The pressure is on. After two straight playoff implosions in 2023 and 2024 — following a World Series loss in 2022 — the Phillies are running it back and are hoping to prove that their highly paid and highly talented roster has what it takes to be champions.
Philly will enter 2025 with the fourth-best World Series odds, behind the juggernaut Dodgers, Yankees and division rival Braves. They are tied with another rival in the Mets (at +1100 via FanDuel).
The NL East will be a fierce division this summer, but the Phillies believe they have what it takes to defend that title.
As we do every season, as players work out and play exhibition games in Clearwater, we'll check in and tell you the prognosis and expectations for every position.
Today's look is at the designated hitter spot…
Scouting report
Kyle Schwarber has been everything the Phillies hoped he'd be over the last three years since inking him to a contract worth $79 million ahead of the 2022 season. Schwarber, possessing championship and postseason experience, has helped drive the Phils back to regular playoff contention since.
Schwarber has swatted 131 home runs with an .832 OPS in three seasons in red pinstripes. He's been even better when it matters most, too. His playoff OPS with the Fightins is .933 while hitting 12 home runs in 34 postseason games. He's done most of that damage from the leadoff position, but will that continue in 2025?
The early Spring Training lineups haven't given clear indication either way. On Sunday, Schwarber led off against Baltimore. Before Monday's game against Pittsburgh was rained out, Schwarber was set to DH and hit second behind Trea Turner with Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm following him in the first four spots of the Phils' lineup.
Manager Rob Thomson has spoken candidly this offseason about the potential of moving Schwarber away from his home atop the Phillies' lineup. I've always been of the mindset that if it's working, don't tinker with it. Phillies teams with Schwarber leading off, though he doesn't fit into the antiquated notion of what a "true" leadoff hitter is, have continued to have success. Another playoff flameout this past fall, however, may be the motivation for trying something, anything differently to see if that brings the Phillies their first parade in 17 years.
Schwarber remains a premier power hitter in this league, the best this franchise has seen since the peak of the Ryan Howard days. Another season of roughly 40 homers that drives the Phillies back to another Red October should be the expectation.
NL East comparison
The Phillies are in a crowded, talented division. What will the designated hitter spot look like across the board for the National League East? Here are baseball-reference's 2025 statistical projections for the position:
| Player | Team | BA/OBP/SLG |
| Kyle Schwarber | Phillies | .224/.340/.472 |
| Jesse Winker | Mets | .235/.339/.366 |
| Marcel Ozuna | Braves | .269/.338/.498 |
| Jonah Bride | Marlins | .239/.322/.369 |
| Josh Bell | Nationals | .249/.327/.412 |
Ozuna is a multiple-time All-Star and Silver Slugger, but no one among that group can alter a game with a single swing of the bat quite emphatically like Schwarber can.
Future
Schwarber's contract is up following the 2025 season. He's entering his age-32 season, yes, but no one should expect his power numbers to dip yet. Honing in on the designated hitter role should protect his body going forward and limit injury concerns, too. Perhaps the Phillies' front office does a soft reset with some key figures if another October run doesn't result in a World Series title, but Schwarber has been as reliable of a postseason threat as there is for the Phils. The team should actively be discussing a contract extension with the slugger.