Happy New Year! Our 2025 predictions and more!

00:00:00
Speaker 1: Phi. Hey, this is Bryce Harper and welcome to the Billy Show.

00:00:08
Speaker 2: Hey everybody, Ruben Tomorrow, Junior, Jim Salisbury, TODDSZ Lucky. Happy New Year twenty twenty five. Our first episode of twenty twenty five. Gentlemen, I hope you're doing well.

00:00:20
Speaker 1: Down on the label. Oh yeah, I like that he's signed you.

00:00:25
Speaker 3: Signed you.

00:00:26
Speaker 1: I mean, I love it. I love it? Are you guys? Big New Year's Eve?

00:00:32
Speaker 3: Guys.

00:00:37
Speaker 1: I'm too old for the New Year's New Year's even. Yeah. The idea of going to your party.

00:00:41
Speaker 4: And staying out late, yeah, it ends in about nine and I'm ten tons up after that.

00:00:48
Speaker 3: I haven't seen the ball drop. Uh it's Ruben played the outfield for the Phillies.

00:00:56
Speaker 1: A long time ago, the long time.

00:00:58
Speaker 2: It's the best thing about having young kids is that they do like early ball drops and stuff like that. Now you can watch them on TV. So like right about the time that it's New Year's Eve in London or in Rome, you can watch like the celebrations there and boom, saw the ball drop in Rome on TV.

00:01:14
Speaker 1: Go straight to bed. So Happy New.

00:01:17
Speaker 2: Year to everybody. I hope everybody is doing well. We thought we would spend our first episode of the new year doing a little look ahead, making some predictions, doing some big picture thoughts. We're gonna have a lot of talk, of course, over the next six weeks before camp opens in clear Water, right around Valentine's Day, looking ahead at the new season. But we thought we'd do some big picture stuff. So let's open with this, guys, top storyline on January first, January second, January third of the twenty twenty five season. What is the top storyline, Jim, in your reporter's brain?

00:01:56
Speaker 3: Well, I will say this, There are many storylines, but the ultimate one, the one that matters the most is can they win? Can they win? I hate to fast forward through the one hundred and sixty two game season because you know, I love that. I love how it's a daily chapter, almost like reading a daily novel and watching the twists and turns and seeing how it's going to unfold. And baseball season is long, but it's special. And but you know, for this team, with the huge payroll, with the star studded roster, with sort of the you know, the veteran status of a lot of these guys north of thirty, the clock is ticking on this nucleus and they've gotten to October three years in a row, which is a very good thing. I expect them to get to October for a fourth year in a row. If they don't, something's really wrong. But the standard is not just getting to October, it's winning. So after two Octobers that have gotten shorter and shorter, can they extend this one? And can they finish it off? And when the championship that everybody in that organization talks about openly, that what it's you know, that's what it's all about. So that to me is their biggest is the biggest storyline. Can they can they get it? Can they get what they want and need? And and you know, is this the year?

00:03:25
Speaker 1: So that is it?

00:03:26
Speaker 4: That is probably the top storyline I think if you're looking in a broader sense, I'm more myopic in my views here, and the storyline will change over the year, over the season. As you guys know, it's one hundred and sixty two games, it's you know, it's a long, long season.

00:03:39
Speaker 1: Things. You know, there's ebbs and flows.

00:03:42
Speaker 4: But out of the shoot, I think one of the top storylines for me is that I can't believe or we won't believe that KYLEE. Schwarmer is no longer going to be the one, the one whole hitter. He's gonna slide into four or five spot. They've been talking for years.

00:03:56
Speaker 5: Why is he not Why is he not hitting in the fourth slot? Why is he not third or fourth or fit where you can drive in more runs. Well, I think this is the year that is going to happen. I don't know that it's going to happen.

00:04:07
Speaker 4: It may not, but I think that that's one of the top storylines is where Kyle Schwarber hits in the lineup. And I think he's gonna slide into more into the middle of the lineup because I think there's gonna be some adjustments made overall.

