Philadelphia Phillies Get Huge Praise in Initial Power Rankings

The ending to the Philadelphia Phillies' 2023 season was a disappointment for the players and fans. After losing the World Series in 2022 and beating the Atlanta Braves in the 2023 NLDS, making it back to the World Series was very achievable.

The Los Angeles Dodgers had lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks and after taking a 2-0 lead against the Diamondbacks in the NLCS, they choked away the series. 

Everything that the Phillies could have asked for was right there for them. They beat the Braves and the Dodgers lost. There wasn't anything more that could have happened for them to be in a better position.

Unfortunately, that's baseball.

Arizona won the series and did so because of their excellent play when it mattered most. While disappointing, that can't become an issue for Philadelphia this season. They have to put it behind them and control what they can control. 

This is a World Series roster that can beat any team in baseball on any given night.

The star-studded Phillies have been recognized as a top team in Major League Baseball, according to MLB.com's latest initial power rankings for 2024. Will Leitch ranks Philadelphia as the No. 5 team in baseball heading into the season.

Leitch notes the disappointing ending to the season but acknowledges that they've done what they've had to do this offseason to keep the same core around.

He also notes that a bullpen arm or two could be coming and that they're "lurking" on big free agents. If they want to continue being the team that they've been in the past few seasons, adding another arm or two could be in their best interest.