Mar 4, 2021; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Fans watch the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies warm up before the start of their game during spring training at Spectrum Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
The only reasonable reaction to the 2024 Phillies season is disappointment. The club that looked like the best team in baseball early on muddled through the second half and fell flat on its face in the NLDS. There's no way to sugarcoat it.
Some observers, however, seem to believe that the championship window is closing for this group of Phillies players. After all, they went from a World Series appearance in 2022 to an NLCS collapse in 2023 to an NLDS exit in 2024.
But it's not clear whether the team's situation warrants that sort of fatalism. In fact, there's a strong argument that the Phillies have a very promising future.
© Kyle Ross | 2024 Oct 6The Phillies are not a young team. But they're not exactly the Wheeze Kids, either.
In contrast to the 1983 squad that featured 42-year-old Pete Rose, 39-year-old Joe Morgan, 38-year-old Steve Carlton, 41-year-old Tony Perez, 40-year old Ron Reed, and 38-year-old Tug McGraw, the 2024 club featured just two players over age 32: J.T. Realmuto (33) and Zack Wheeler (34).
When the Phillies won a franchise-record 102 games in 2011, Raul Ibanez was 39, Placido Polanco and J.C Romero were 35, Roy Halladay and Brad Lidge were 34, Roy Oswalt was 33, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Carlos Ruiz and Cliff Lee were 32, and Ryan Howard was 31. The most significant players under 30 were Hunter Pence (28) and Cole Hamels (27).
It's entirely realistic to think that Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, and Aaron Nola--all age 31--have plenty left in the tank. Nick Castellanos is 32. Ranger Suarez is 28 and Cristopher Sanchez is 27. "The Daycare" is a misnomer at this point, but Alec Bohm is 27 and Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh are 26. Johan Rojas and Orion Kerkering are 23.
© Nathan Ray Seebeck | 2023 Feb 23After 2011, the Phillies fell apart because they'd made enormous contractual commitments to their older players and didn't have any young help on the way from their farm system. But in 2024, the Phils have a farm system brimming with potential big-league talent.
Rehabbing 21-year-old pitching phenom Andrew Painter recently touched 100 mph in an Arizona Fall League game. Before his injury, Painter was expected to compete for a Phillies rotation spot at age 19.
In three minor league seasons, 20-year-old Phillies outfield prospect Justin Crawford is hitting .316/.371/.442 (.813 OPS) while flashing tremendous speed and defense.
SS/3B Aidan Miller, a fist-round draft pick in 2023, hit .275/.401/.483 (.884 OPS) for Clearwater last season, eventually earning a promotion to AA Reading where he played five games.
Beyond the big three, the Phillies have SS Starlyn Caba ranked within baseball's top 100 prospects, and an abundance of additional interesting players on the threshold of making that list.
The flipside of an uneventful 2024 Phillies trade deadline is that they kept their best ammo around for the future. Young, club-controlled, cheap talent could keep the Phils competitive even as aging stars eat up salary.
© Geoff Burke | 2018 Aug 2The Phillies probably won't land 25-year-old megastar Juan Soto this offseason. But they are expected to try.
Odds are out via @BetOnline_ag for Juan Soto’s next team (if it’s not the New York Yankees):
Phillies +500
Cubs +700
Mets +900
Mariners +1000
Dodgers +1200
Royals +1800
Nationals +2000pic.twitter.com/u8yzrILjPC
Soto would cost an absolute fortune. Think $500+ million dollars. But though the Phillies already have massive contracts on the books, they reportedly offered pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto more money than any other club last offseason. (Yamamoto signed with the Dodgers for 12 years, $325 million.)
Whether it's signing one star to a record-breaking deal or adding multiple helpful pieces, the Phils seem like they're still willing to spend if opportunities present themselves.
The 2024 Phillies won 95 games. Their best players are still in their primes, even if they're on the tail ends of those primes. There's a cohort of talented young players in the organization that could form something akin to a Hamels/Rollins/Utley-type core in the next several years. If they do, guys like Harper, Turner, Wheeler, and Nola will likely continue to make important secondary contributions beyond their primes. And to top it all off, ownership may still bring in difference-makers via free agency.
The situation could certainly be worse. And most MLB teams would trade places with the Phillies in a heartbeat.
It may not feel like it right now, but the future is bright.
