Four Takeaways from Philadelphia Phillies Sluggish First Month of Season

The Philadelphia Phillies' sluggish start to the season has been disappointing. They are over .500 but not quite where they would like to be.

Expectations for this team are once again very high in 2025. Despite a disappointing exit from the playoffs last year, the Phillies are a contender once again this campaign.

However, despite the team having a plethora of talent, there are still some early issues that have emerged.

Problems from last season have carried over into this year, even though the team tried to address them. While the team might not be perfect, they are still very good and right in the mix in the National League East.

With April coming to a close, here are four takeaways from the campaign so far.

Third Base Needs to be Addressed

The hot corner was one of the issues that plagued Philadelphia in the second half of last season, the playoffs, and now into the start of 2025. Alec Bohm was an All-Star in 2024 but has since seen his production fall off a cliff.

So far this year, he has slashed .222/.252/.274 without a home run and just nine RBI. He has become a liability in the lineup now for far too long and it needs to be addressed by the team.

Battle for First Will Be Long

Coming into the campaign, the NL East figured to be a battle between three teams. With injuries playing a significant part, the Atlanta Braves got off to a very slow start. However, as the month has gone on they have begun to perform better with some players coming back from injury.

For the New York Mets, they are red hot and leading the way after the first month. Their pitching has been fantastic this year with the best ERA in baseball overall. Even though some key hitters aren’t performing yet, they are still rolling right along.

The battle for first place in the division is going to be a season-long battle for the Phillies, especially if the Braves get hot.

Bullpen an Issue

Arguably the most significant issue for Philadelphia is once again their bullpen. This winter, the team elected to let Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez walk in free agency in favor of Jordan Romano.

Unfortunately, the former two-time All-Star has not performed well and has since lost his job as the closer. Once again, the Phillies will be heading into the summer with a need to bolster their bullpen, specifically adding a new closer.

New Starter is a Star

Even though the decision to sign Romano might not have worked out this offseason, the decision to trade for Jesus Luzardo has been a great move. The southpaw has been off to an excellent start with Philadelphia and has been far better than advertised.

Despite having multiple stars in the rotation, it is Luzardo who is leading the unit with an impressive 1.73 ERA. While he might have been brought in to be a back-end starter, he is emerging as a star for Philadelphia.