ESPN editor: Philadelphia Phillies have a “shot” to win World Series
By David Esser
Could the Philadelphia Phillies actually win the World Series this year?
In an ESPN article titled “MLB bets we’d make and long shots we’d take for the 2020 season”, a few of the company’s analysts and writers listed out some betting odds they were keeping their eye on for the upcoming baseball season. When it was time for deputy editor David Bearman to pick a team he would take a long shot on, he named the Philadelphia Phillies.
Bearman prefaced his bit with the idea that the Phillies “are not the most talented team in the division”, which I agree with. The Atlanta Braves have an absolutely loaded roster filled to the brim with young stars, and the Washington Nationals still have one of the best rotations in baseball. Even the New York Mets made some key additions to their bullpen this past offseason.
However, Bearman does point out that the Braves have lost both Felix Hernandez and Nick Markakis due to COVID-19 related opt-outs (free agent Yasiel Puig also failed his physical last week and was unable to join the roster). Bearman also notes that the Nationals lost Anthony Rendon as well, who in my opinion was their most valuable player last season.
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While the Phillies may lack in the “depth” department, they do have one of the most star-studded rosters in the MLB. Bryce Harper and Andrew McCutchen are both former MVPs, Aaron Nola, JT Realmuto, and Jean Segura have all made All-Star games in recent years, and even guys like Jake Arrieta and Rhys Hoskins have shown flashes of brilliance in the past.
If just a handful of these guys can get hot early on in 2020, that could very well be enough to carry the Phillies to a deep playoff run.
On top of the established names the Phillies already have on their roster, they also made a few key upgrades this offseason. The addition of Zack Wheeler gives the team one of the best one-two pitching duos in baseball, and standout prospects Alec Bohm and Spencer Howard are set to debut this season as well.
On top of all that, the acquisition of manager Joe Girardi is possibly the best all-around move the organization has made in years. Players have done nothing but rave about his presence since he took over this offseason.
Would I go as far as to say the Phillies are a “good” bet to win the World Series in 2020? Probably not. This is a team that I definitely believe is trending in the right direction, but is still a ways away from contending with the likes of the Dodgers and Yankees.
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With that said, a Wild Card berth or a division title are much more reasonable goals for this bizarre 2020 season. All it takes is a 1-2 months of MVP Harper or Cy Young Nola and this team could easily get back to the playoffs for the first time in almost a decade.