Phillies players fell on the list.

Rhys is as hot and cold as players come. When he is hitting, he does it better than anyone. But the inconsistency, and the struggles in the field, keep him at 94. Which seems fair. The dumb errors can be maddening. But there is no run to the World Series without Rhys Hoskins. His bat is why they beat the Braves and the Padres. It is his last year before free agency, so he may be up for a career year.

Aaron Nola has had his up and downs as a Phillie. A few years back he was a genuine Cy Young candidate. But he struggled to get back to that for a while. Until last year. He put together a great regular season and even broke the trend of September swoons. The ending was less than spectacular, with him struggling vs the Astros in the World Series. But Nola is a big reason they were there to begin with. And his great play was rewarded by cracking the Top 11, coming in at number 79.

When the Phillies signed Schwarber, fans knew they were getting a power bat. What they did not know was that he would provide as much of it as he went on to. He sent 52 balls into the outfield seats between the regular season and the postseason. Well, that is not technically true. Because I am pretty sure the one he hit in Game 1 vs the Padres never landed in the seats and is still in orbit. Schwarber is among the best power hitters in the sport. His below-average fielding, and low batting average, keep him out of the top 40.

But you will take those trade-offs when a guy does what Schwarber can with a bat. And while the batting average is low, he walks a ton to make up for it. He jumped from 80 last year up to 44.

Wheeler is about as good as they come. They asked a lot of him last season, and he delivered. There was a tiny hiccup vs the Astros. But for the most part, he pitched like a Cy Young last year. And he could have been if there weren't pitchers like Sandy Alcantara doing inhuman things. They may go a bit easier on Wheeler this year, just so there is less fatigue in the playoffs. But we know for a fact that Wheeler will be as good as any pitcher when it matters most. He came in at 35 this year, after being ranked 25 in 2022.

It looked a little bit dicey early in the season. But by the end of the year, JT Realmuto once against confirmed he is the best catcher in baseball. In the second half, there are few players who hit better than him period. He had the 5th best OPS after the All-Star Break in the entire MLB. And behind the plate, no one prevents steals better than him. His efforts helped him jump from 54 last year up to 29 for this season.

Harper will, unfortunately, miss the first couple of months as he recovers from Tommy Johns. But when he is healthy, there may not be 5 better players in the league than him, let alone 16. That was on full display in the playoffs where he at times carried the Phillies lineup, including one of the most clutch home runs in Phillies history in game 5 vs the Padres. Landing at 17 makes sense if you factor in the injury and that he may not be able to play the field until late in the season. But Harper should be much higher if going just by talent. He fell from 5 to 17.

And one of the newest Phillies is also the one who ranks highest on this list. Turner is the best Shortstop in Baseball. He is also probably the fastest man in Baseball. His speed at the top of the lineup could make a huge difference for the Phillies this year. And his range at shortstop could be key with the league banning the shift. He makes consistent contact, plays great in the field, provides some pop, and will steal you a ton of bases. Trea Turner could quickly become one of our favorite all-time Phillies. He comes in at 11, after being ranked 13 last year with the Dodgers.

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