World Series or Bust for Phillies

There are some big questions heading into what should be another exciting year for the Philadelphia Phillies.

When is Ryan Howard going to be available? Is Chase Utley going to be the Chase of old? Is the window of winning another World Series slowly closing for this squad?

These questions bring excitement but also uncertainty, which makes for an exciting year. Last year’s Phillies won a franchise-record 102 games but squandered the chance to get anywhere in the playoffs, losing to the 2010 World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals.

If the Phillies want to win another World Series, they will have their greatest chance of winning in the next couple of years with the team they have now.

“There should be no reason why the Phillies shouldn’t win the N.L. East. I also think they will not be as good as last year. My bold prediction is that the Phillies will make the playoffs and get knocked out in the NLCS,” Brad Arndt, a senior at Fleetwood Area High, said.

During the offseason the Phillies were fairly quiet, unlike last year when they made big moves in free agency, such as the signing of Cliff Lee. The biggest signing this offseason was the signing of free agent Closer, Jonathon Papelbon.

Papelbon will be a huge part of the bullpen because the Phillies are without relievers Ryan Madson, who left for Cincinnati, and Brad Lidge, who is now in Washington.

Along with the signing of Papelbon, the Phillies have picked up a few other players, including Jim Thome and Ty Wigginton. Thome, Wigginton, and John Mayberry Jr. will have to fill the void at first while slugger Ryan Howard is out with his Achilles injury, which may leave him out of the line-up for  a couple of months.

The Phillies also picked up outfielder Lance Nix as a nice bat off the bench.

The Phillies have high hopes in Vance Worley’s sophomore year with the team after a stellar performance last year. The sky is the limit with Worley this year.

Chase Utley, Shane Victorino, and Hunter Pence are still the main cogs of this Phillies team, and the team will go wherever these players take them.

But the Phillies will have a disappointing season with anything less than a championship.

“My prediction is that the Phillies will definitely be a playoff team and pretty good this year,” Nate Mayer,  a Fleetwood High sophomore, said.