00:04:20
Speaker 1: In that lineup.

00:04:21
Speaker 4: And I think it's the first big thing that I think Rob Thomps is gonna end up doing.

00:04:25
Speaker 3: And the fact that Rob Thompson has so openly talked about it this offseason needs you to believe that it's coming. And the fact that Kyle Schwarber improved so much against left handed hitting last year makes you think it's common because Thompson would feel comfortable with, you know, lefty lefty with Harper Schwarber in the middle. Interesting. I mean, you're right, it's it's it's it's not the big picture. It's a small picture. But man, yeah, here you look at the conversation that that leadoff hole has stimulated the last couple of years, and if they change it, yeah, big story. What do you got, Todd?

00:05:00
Speaker 2: Well, it kind of plain enough you, Jim, is can this core deliver the goods?

00:05:05
Speaker 1: You know?

00:05:05
Speaker 2: The whole plan of the offseason or the you know, everything that Dave has come out of Dave Dombrowski's mouth this offseason is we've got the star players. We've committed to the star players. We spent all this money. We we we have Bryce Harper, we signed Trey Turner to a three hundred million dollars We signed re signed Zach Wheeler to a contract c cential. We're gonna start making forty two million dollars a year. We signed Aaron Nola to one hundred and seventy.

00:05:32
Speaker 1: Three million dollar contract.

00:05:34
Speaker 2: We brought in, We've got the stars, they just need to deliver. So they've nibbled around the edges with these complimentary players. So to me, it's can this core deliver the goods? And that's what this front office, that's what this ownership group has really been banking on, or is banking on coming into twenty five, which is we have the players. We're gonna get Max Kepler, We're gonna add Hazelus Lozzardo, We're gonna add Joe Ross and Jordan Romano.

00:05:59
Speaker 1: But in the end, it's going to be how.

00:06:02
Speaker 2: Those big guys Harper, Schwarber, Castianos, Turner, Real Muto, are they going to step up and deliver in the postseason. If they do, they think that this team is good enough to win the World Series. I also think this team is good enough to win the World Series. If those guys step up in October. You know, it hasn't happened the last couple of years, does not mean it's not going to happen cannot happen in twenty twenty five.

00:06:25
Speaker 1: I'm of that mindset.

00:06:26
Speaker 2: I know a lot of fans are very frustrated. I ran into a neighbor the other day and he goes, he said, so, my neighbor. He stops me on the street and he goes, I listen, man, I gotta tell you, I'm really sick and tired of hearing how this team just needs to get hot at the right time. I don't want to hear it anymore.

00:06:44
Speaker 1: I'm like, it's kind of true. They do have to get hot at the right time. You know.

00:06:50
Speaker 2: The twenty twenty two Phillies should not have been in the World Series.

00:06:53
Speaker 1: Let's be honest. They were.

00:06:55
Speaker 2: They just barely got into the playoffs, but they got hot at the right time and.

00:06:58
Speaker 1: They went all the way to the World Series.

00:07:00
Speaker 2: Two thousand and eight Phillies, they were not the best team in baseball, but they got hot at the right time and they won the World Series and now they're legends. So you know, there's it is true. These guys get hot at the right time, they can beat anybody in Major League Baseball. So for me, it is the It is the core stepping up and delivering.

00:07:19
Speaker 1: What is the.

00:07:20
Speaker 2: Thing you guys are most curious to see in twenty five And that could be anything, Ruben, what are you kind of most curious to see in twenty twenty five?

00:07:29
Speaker 4: So where I am most curious is whether or not Alec Bohm can bounce back from all the rumors, whether he can be the guy that he was one of the best third basemen in the game, I think or can be and he's really improved defensively. How does he react to all the bs that was going on as far as his rumors and stuff and getting traded and now he's just getting in Phillies' uniform, And how.

00:07:51
Speaker 1: Does he bounce back to be the guy?

