The Philadelphia Phillies appear to be starting 2025 with the same core that they have had since 2022, with the exception of a few players, giving fans a sense of familiarity. They have experienced some of the greatest highs and lowest lows, including an early NLDS departure and a World Series appearance.
However, the Phillies will need some output from guys other than Bryce Harper and Zack Wheeler if they are to revenge their NLDS defeat to the rival New York Mets last season and return to the World Series. Fortunately for fans, some players have already shown that they mesh well with the two pillars of the franchise.
Three Phillies players that we already trust in 2025
Sánchez Cristopher
Even the Phillies couldn’t have predicted Cristopher Sánchez’s future when they signed him in November 2019. Sánchez made his debut in 2024 with a 3.32 ERA, 153 strikeouts, and just 44 walks in 181 2/3 innings after resolving the No. 5 starting issue in 2023.
He consequently received Cy Young votes and was named an All-Star for the first time in his career, and there’s no reason to think Sánchez won’t be able to do the same in 2025. The 28-year-old southpaw, who now only has a three-pitch mix, has reportedly been working on a third pitch, which would make him even more difficult to oppose.
Sánchez has made progress every year since joining the major league team in 2021, and the new pitch might be the impetus for him to take yet another step forward. Sánchez had a 5.63 ERA in 2022 while alternating between the bullpen and the rotation, but he bounced back to post a 3.44 ERA as a full-time starter in 2023 prior to his breakthrough season the previous year. This season, the southpaw might be in for a similar leap.
Stott, Bryson
Everyone seems to be betting on Bryson Stott having a strong season after a disappointing 2024 in which he only hit.245 with a.671 OPS. He struggled offensively last season due to a persistent elbow ailment that limited his ability to drive the ball.
Even if Stott wasn’t the same talent we saw in 2023, he was still able to contribute to the club. In addition to increasing his walk rate by more than three percentage points while keeping his strikeout percentage the same, he led the club in stolen bases with 32. His ability to work the count and battle off pitches, something he frequently displayed the year before when he hit.280 with a.747 OPS, was the only thing lacking. That year, he placed 17th in the whole league in pitches per plate appearance, but he went down to 38th this past season.
The elbow injury didn’t plague Stott defensively either, as the 27-year-old second baseman was named a Gold Glove finalist for the second time in his career. When healthy, Stott is exactly what the Phillies need: a player who makes consistent contact and gets on-base, and with a full offseason of rest and recovery, we can expect to see the old Bryson Stott in 2025.
Kyle Schwarber
Kyle Schwarber has been all that the Phillies had thought he would be when he signed a four-year, $79 million deal in March 2022, if not more. Through his first three years with the organization, the 31-year-old designated hitter has been one of the league’s top sluggers, totaling 131 home runs, the third most in MLB behind just Shohei Ohtani (132) and Aaron Judge (157).
His 46 home runs in 2022 was second-best in MLB and helped earn him to his second career All-Star game and first career Silver Slugger award, and of course, we all remember the enormous 488-foot home shot he blasted off Yu Darvish in Game 1 of the 2022 NLCS.
488 feet! 120 miles per hour! My gosh, Kyle Schwarber. 😱 Twitter: pic.twitter.com/Mh4VGR4E2B
— MLB (@MLB) October 19, 2022
But Schwarber isn’t just home run or bust. Actually, one of his game’s most remarkable features could be his plate discipline. His 20.9 chase rate is in the 93rd percentile of everyone in the league. After leading the league in walks last season (106), he now sits third in MLB with 318 since 2022. His batting average even increased last year, rising 50 points from 2023’s.197 to.248.
Although Schwarber isn’t the most traditional leadoff hitter, the Phillies still win when he bats first, and there’s no reason to think he won’t keep hitting homers and working counts in 2025.
One player in 2025 that we don’t trust
Marsh, Brandon
Similar to Stott, Brandon Marsh is a “secondary” player in a lineup that is supported by sluggers Trea Turner, Harper, Schwarber, and Nick Castellanos, all of whom, with the exception of Turner, strike out more than 20% of the time. However, each of those guys hit more than 20 home runs in the previous season, proving that they can compensate with the long ball.
Now look at Marsh, who was second on the club with 154 strikeouts, only surpassed by Schwarber. However, Marsh only had 43 fewer strikeouts than Schwarber while having 216 fewer plate appearances!
It has been effective for the Phillies to use Marsh in a platoon position while facing right-handers. In 386 plate appearances, he struck out 121 times while hitting.262 with a.792 OPS and 15 home runs versus right-handers. In 90 plate appearances, he has a.552 OPS, 33 strikeouts, and a.192 batting average versus lefties, which is much worse.
Although Marsh is an excellent defender, the Phillies didn’t sign him just for his defensive skills. You can’t afford to have one of your backup players be the primary cause of the Phillies’ three-year swing-and-miss problem.
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