Phillies Stars Putting Pressure on Themselves to Win World Series

The Philadelphia Phillies aren't satisfied with the outcome of the previous two seasons. The pressure is on in 2024.

If the Philadelphia Phillies are haunted by what happened in 2023, then they certainly aren’t showing it outwardly.

After leaving the Arizona Diamondbacks’ stadium with a 3-2 lead, it seemed like a formality that the Phillies would close the door at Citizens Bank Park, a place where they’ve dominated the past two postseasons, and get back to their second straight World Series.

Instead, the offense went ice cold and they had to watch the upstart Diamondbacks celebrate on their home field.

What hurts even more is that waiting on the other side wasn’t the juggernaut Houston Astros who had defeated them in six games during the 2022 World Series, it was the Texas Rangers, a team with tons of talent, but coming off an emotional war with their rivals and entering a bit banged up.

Maybe that was Philadelphia’s moment and they couldn’t seize it.

Or maybe, that was just another necessary step in the club’s journey to win their first World Series title since 2008.

They enter this year with another chance to hoist the ultimate trophy, and the players know if they’re going to finally hang a banner, that needs to happen soon.

“This is a window that we have to win in,” Bryce Harper said during an interview with MLB Network Radio earlier in March.

Owner John Middleton and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski have put as much talent as possible onto this roster with the hopes that they could just reach the playoffs again.

The Phillies players have delivered more than that.

But, with two disappointing results late in the schedule the past two seasons, Philadelphia is hoping that they can get over the final hurdle with this group of guys that has brought baseball energy back into the city.

“Our ownership deserves that. Our fans deserve that. Dombrowski deserves that as well. And we do, too. So, we got to go out there and play our game and play Philly baseball. And we'll see what happens,” Harper said.