00:07:53
Speaker 4: And I think, you know, it's really it's about him pulling his bootstraps up and saying, hey man, I got to go get it.

00:07:58
Speaker 3: And I think he's done that once.

00:08:00
Speaker 4: I mean he did it once when earlier in his career when he mouthed off about the fans and then.

00:08:05
Speaker 6: Bounced right back got some support from the fans. Will he had the same sort of support this year because he fell off last year? Will he have the same sort of support from the fans? Does he need that support?

00:08:18
Speaker 4: I think that's a really big question mark because he is going to be huge in the part in the middle of that lineup, because if you do go Harper, Boom and then Schwarber he became in that lineup, it becomes a very very very important part of them having the ability.

00:08:38
Speaker 1: To get to the World Series. That's a good one.

00:08:41
Speaker 3: That's a great answer. Can I get a quick one word answer before I give them on for both of you guys, are we both convinced he's on the opening day Philly's roster?

00:08:53
Speaker 1: Yes, yes, I think I am too.

00:08:56
Speaker 3: Yes, Yeah, I mean it's going on a.

00:08:59
Speaker 4: Little time, and I still I'm telling you it will be a something short of a miracle if he's not.

00:09:04
Speaker 3: Yeah, I would agree, though. I think their ears remain open. And that leads me to my what I'm What am I most interested to see? And there's a lot of things I can't give you, you know, I have a tough time pinpointing one, but I will. I'm gonna just see how Aiden Miller continues to progress and develop. He got the Triple A last year as a hell of a prospect, you know, a good, really good two way player of ball, jumps off his bat, he can play some defense, great IQ, great intangibles. How you know, quickly does he progress through Double A? Does he get to Triple A? And I think he's knocking on the door after this season, And the reason it kind of dovetails in with Alec Bow because he's into his final two years of control. These trade rumors, whether or not they come true this winter, during the season or next winter or not lead you to believe that at some point he's going to move on. So can Aiden Miller be the third baseman? Will he play some third base in the minor leagues? Also moving over to shortstop, trade Turner's position status that shortstop could be in flux. We could see him in the outfield at some point here next year or so two years. I mean, certainly when you look at some of his defensive decline, you think that's a possibility. So with two spots on the left side of the infield potentially in flux in the next year, the next two years, I'm really curious to see what Aiden Miller looks like and can he plug one of those holes, and how far away he is, and we'll maybe get a little look at that in twenty twenty five.

00:10:51
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's been you know, he's somebody that they're really counting on. I know the ownership group in the front office is they've been reluctant to trade.

00:10:59
Speaker 4: Him there they really well, he's a very advanced hitter.

00:11:04
Speaker 1: So we'll see.

00:11:05
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm really curious to see what Max Kepler can do in left field coming off an injury, coming he hasn't been healthy a lot over his career. Much of his career, I think he hasn't had over like four or ninety played appearances since like twenty nineteen, and the Phillies signed him to a one year, ten million dollar deal to be their everyday left fielder.

00:11:23
Speaker 1: Can he do the job?

00:11:24
Speaker 2: You know that there's been there was a lot of talk entering the off season about how the Phillies were going to address the outfield. They said that we need to go out and find an outfielder that can step up and perform. And they're I don't want to say they're totally rolling the dice on somebody, but you know, he had some injury issues last season.

00:11:42
Speaker 1: He underperformed. It was a down season for him.

00:11:45
Speaker 2: So they really need him to step up and be the player that they project him to be because if he's not that kind of that will be an issue. It kind of reminds me a little bit of when, uh, and we understand why it happened, but when the you know, with the Phillies let Jason Worth go after the twenty ten season and he kind of went in this I think in the following season was like John Mayberry Junior, Ben Francisco, you know, we we we really think that you know, different guys. Of course, Max Max Kepler has a much longer track record and much more successful track record than those players. But the point being is that you go into a season going we think these guys can step up and produce. We think this guy can step up and produce and show well, and then if he doesn't, you're sitting there in July going, man, maybe we have to make another move for another corner outfielder. You know, maybe we need to find that right handed bat that you know, we thought Austin Hayes was going to be. Maybe we need to find a bat that we thought Max Kepler was going to be. So I think if he can step up and kind of recapture that form, that would be a that would be a huge boost to the lineup.

