The Philadelphia Phillies concluded the 2025 regular season with arguably their best campaign since the era of Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins. That iconic squad produced five division titles, two National League pennants, and one World Series championship. While this current Phillies regime is still chasing the Commissioner’s Trophy, 2025 has been an impressive year despite its challenges.
The Phillies finished atop the NL East with 96 wins, securing their second straight division title. They hold the second seed overall and boast Major League Baseball’s best home record. Shortstop Trea Turner made history by becoming the first player to win the National League batting title since Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn in 1958.
Though Turner fell short of breaking the franchise single-season home run record, designated hitter Kyle Schwarber took the spotlight by leading the NL with 56 home runs and topping all of MLB with 132 runs batted in. Despite missing time late in the season, Turner posted the best hitting season of his Phillies tenure, edging out Chicago Cubs infielder Nico Hoerner with a .304 batting average.
Turner reflected on his achievement, saying, “I think it’s cool. Only one guy gets it in each league, which makes it tough. The batting title is a cool award, and I think it just means you had a consistent year, a good year. It’s hard to compete with 150 hitters or however many there are, but it’s rewarding.” Phillies fans should be thrilled to see him healthy and performing at such a high level.
The Fightin’ Phils dominated the division race after a close battle with their longtime rivals, the New York Mets. While the Mets held the upper hand for much of the season, the tide turned in the summer as New York went into a monumental slump. Philadelphia seized the opportunity, finishing an impressive 13 games ahead of the Mets and never looking back.
Earning a first-round bye as the NL’s number two seed, the Phillies enjoyed nearly a week off. During that time, the Los Angeles Dodgers swept the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card round, setting the stage for a National League Division Series between Philly and L.A.
To maintain sharpness during the break, the Phillies scheduled an intrasquad game at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday that attracted over 31,000 fans. Outfielder Nick Castellanos shared his thoughts on having a bye: “I think just really take pride in your work and don’t just do it lackadaisically because 5 or 6 days without a game is a long time. So whatever each of us has to do, just have the mindset of doing it as best you can. I just know how important rhythm is and consistency to a game like baseball because of how difficult it is.”
The 2025 postseason marks Philadelphia’s fourth straight playoff appearance. Unfortunately, the previous three seasons ended in disappointment. In 2022, they fell short of winning their first World Series since 2008. In 2023, they were blindsided by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Championship Series. In 2024, the Mets dealt them a humiliating defeat.
This year, the Phillies hope their chances improve thanks to key trade deadline acquisitions outfielder Harrison Bader and dominant closer Jhoan Duran, both acquired from the Minnesota Twins. Since joining Philadelphia, Bader has batted .305 with 54 hits and 16 RBIs, while Duran has recorded 16 saves, 27 strikeouts, and a 2.18 earned run average.
Philadelphia’s pitching staff will feature a trio of left-handers to challenge the Dodgers. Cy Young Award contender Cristopher Sánchez will start Game 1 on Saturday, followed by Ranger Suárez and Jesús Luzardo for Games 2 and 3, respectively. They’ll need strong performances against a potent L.A. lineup that includes Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, and MVP frontrunner Shohei Ohtani.
Ultimately, the Phillies’ success will hinge on their offense. The team cannot afford to go cold as in previous postseasons. Turner, Schwarber, Bryce Harper, and company must deliver when it counts the most.
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