The Philadelphia Phillies have paid handsomely to pay and to keep some of the best players in baseball. So it shouldn’t be much surprise that six of those players are in ESPN’s recent Top 100 player rankings.
It should also be of little surprise who is near the top of the list, as new first baseman Bryce Harper is the highest-rated Phillies player at No. 13.
Harper is signed to a 13-year, $330 million deal he signed before the 2019 season. The Phillies and Harper want to extend the deal, and it’s easy to see why.
In spite of Harper’s injury rehab for his Tommy John surgery after the 2022 postseason, he played in 126 games, slashed .293/.401/.499/.900 with 21 home runs and 72 RBI and helped the Phillies reach the NLCS.
Those are the kinds of power numbers you want from a first baseman, which is why the Phillies moved Harper is to the position full-time and were willing to sacrifice team favorite Rhys Hoskins in free agency. He signed with Milwaukee after missing all of 2023 with an ACL tear.
Last offseason’s huge signing, shortstop Trea Turner, was ranked No. 20 The Phillies handed over $300 million to him and after a slow start, the All-Star bounced back in the second half of the season. He finished with a respectable slash line of .266/.320/.459/.778 with 76 RBI. He also stole every base he attempted to steal in 2023, going 30-for-30 as he remained one of the game’s top threats on base.
The Phillies’ top-rated pitcher was Zack Wheeler at No. 22, and he just signed a three-year, $126 million extension to stay in Philadelphia. He’s a Cy Young-level talent who will anchor the Phillies rotation.
Wheeler has won 43 games in Philly, gone to an All-Star Game, finished second in Cy Young voting in 2021 and was terrific for the Phillies the last two postseasons. He went 1306 with a 3.61 ERA last season.
His running mate in the rotation, Aaron Nola, was ranked No. 52. He signed a seven-year, $172 million deal in the offseason as the Phillies were able to retain their top free agent. He’s been a durable option for the Phillies, as he has started at least 32 games in each of his full seasons since 2018.
In 2023 he went 12-9 with a 4.46 ERA with 202 strikeouts and 45 walks. He’s recorded at least 200 strikeouts in each of his last five full seasons. He has a career record of 90-71 with a 3.73 career ERA.
Catcher J.T. Realmuto was No. 60. Last season he slashed .252/.310/.452/.762 with 20 home runs and 63 RBI. Those are solid numbers for Realmuto but were a bit down from 2022. When he’s at his best he’s a 25-30 home run catcher.
Finally, designated hitter and outfielder Kyle Schwarber was No. 90. Schwarber is one of the most confounding players in baseball. He’s barely batted .200 in the past two seasons but has hit at least 46 home runs in each of the last two seasons. But, in this lineup, hitting Schwarber in the leadoff spot works.
More must-reads: