Phillies' Complete Guide, Preview for 2nd Half of 2024 MLB Season

The Philadelphia Phillies have looked like the best team in baseball for much of the 2024 season, and with a 7.5-game cushion in the NL East standings and an MLB-leading plus-115 run differential, they are bona fide title contenders.

With Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber back in action and J.T. Realmuto expected to return soon from meniscus surgery on his right knee, the only hole in the lineup is figuring out a productive everyday option in center field.

Meanwhile, the pitching staff has been baseball's best with a 3.24 ERA, but injuries to Taijuan Walker and Spencer Turnbull have stretched things a bit thin at the back of the rotation, and there is no such thing as too many quality relievers for a contending team.

Ahead, we've provided a preview for the second half of the season, complete with potential X-factors, a trade deadline outlook and a blueprint for this Phillies team to reach the postseason.

C J.T. Realmuto

Realmuto has been sidelined since June 9 after undergoing surgery on his right knee, and in his absence light-hitting Garrett Stubbs and unproven Rafael Marchán has handled catching duties.

Realmuto was hitting .261/.309/.411 for a 103 OPS+ with 16 extra-base hits in 51 games at the time of his injury, and getting his bat back in the lineup will make an already potent lineup that much better.

LHP Cristopher Sánchez

One of the breakout pitchers of the 2024 season, Sánchez showed the Phillies enough to earn a four-year, $22.5 million last month, and he entered Wednesday's start with a 2.96 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 82 strikeouts in 97.1 innings.

With Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Ranger Suárez slotted in the top three spots on the staff, the Phillies rotation stacks up to any in baseball, and they are even more dangerous if Sánchez can back up his strong first half with more of the same after the All-Star break.

OF Johan Rojas

Rojas hit .302/.342/.430 for a 109 OPS+ with 13 extra-base hits, 14 steals and 2.5 WAR in 59 games as a rookie last season, seemingly giving the Phillies the long-term answer in center field they have been seeking the last few years.

The 23-year-old is hitting just .234/.271/.290 for a 60 OPS+ in 229 plate appearances this year, and he has been a 0.1-WAR player through 67 games. If he does not show an uptick in production in the next few weeks, the Phillies will need to consider acquiring an upgrade at the deadline.

If the Phillies are going to make a splash at the trade deadline, the logical move would be to swing a blockbuster deal for Luis Robert Jr. (CWS) or Jazz Chisholm Jr. (MIA) to serve as an upgrade in center field.

With a farm system that ranked No. 10 in B/R's latest updated rankings, they have the pieces to pull off that type of deal with a good collection of high-ceiling young prospects and guys who are closer to making a MLB impact.

Outside of a center field upgrade, there are no pressing needs, though a swingman starter in the Ryan Yarbrough mold would be a useful addition to the bullpen, especially while Taijuan Walker and Spencer Turnbull are on the mend.

It could be a relatively quiet deadline for the NL East leaders, or they could swing for the fences with a blockbuster deal.

The Phillies have a 99.9 percent chance of making the playoffs, according to the latest postseason odds from FanGraphs, so they are all but a lock to be part of this year's World Series title hunt.

Even if they play .500 baseball the rest of the way, they would still finish with 95 wins, and with the Atlanta Braves dealing with some key injuries and the New York Mets hovering around the .500 mark that should be more than enough to win the NL East.

Looking ahead to a potential playoff run, their starting rotation will be a major weapon, and there is postseason experience up and down the roster from the team that reached the 2022 World Series and the 2023 NLCS.

At +500, they currently have the second-best odds to win the World Series, behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers (+320), according to DraftKings.