Will any Phillies win MLB awards for 2025?

Sure, the Phillies were disappointing again in the playoffs, losing in four games to the eventual World Series champion Dodgers in the National League Division Series.

But that shouldn't totally diminish their 96-win regular season and that they improved their win percentage for the fifth straight season. Was that enough for any Phillies to win any individual 2025 MLB awards?
Left-handed pitcher Cristopher Sánchez, manager Rob Thomson, and slugger Kyle Schwarber were all named finalists for the BBWAA's MLB awards, which will be announced throughout next week.

Let's look at which Phillies have the best chance to bring home hardware:

NL Manager of the Year: Rob Thomson

Your 2025 @officialBBWAA NL Manager of the Year Award finalists:
Terry Francona
Pat Murphy
Rob Thomson pic.twitter.com/xS1y7Blz0e

— MLB (@MLB) November 4, 2025

Why He Will Win:
The Phillies made the playoffs for the fourth time in Topper's fourth season, won the NL East for the second straight season, and won their most games since 2011 despite some serious flaws, including the lack of a cleanup hitter and a bullpen that bordered on terrible for most of the season. He didn't lose respect when he pulled rightfielder Nick Castellanos for a defensive replacement and then benched Castellanos for making inappropriate comments about being yanked; in fact, he might've gained some. Typically not one to make drastic changes, Topper's decisions to have lefty-righty platoons at second base and all three outfield positions helped the offense wake up in the second half. Plus, Topper is a likable guy who never gets grouchy with the media. Voters like that.

Why He Won't:
For some of the same reasons he could. Success isn't new to the Phillies, who have one of MLB's highest payrolls and have already made the playoffs the past three seasons. While their win total has risen, their overall trajectory has gone in the opposite direction since making the World Series in 2022 and NLCS in 2023. Also, while Topper is very likable, nobody in baseball is more liked than Terry Francona, who got the Reds back to the postseason for the first time since 2020 in his first season managing them. The Reds improved by six games from 2024. Topper's other competition, Pat Murphy, won it last year and then led the Brewers to MLB's best overall record despite the fact that most baseball fans can't name five Brewers.

Prediction: It's Topper's time.

NL MVP: Kyle Schwarber

2025 @officialBBWAA NL MVP finalists:
Shohei Ohtani (LAD)
Kyle Schwarber (PHI)
Juan Soto (NYM) pic.twitter.com/5lQRy5DaEb

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) November 4, 2025

Why He Will Win:
Schwarber played all 162 games and posted an NL-best 56 homers and an MLB-leading 132 RBIs in his contract season. He also walked 108 times, the second-most of his career, had the most hits of his career (111), and posted a 4.7 WAR, also the best of his career. He was the premier slugger on a team that won the NL East and stood as one of the game's most feared batters. His 23 HRs vs. left-handed pitchers were the most by a left-handed batter in MLB history. There's really nothing more Schwarber could've done to better align himself for this award, and he should finish no worse than second. He really only has one competitor for the award: Shohei Ohtani. Juan Soto finished with 43 homers and 105 RBIs and led the NL in stolen bases (38), on-base percentage (.396) and walks (127), but his Mets team collapsed down the stretch and didn't make the postseason; he's a distant No. 3 in this race.

Why He Won't:
Unfortunately for Schwarber, this Ohtani fella happens to be the modern Babe Ruth. As a batter, Ohtani led MLB in eight different offensive categories, including runs (146), slugging percentage (.622), OPS (1.014), total bases (380) and intentional walks (20) to go along with 55 HRs and 102 RBIs (from the leadoff spot). He's unequivocally the game's most lethal offensive weapon, and oh by the way, he's also an elite starting pitcher. He started 14 games and pitched to a 2.87 ERA, averaging nearly 12 strikeouts per nine innings. There's nobody on the planet like Ohtani, which is why he's up for his fourth MVP.

Prediction: Great effort from the Schwarbomber, but Ohtani is the clear front-runner.

NL Cy Young: Cristopher Sánchez

2025 @officialBBWAA NL Cy Young Award finalists:
Cristopher Sánchez (PHI)
Paul Skenes (PIT)
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD) pic.twitter.com/abv0SZdLyL

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) November 4, 2025

Why He Will Win:
Sánchez started a career-best 32 games and flourished in the ace role after the Phillies lost Zach Wheeler in August to thoracic outlet syndrome. Sánchez won 72 percent of his starts, posted a career-best 2.50 ERA and led all of MLB with an 8.0 WAR. Left-handers batted just .189 against him, and with runners in scoring position the league batted just .200 against him. He finished top-5 in ERA, WHIP (1.06), innings pitched (202), strikeouts (212), K/BB (4.8), HR/9 (.535), adjusted ERA (176), and FIP (2.55). Sánchez would be the ace of nearly every other MLB team. His main competition, Pirates ace Paul Skenes, pitched for a well below-.500 team, which could turn off some voters, and Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto didn't lead MLB in any major pitching category.

Why He Won't:
Although Sánchez led MLB in WAR, it's the only category he led baseball in while Skenes led MLB in ERA (1.97), WHIP (0.95) and several advanced analytics categories. Skenes clearly has the best stuff in baseball, and while some voters could knock him for not pitching in any meaningful games, others might appreciate just how dominant Skenes was with so little help around him. The Pirates finished with MLB's fifth-fewest wins and MLB's fewest runs scored. The sympathy vote is real.

Prediction: Skenes is the bride, Sánchez the bridesmaid.

Other Phillies items

• For obvious reasons, the Phillies didn't have a Rookie of the Year finalist. Next year could be a different story if Andrew Painter, Justin Crawford, and/or Aidan Miller make it to the big leagues and play enough games. Crawford is the closest and could make the team coming out of spring training.

• The Marlins promoted Gabe Kapler to GM, a heck of a comeback after the former Phillies manager went 161-163 from 2018-2019 before moving on to San Francisco. He fared way better with the Giants, posting a 295-248 record from 2020-2023 that included being named NL Manager of the Year in 2021 following a 107-win season. Kapler failed to get the Giants over .500 in each of the next two seasons, though, and joined the Marlins' front office in 2023 as an assistant general manager. The Marlins have just two winning seasons since the start of 2010, and one was the Covid-shortened 2020 year, when they were 31-29. Kapler has his work cut out for him, but his tan was already elite even before heading to South Florida, so there's that.

• MLB players with expiring contracts officially became free agents Sunday, a day after the World Series ended. The Phillies have several, including catcher J.T. Realmuto, Schwarber, Harrison Bader and Ranger Suárez.

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