It is no surprise to anyone that the Phillies are projected to be one of the best teams in baseball this year. The majority of projected rankings have the Phightins listed second, just behind the almighty Dodgers who’ve bought out the number one spot for at least the next few years. However, when it comes to overall sheer talent, the Phillies are one of, if not the most well-oiled machine, having taken the NL East from the Braves for the first time in years. Long-time fans of the Phillies know that the success surrounding this club has not been consistent, in fact, even in recent years with the team’s exit from the postseason getting cut shorter with each season, it clearly shows how dependent a team is on the team as a whole, not just the few superstars who make up a team’s strongest offensive or defensive players.

Last year we saw the Phillies completely dominate, it seemed like all regular season long they were out there playing with the same fight and grit many are used to seeing in October; however, one postseason baseball came, it left many fans scratching their heads as to what truly happened to this utterly unstoppable team just a few months prior. Personally, it seemed as though the Phillies, no longer deemed “underdogs,” didn’t know how to handle, or rather, didn’t enjoy the limelight on them. The past two seasons prior, the Phils were Wildcard teams, they didn’t earn the bye week, couldn’t bypass that first-round three-game series, and it was electrifying to watch. Both in 2022 and 2023, they found their stride towards the end of September, with the mentality to “win or go home;” however, last year it seemed as though they turned a corner. With Trea finally feeling his offensive stride, Bohm really coming into his own at the hot corner, and Marsh and Casty holding it down defensively in the corner outfield spots while consistently moving the runners around the diamond if they were in the batter’s box; it seemed great. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side though, because with being “the best” in a tough division in which it’s always a fight for which teams make it to October, there’s a standard that comes with being “the best” in the division, and once the Phillies hit that ceiling last postseason, there was a clear shift in mentality, ultimately resulting in their demise. In typical Philly fashion, the team’s worst enemy wasn’t their opponents, but themselves.

Now, the team Phillies fans were so quick to write off, the New York Mets seemed to have gotten stronger to make themselves even more relevant with the Soto signing, the retention of Pete Alonso, the pitchers they managed to resign and/or retain, there is a clear shot at the Mets being good this year. In any other division, including the extremely contested NL West, the Mets could rival even the best of teams in the National League; however, they are up against two of the best teams in the Atlanta Braves and Phillies, so it’ll be tough to see whether or not this lineup in Queens can truly handle the grind of 162 games. With Clay Holmes potentially bouncing between being a starter or in the bullpen, it’ll ease the stress their once-prized closer Edwin Diaz has been feeling in close game situations, and a little more room to breathe after an extremely rough 2024 season. Sean Maenea had a career year with the Mets last season, and now that he’s cleared to begin playing and training again, he won’t be too far behind the rest of the squad and could potentially have his first start within the same first month of the season, which is a big plus from where many thought he would be this time last week even; if he and other recent acquisition Frankie Montas can come back swiftly without complications, their lineup could look pretty strong. Obviously, the season itself somewhat does revolve around the success of Juan Soto and his generational bat; however, with the likes of some other familiar faces in Fransisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, Alonso, and up-and-coming third baseman Mark Vientos, they are no longer a laughing stock in the NL East, and very soon will show the rest of the sport that last fall was no fluke, they are a championship-caliber team.

However, when comparing the two, at least on paper, it’s evident that the Phillies are just arguably a stronger group. Starting with the pitching, it’s obviously hard to compete with a rotation made up of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suarez, Jesus Luzarado, and Christopher Sanchez, who is coming off his first all-star season, and while the Mets’ projected rotation of Kodai Senga, Manaea, Montas, Clay Holmes (if he is a starter) and Megill. Looking at these ten players and comparing them, the Phillies clearly take the cake. Their infields are equally filled with talent; however, Harper clears Pete Alonso across the board, and Jeff McNeil (or Bret Baty who will most likely be playing second until McNeil’s return from the IL) is no match for one of the faces from the Phillies franchise for years to come, Bryson Stott. The left side of the infield; however, is the Mets’ for the taking. While Trea Turner and Alec Bohm are good, Lindor and Vientos’ consistency gives the Mets’ shortstop and third baseman have an edge that the Phillies lack, especially at short. Trea is fantastic, Lindor is also fantastic, it’s just a matter of consistency, and with both of their tenures on their current respective teams, it’s Lindor who takes the prize for being the better player. Where it gets tricky to compare the two is in the outfield. Yes, Soto’s bat is one of the best in the game, but a good bat doesn’t equate to a strong defensive performance, and it’s no secret that Soto’s defensive game isn’t that strong, whereas his Phillies counterpart in Nick Castellanos is one of the best defensive right fielders in the game, despite his bat’s streaky behavior. Nimmo and Brandon Marsh are synonymous in terms of play and “team vibes” if you will, and whether it’ll be Jose Siri orTyrone Taylor manning the last spot in the outfield, they are pretty comparable to recent Phillies offseason pick-up Max Kepler, if not better. Lastly, there’s no question that no matter who the Mets slot in as the DH, Kyle Schwarber is one of the most elite players to have in that position other than the likes of Shohei Ohtani or Marcell Ozuna, so no matter if it’s Jesse Winker or Starling Marte, the Phillies’ DH will reign supreme.

All in all, yes, the Mets have made some notable moves and have absolutely brought themselves back to relevance this year, but it is still very much the Phillies’ division to lose (unless Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider can return and bring the Braves back to relevancy after an injury-ridden 2024 for their club). With less than a week to opening day, only time will tell who will reign supreme in the NL East, all I can say is that this division race is going to be one to watch this year!