Nicely, Spring Coaching is now absolutely and eventually underway.
5 days after pitchers and catchers reported to Clearwater to start exercises, the total squad started theirs on Monday. Other than a pair stragglers (Bryce Harper is reportedly sick and Trea Turner’s spouse simply had a child), the remainder of the roster has assembled to avenge final fall’s stunning NLDS loss to the Mets and start the highway to successful the franchise’s first title in 17 years.
After falling two wins in need of successful all of it in 2022, blowing a 3-2 NLCS result in the underdog Diamondbacks in ‘23 and final yr’s playoff failure to New York, there would seemingly be no staff in baseball that’s underneath extra stress to win the World Collection. But for those who ask outfielder Nick Castellanos, the stress to win has truly lessened for him (quote by way of Scott Lauber on the Inquirer) this yr.
“I do assume that we’ve much less stress as a staff this yr,” Castellanos mentioned Sunday, the eve of the primary full-squad exercise, “particularly with every thing the media mentioned about us once we misplaced final yr. And we didn’t actually exit and make any loopy adjustments. So, if we lose, you guys look sensible, which is dope, proper? However then if we win, it’s like a cheerful shock. So, it’s type of a releasing place to play baseball, you already know what I imply?”
If this mindset helps Castellanos play nicely and win video games, then I’m all for the phantasm. Make no mistake, although, this baseball staff is underneath immense stress to win all of it, and it’s not simply coming from the fanbase. The proprietor, entrance workplace and his teammates all perceive what’s at stake.
This core is getting older. A few of them could also be leaving after this season (J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber and Ranger Suarez are all potential free brokers after this yr). They’ve come up brief three straight seasons, and also you solely get so many bites on the apple collectively.
On the most recent episode of Hittin’ Season, we mentioned the methods wherein Castellanos’ feedback are extra wishful pondering and self-motivation than actuality.
I type of get what Castellanos is getting at, even when I don’t agree. The Dodgers spent the offseason assembling a SuperTeam and are the huge favorites to repeat as champions. The Phils additionally play in baseball’s hardest division, with three groups (the Mets and Braves being the others) thought of among the many 5 to 7 greatest groups in baseball.
It is going to be a tricky highway to journey, and given the entrance workplace didn’t add something impactful to the offense and most followers are disillusioned within the lack of exercise this winter, it’s cheap for Castellanos to really feel that expectations have been lowered.
They haven’t. Nothing in need of a World Collection title might be thought of a profitable season for this group, for higher or worse.
However don’t take our phrase for it. The Athletic’s Jayson Stark polled almost three dozen MLB insiders to ask them which groups are most underneath stress in 2025, and whereas the Phils didn’t make the highest of the record, they weren’t far down, both.
“We launched a brand new query in our survey this yr: Which rosters — or core teams — are underneath essentially the most stress? The outcomes had been fascinating.
The Blue Jays gamers (9 votes) gained that one, too. However proper behind them had been the Phillies. It’s not exhausting to see why.
They’re rocking the third-highest payroll in baseball. They’re coming off two straight postseason practice wrecks. But for the second straight winter, their legendary team-builder, Dave Dombrowski, has doubled down on a roster constructed to win. So if this core group needs to remain collectively, it must win collectively.
“They’re getting older,” mentioned one voter. “Their core group of gamers is beginning to age. (Kyle) Schwarber and (J.T.) Realmuto are free brokers on the finish of the yr. I simply really feel a way of urgency in a really troublesome division.”
Rob Thomson’s job isn’t in jeopardy, and neither is Dave Dombrowski’s. However there’s an acknowledgment that this core must recover from the end line this yr, or they could not get one other shot. One hopes younger prospects like Aiden Miller, Justin Crawford and Andrew Painter can preserve that championship window propped open, however Harper, Turner, Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola aren’t getting any youthful.
They’ve already blown three possibilities to do that factor. They might not have many extra left.
So, if Castellanos is comfy working underneath the concept there’s much less stress this season, extra energy to him. If that’s what will get him in a greater head area and permits him to play free and straightforward, that’s nice.
The Eagles’ Tremendous Bowl win has let a few of the steam out of the pot, however the stress to win a World Collection stays, it doesn’t matter what anybody could let you know.