Philadelphia Phillies Deemed Legitimate Threat To Los Angeles Dodgers

With the start of the regular season nearly here for the Philadelphia Phillies, the franchise will be focused on getting back to the playoffs in 2025. 

Despite not making any high-profile long-term signings this winter, they brought in players who addressed areas of need for this team. 

With the outfielder, closer and the fifth spot in the starting rotation all being a bit of an issue, the Phillies added players at all three either in free agency or the trade market. 

The two additions to their pitching staff, with Jordan Romano coming in to be the closer and Jesus Luzardo joining the rotation as the fifth starter, are likely to be the two most impactful moves for the franchise. 

Now, with the offseason almost under in the rearview, the focus will be shift to winning games and getting back to playing meaningful baseball in October. 

David Schoenfield of ESPN.com (subscription required) recently spoke about Philadelphia being a threat to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“Call this old-school thinking, but I'll still bet on starting pitching in October, and the Phillies might be the only team that can match the Dodgers' high-end potential in this department -- except the Phillies have a much better track record of keeping their starters healthy.”

In 2024, it felt like the Phillies and Dodgers were destined to meet in October.

The two franchises were battling it out for the No. 1 seed in the National League down the stretch, and there was a lot to like about each of them. 

Even though Los Angeles suffered a scare in the National League Division Series, they were able to survive against the San Diego Padres. Philadelphia couldn’t say the same, and what would have been an exciting matchup didn’t come to be. 

But, the potential meeting in the playoffs will be on the table once again. 

The Dodgers had an excellent winter after winning the World Series, and they are a heavy favorite to repeat this coming year. It is hard to find a flaw with their roster, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be beat.

The Phillies have some excellent weapons at their disposal, and they might have the starting rotation that can best Los Angeles in a postseason series. 

If the lineup lives up to expectations, Philadelphia can also hold their own against the reigning World Series champions with multiple All-Stars in the batting order. 

The addition of Romano could also be the X-factor.

If the closer can return to All-Star form, he has the ability to be exactly what the team has been needing in recent years. 

Beating the Dodgers won’t be easy, but the Phillies are one of the few teams in the league that have the weapons to do so.