Well, Spring Training is now fully and finally underway.
Five days after pitchers and catchers reported to Clearwater to begin workouts, the full squad began theirs on Monday. Aside from a couple stragglers (Bryce Harper is reportedly ill and Trea Turner’s wife just had a baby), the rest of the roster has assembled to avenge last fall’s shocking NLDS loss to the Mets and begin the road to winning the franchise’s first title in 17 years.
After falling two wins short of winning it all in 2022, blowing a 3-2 NLCS lead to the underdog Diamondbacks in ‘23 and last year’s playoff failure to New York, there would seemingly be no team in baseball that is under more pressure to win the World Series. Yet if you ask outfielder Nick Castellanos, the pressure to win has actually lessened for him (quote via Scott Lauber at the Inquirer) this year.
“I do think that we have less pressure as a team this year,” Castellanos said Sunday, the eve of the first full-squad workout, “especially with everything the media said about us when we lost last year. And we didn’t really go out and make any crazy changes. So, if we lose, you guys look smart, which is dope, right? But then if we win, it’s like a happy surprise. So, it’s kind of a freeing place to play baseball, you know what I mean?”
If this mindset helps Castellanos play well and win games, then I’m all for the illusion. Make no mistake, though, this baseball team is under immense pressure to win it all, and it’s not just coming from the fanbase. The owner, front office and his teammates all understand what’s at stake.
This core is getting older. Some of them may be leaving after this season (J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber and Ranger Suarez are all potential free agents after this year). They’ve come up short three straight seasons, and you only get so many bites at the apple together.
On the latest episode of Hittin’ Season, we discussed the ways in which Castellanos’ comments are more wishful thinking and self-motivation than reality.
I kind of get what Castellanos is getting at, even if I don’t agree. The Dodgers spent the offseason assembling a SuperTeam and are the massive favorites to repeat as champions. The Phils also play in baseball’s toughest division, with three teams (the Mets and Braves being the others) considered among the 5 to 7 best teams in baseball.
It will be a tough road to travel, and given the front office didn’t add anything impactful to the offense and most fans are disappointed in the lack of activity this winter, it’s reasonable for Castellanos to feel that expectations have been lowered.
They haven’t. Nothing short of a World Series title will be considered a successful season for this group, for better or worse.
But don’t take our word for it. The Athletic’s Jayson Stark polled nearly three dozen MLB insiders to ask them which teams are most under pressure in 2025, and while the Phils didn’t make the top of the list, they weren’t far down, either.
“We introduced a new question in our survey this year: Which rosters — or core groups — are under the most pressure? The results were fascinating.
The Blue Jays players (nine votes) won that one, too. But right behind them were the Phillies. It’s not hard to see why.
They’re rocking the third-highest payroll in baseball. They’re coming off two straight postseason train wrecks. Yet for the second straight winter, their legendary team-builder, Dave Dombrowski, has doubled down on a roster built to win. So if this core group wants to stay together, it needs to win together.
“They’re getting older,” said one voter. “Their core group of players is starting to age. (Kyle) Schwarber and (J.T.) Realmuto are free agents at the end of the year. I just feel a sense of urgency in a very difficult division.”
Rob Thomson’s job isn’t in jeopardy, and neither is Dave Dombrowski’s. But there is an acknowledgment that this core needs to get over the finish line this year, or they may not get another shot. One hopes young prospects like Aiden Miller, Justin Crawford and Andrew Painter can keep that championship window propped open, but Harper, Turner, Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola aren’t getting any younger.
They’ve already blown three chances to do this thing. They may not have many more left.
So, if Castellanos is comfortable operating under the idea that there is less pressure this season, more power to him. If that’s what gets him in a better head space and allows him to play free and easy, that’s great.
The Eagles’ Super Bowl win has let some of the steam out of the pot, but the pressure to win a World Series remains, no matter what anyone may tell you.