00:12:47
Speaker 4: So yeah, well there's no question about it. He's gonna have a bulls eye on him. People are gonna say, well, you know they're running it back. You know, they're running it back the same players. And if this guy can step forward and be the type of player he may not.

00:12:58
Speaker 1: Be the right Rula Badias who ended.

00:13:01
Speaker 4: Up replacing Pat Burrow, but if he can be a productive player, positive. I mean, it's hard to be an everyday player in the big leagues, and he's been one and has had some success doing it. And can he make that adjustment to left field as opposed to being in right field for most of his career.

00:13:17
Speaker 2: Biggest fear for twenty twenty five I'll start here and I think it maybe it would be your biggest guys this fear for twenty twenty five, and that is uh oh, something has happened to Zach Wheeler, something has happened to Aaron Nola, some some sort of starting pitching issue happens where you lose those guys, and not just Wheeler and Nola, but anything. You know, a couple of guys go down in that starting rotation and now you're suddenly dipping into that depth. You're dipping into Joe Ross, who you're hoping to be the third or fourth right hand in the bullpen, is now making some starts. Now you're hoping that. Now you're looking to it, Oh my gosh, is Taiwan Walker going to be in the rotation? Do we need him or some of those other guys? So it you don't want to lose Zach Wheeler, Aaron Nola rangerswar as. You want Jesus Lozardo's back to be healthy, which he says he thinks it will be healthy. You want Christopher Sanchez to kind of continue where he left off as an All Star in twenty twenty four. The rotation, we know it, We've seen it. Starting pitching is so important to a team's success. You don't want those guys to get hurt. That's my biggest fear. That would be my biggest fear for the Phillies in twenty twenty five.

00:14:29
Speaker 3: I'm right with you. I'm sorry to be to duplicate, but you know, health is my biggest fear because the team is getting older. A lot of guys are upward of thirty now. You know, some very high mileage arms in the rotation. You've had some injuries, you know, short stints on the il in the lineup the last few years, and you know, you just wonder, and they've been very resilient, but there are limits. So you know, they have a star started corps lineup, they have some really good starting pitching, a couple of workhorses at the top. I just I would fear, like any other team, breakdowns and I think continued durability in the rotation and good health in the lineup is a must. Is a must because the personnel is good, but it's not good if it's in the trainer's room.

00:15:24
Speaker 4: So here's here's the two things that I'll make make a point of, and I totally agree with you, guys, health, especially in the rotation.

00:15:32
Speaker 1: But the other part of that health in the rotation. Does it put a little little pressure on the front office to move Andrew Painter's timeline. And that's the fear that I have.

00:15:43
Speaker 4: I mean, Painters gotta make sure that he is ready to be in the big leagues physically, you know, not just physically as far as his arm is concerned.

00:15:53
Speaker 1: But like his whole makeup, the whole, you know, his whole development.

00:15:58
Speaker 4: I mean, he is in a lot of ways the future of the franchise because he's so important, he's that good. And so does it put a little finger pressure on Dave Dombrowski if one of the big boys in the top end of the rotation go down. Okay, he was supposed to be in the big leagues in July. Now we've got to push him to maybe end of may or June or something like that. To the big leagues, and I'm fearful that that's something that might happen if there's a breakdown in the rotation.

00:16:24
Speaker 1: The other thing that I will say about my biggest fear is obviously the rotation health. But if J.

00:16:30
Speaker 3: TB.

00:16:30
Speaker 4: Real Muto goes down, guess what, boys, there's trouble because and I'll say this, he's getting a little longer too, and al he's in great shape. He's a great athlete. Of Marshawn, who's I think is going to be the backup quarterback, backup catcher, I think he's going to end up, you know, getting an opportunity to play quite a bit.

