Top Five Presents the Philadelphia Phillies Have Received This Holiday Season

The Philadelphia Phillies have a lot to be thankful this holiday season! Here are the top five presents that fans should be most grateful for.

Author:
Andy Jasner
Dec 25, 2022 5:25 PM EST

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Philadelphia Phillies

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or any other holiday, the Philadelphia Phillies’ passionate fan base has been awarded a plethora of presents over the past few years.

As those gifts continue to be unwrapped, the construction of the roster looks to be closer to a championship.

The Phillies came within two wins of a World Series title, but they came up just short against the Houston Astros.

All of the presents must come together and stay healthy.

Here are the top five gifts under the tree or next to the Menorah or awaiting anyone for any holiday.

1. Bryce Harper’s healthy recovery from Tommy John surgery

Harper is everything to the Phillies. They’ll go as far as he takes them. If he can come back healthy by mid-July and quickly regain his Most Valuable Player form, the Phillies will be in great shape. Those six home runs Harper crushed in the postseason were legendary. Harper needs to be as close to 100 percent as possible. If it means, he sits for an extra month until August, then it will be worth the wait.

2. Trea Turner’s arrival

The 11-year, $300 million deal looks like a bargain for Turner, one of the best all-around players in all of Major League Baseball. John Middleton and Dave Dombrowski didn’t waste any time making a splash in free agency and they got the right player. Turner is a perfect fit to play in Philadelphia and he’s so versatile. This move was something the Phillies probably wouldn’t have done in past years. They’re not afraid to spend money. This was a brilliant signing.

3 . J.T. Realmuto’s emergence

Not too long ago, there were whispers that Realmuto had been regressing. He was making some odd errors and not hitting for power or average. That’s not the case heading into the 2023 season. Realmuto is regarded as one of the top, if not the best, catcher in MLB. His leadership was evident through the postseason and he’ll be the perfect catcher to handle the solid pitching staff. Realmuto looked to be re-energized by the playoff run and that’s all positive for the Phillies.

4. Pitching, pitching, pitching

The top four starters of Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suarez and Taijuan Walker along with relievers Seranthony Dominguez, Jose Alvarado, Craig Kimbrel highlight a stellar pitching staff. Adding Kimbrel to a one-year, $10 million deal signified that Dombrowski isn’t done tweaking the roster. This is the best pitching staff assembled since the 2007-11 era.

5. Philly Rob is back

There’s no more interim tag for manager Rob Thomson. He earned it. Thomson took a reeling franchise with a 22-29 record and nearly delivered a parade down Broad Street. Thomson more than proved his mettle in handling the pressure in Philadelphia. This time around, he’ll have a chance to start from spring training. That will be beneficial for sure. The Phillies are in good hands with Thomson in charge.