The Philadelphia Phillies saw a handful of their best players earn placement on MLB Network’s Top 100 Players rankings, but none cracked the top 10.
Phillies stars have a case to be considered top-10 players
Phillies Tailgate relayed the Phillies’ stars who got nods from MLB Network. Philadelphia’s franchise player Bryce Harper came in at No. 12, followed by Zack Wheeler (No. 19), Trea Turner (No. 35), Kyle Schwarber (No. 65), and J.T. Realmuto, who rounded out their honorees at No. 80 (h/t Philadelphia Phillies on SI’s Tyler Maher):
Phillies: Harper & Wheeler have a case to be in top-10
Harper is one of the most elite sluggers in the MLB. Last season, the Nevada native finished No. 10 in the Majors in OPS (.898), No. 5 in doubles (42) and No. 14 with 30 home runs. That, coupled with his two National League MVPs under his belt and reputation for being a reliable playoff performer give him the output and esteem to be considered among the best of his peers.
As for Wheeler, the 34-year-old finished as the 2024 NL Cy Young Award runner-up. He is widely regarded as one of, if not the best pitcher in baseball. Wheeler finished with the third-best ERA (2.57) and strikeouts count (224), while earning the second-most wins in the MLB (16) last time out. His combination of stellar efficiency and precision in the strike zone also gives credence to his deserving of top-10 honors.
While Turner, Schwarber, and Realmuto are not viewed in that echelon, each also has a case to have been placed higher, due to their respective efficiency, power hitting, and excellence behind the plate. Nevertheless, all five talents will look to lead the Phillies to a World Series crown in 2025 and maintain their elite play.