00:16:50
Speaker 1: He has trouble staying healthy.

00:16:52
Speaker 4: And so if real Muto goes down and now you have a guy like Marshawn who I think can catch every day, I'm not sure if he can do it physically, he's then showing he's a to do that. Catching every day in the big leagues is a totally different thing. If you lose that number one catcher man, there could be some real issues with the club overall as far as they're catching. His concernatis in you're going to the tandem of Marshawn and stunts, and I don't have a ton of confidence that.

00:17:18
Speaker 1: They can stay healthy enough to make it through the season.

00:17:22
Speaker 3: I totally agree on all your points. I mean, your point about Painter is really that would be interesting and timely because you know, look, we knew he wasn't gonna be here at the beginning, and we knew they were gonna go slow with him. But Dave Dobrowski kind of finally laid it all out last week. What they're gonna do. He's gonna be in camp. He's gonna throw bullpens, he's gonna do all the drills, he's gonna get instruction. He's gonna interact with the Wheeler and Nola, which I think is gonna be really valuable for him. But he's not gonna pitch in Great Fruit League games. They're gonna, you know, budget his innings, try to get most of his innings at the big leagues with him arriving around July. I think that's a good plan.

00:18:01
Speaker 4: Uh.

00:18:02
Speaker 3: And you raised the fear that they would expedite that if there's an injury. I I think they know how important he is, and I don't see any way in how they expedite I think they're going to be committed to this plan like you were committed to Nola the plan there, and I think they have to be. But I it's we're all kind of The Painter thing is interesting. I'm glad. I'm glad you you introduced it to the conversation because I mean, you know, he figures in every one of my answers storyline most curious.

00:18:32
Speaker 1: Well, he's good. I mean he's somebody that you know, the fans are gonna be like, we gotta bring well yeah, yeah.

00:18:40
Speaker 2: You think of like if a couple of starters would go down for whatever reason, a bad hamstring injury, somebody's got a tender elbow. Uh, you.

00:18:50
Speaker 3: Want you wonder you sorry, guys, you didn't. You didn't mean yourself. You you in your camera off.

00:19:00
Speaker 1: That's pretty funny. That is funny. Oh my gosh.

00:19:04
Speaker 2: But what I was gonna say is, imagine the pressure if a couple of starters go down in April and May, and this team is starting to kind of teeter a little bit because the starting pitching is really struggling.

00:19:14
Speaker 1: There will be a lot of pressure on the front office that.

00:19:18
Speaker 2: Even even even if they don't even if they don't act upon it.

00:19:22
Speaker 1: They're You're gonna be hearing a lot of fans.

00:19:24
Speaker 2: I'm getting a lot of questions about you're really gonna like torpedo your chances to make this postseason because you know you want to give Andrew Paynton. What's the difference between what's the difference between June thirtieth debut and a May thirtieth debut.

00:19:36
Speaker 1: You're gonna sacrifice your.

00:19:38
Speaker 3: Season on one month?

00:19:39
Speaker 1: Come on, I mean, how soft are you? You know you're gonna get some of that type of stuff.

00:19:44
Speaker 3: But they're gonna you're gonna be monitoring his readiness. You know, you can always adjust a decision, you know, based They're gonna have somebody at his side the whole season, and they're gonna if they have a need up here, they're gonna evaluate his readiness. But I don't think whatever happens, I don't think it'll be a hasty decision because they know how important this guy is.

00:20:06
Speaker 4: So the only thing that I will tell the fans at this stage is I know Dave Dombrowski and then people talk about, you know, them being reluctant to get guys to the major leagues. Guess what, my friends, Dave Dombrowski is not afraid to bring somebody into the big leagues. He could be six years old. If he feels like he's ready to go, Dave dem Browski will bring him to the big leagues out you know, Andrew Bennettendee, you know, we we went through this when I was when I was coaching with the with the Right Red Sox. I mean, they brought him to the big leagues immediately. They had a chance to you know, to maybe get you know, a more veteran outfielder, and they were like, you know what, this kid's probably ready to go.

