MFS Upper School students are once again excited for another year of playoff baseball.  The Phillies will begin their campaign Tuesday in the wild-card round against division-rival Miami Marlins.  

Regarding a potentially successful season, Jude Sansevero ’25 said, “We got to the world series last year. We added Trea Turner, and I think we have the squad to make a deep run.”

Over the last two seasons, the Phillies have gone all out to make a postseason push, signing outfielders Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos in 2022 and all-star shortstop Trea Turner prior to the 2023 season.  

Sansevero added, “We really need to see Nick Castellanos play like [he was], because he has been very inconsistent. Castellanos has had games where he looks like one of the best players in the league, and if he can do that I think we win it all.”  

While batting is important, the team’s success is also dependent on solid pitching. The Phillies are led by co-aces Aaron Nola and Zach Wheeler. Wheeler finished second in National League Cy Young voting in 2021, while Nola has been a consistent threat atop the Phillies rotation for many years.

Matthew Schlotterbeck ’25 said, “Starting pitching is important … it sets the tone for the game.”  During last postseason, the Phillies’s success was mostly due to Nola, Wheeler, and other starting pitchers pitching long into games and giving the offense a chance to get going.

The Marlins have been a tough opponent over the last few years, but Phillies fans are feeling confident going into this series. Noah Frizell ’25 feels that “most of our losses to them this year have been without Harper and when our team wasn’t fully put together.”