00:20:42
Speaker 1: Let's bring him.

00:20:43
Speaker 3: Yeah, but he didn't have a he didn't have a rebuilt elbow when he was a position guy.

00:20:47
Speaker 1: I could I know that.

00:20:48
Speaker 3: So it's not being aggressive. I could see them being aggressive with Crawford or Miller. But I think the fact that starting pitching is such a commodity, aces are such a commodity, and he's been caught on, you have to be But it's not make a hasty decision.

00:21:04
Speaker 4: But it's not It's not going to be a decision based on whether the guy is mentally or emotionally ready. It's going to be a decision as to whether he's physically ready and it's best for his long term. For his long term, I mean, David NEBRASKI will make the right decision because he's been around the game too long. He understands, uh, he understands the importance of long term and short term. And the decision is not going to be based on whether he's ready physically or it's going to be because it's the right thing to do, and.

00:21:35
Speaker 3: They want to get He's only got so many bullets this year, so many innings, so much workload, whatever you want to call it, and they want to get the bulk of it in the major leagues. So, you know, do you want to bring him in May and have him and have to shut him down by Labor Day? I think you probably want to bring him a little later and see if you can take him right to October.

00:21:57
Speaker 2: Let's let's wrap with this Bold per Day for twenty one. Bold prediction for twenty twenty five. Now I went back and I remember this. We do this at MLB dot com. You know, early in this season or early in early in the year, we will.

00:22:11
Speaker 1: Make a bold prediction. And my bold prediction this is pretty bold.

00:22:16
Speaker 2: In twenty nineteen I said, Nick Pivett is going to make the All Star team, and I'll all Star team.

00:22:20
Speaker 1: That didn't work out, So that was but that was a bold prediction. It was bold.

00:22:25
Speaker 2: That was bold. That was a bold prediction. Do you guys have a similar bold prediction. Maybe you'll be more accurate than me, James, but but also you know, hey, if you're wrong, you're wrong.

00:22:36
Speaker 1: It's a bold prediction.

00:22:37
Speaker 3: Don't be afraid prediction.

00:22:39
Speaker 1: Don't be afraid. Be bold, Jim Bold, be bold.

00:22:42
Speaker 3: Remember that T shirt like guy used to be as.

00:22:44
Speaker 1: A GM I was bold, you were bold, Be bold.

00:22:48
Speaker 2: I remember those T shirts since Gabe Kapler's first spring training with the Phillies.

00:22:51
Speaker 3: Be I. I remember Pat Gillick once said, yeah, I'm more of a shopper, Ruben's a buyer.

00:23:01
Speaker 1: He did say that. I remember that call. That was a great line.

00:23:05
Speaker 3: True, you were bold, You're true your Philadelphia boldness. I could make a lot of goofy ass bold predictions, but I'm gonna make a a reasoned prediction.

00:23:20
Speaker 1: Okay.

00:23:22
Speaker 3: I saw improvement in Orion Kirkering last year. I think he's got some he's got some some belly, you know, he's got some gravel and he's got some toughness, some makeup. I think he could ascend even on a team that doesn't like to anoint closers.

00:23:38
Speaker 4: I think he could.

00:23:39
Speaker 3: Ascend to the closers role this year. And my bold prediction is he will get twenty two to twenty five saves and emerges this team's closer at some point. There you go.

00:23:50
Speaker 1: That's why I like it.

00:23:51
Speaker 4: I thought you're gonna say. I thought you're gonna say thirty would be really bold, but nothing. That's pretty much.

00:23:58
Speaker 1: That is a big number for I feel is that's a big number for the Phillies. That's a good one. Here's my bold prediction.

00:24:04
Speaker 4: And I think I may try to predict this before, but I'm going to come out of my shoes and say that Bryson Stott's going to make a run adding title in twenty twenty five.

00:24:14
Speaker 3: Wow.

00:24:15
Speaker 1: I think he's going to make a run at the bating title in twenty twenty five.

00:24:18
Speaker 4: I think his elbow is going to be healthy. I think he's going to make a readjustment. I love I love the player because I know he wants to be really good. I can't say that he's like has Chase utly mentality. But he's that type of player, and I think he's going to have a high expectation of himself.

00:24:36
Speaker 1: I think he's going to bounce back and have a hell of a year. I think he's going to make a run and you think he's going to do it out of the one hole. Ruby, you read my my doublet.

00:24:48
Speaker 2: You can't read it on the paper, but I have Stott circled. That was my bold prediction is that Bryson Scott makes the NL All Star team, like following up after because of his health.

00:24:58
Speaker 1: He you know, this is a guy who.

00:25:01
Speaker 2: Mid August twenty twenty three was hitting over three hundred. He struggled the final five weeks of the season. I think he finished around two eighty ish. But you know, obviously he wasn't healthy last year. So for a lot of the same reasons, I think he's he's he's somebody that can have a big bounce back here.

00:25:16
Speaker 1: That's my bold prediction.

00:25:17
Speaker 2: So Rubin, and I was gonna say lead off hitter because I was going to ask you, Rubin, you said lead off, new leadoff hitter at the top of the lineup, Who would you hit leadoff?

00:25:25
Speaker 1: So you're saying maybe Bryce, and that's my guy. He's my guy. Is he now to steal thirty bags? Is he your opening day? The opening day?

00:25:35
Speaker 3: Baby?

00:25:35
Speaker 1: Right out of the shoot? Wow, Okay, that's that's I like that.

00:25:39
Speaker 4: I like that because the five hole, Scher in the sixth hole, and Kepler in the seven hole.

00:25:45
Speaker 2: Okay, you got Turner two, you got Turner two, Harper three boom four, Schwarber five boom.

00:25:53
Speaker 3: I like it.

00:25:55
Speaker 1: Six seven, left, right, left, right, left, right, left right, Man, let's go, Cat jt Real hitting eighth, let's go. And I don't want to be the manager. That's Rob Thomas's job. I like those. There's some good bold predictions. This is some good look ahead, some good top storylines we have.

00:26:17
Speaker 2: Well, we'll get in a lot of we'll dig into a lot of this stuff more in the coming weeks.

00:26:20
Speaker 4: I've got another one. I think Trey Turner is gonna bounce back and be a top three. I have this one of my second one.

00:26:26
Speaker 1: He's gonna be a top three and then an MVP voting. Okay, I think that he's good. I think he's gonna turn it around.

00:26:33
Speaker 4: I know I know that there's been Oh why would we sign a three hundred million dollar contract.

00:26:37
Speaker 1: This guy's a really good player.

00:26:39
Speaker 4: I think that he's I think that he's gonna bounce back and have a phenomenal years. I think he's gonna have thirty home runs. I think he's gonna have at least thirty bags. I think he's gonna drive in, you know, close to one hundred runs. I think he's gonna score well more than one hundred runs. I think he's gonna have a phenomenal season. I think this would be a top three m VP.

00:26:57
Speaker 3: Well, that's gonna really help the team because I you know, I think we, yeah, we talked about this last summer. It's like kind of when he's playing good, they win like wins follow.

00:27:08
Speaker 1: That guy, no doubt.

00:27:10
Speaker 2: Well, Reuben, when you do say that, you know, we talked about fans kind of being down and running it back and whatnot. But man, if you if Trey Turner finishes top three for n L m VP, it's really easy to see this team winning the NL East. It's really easy seeing this team going a deep run in October. You know, if you don't have the squint, don't I personally don't think you have to squint too much to see that those types of things happening. If the core players like Trey Turner have a big year, if Bryson Stott is hitting lead off for this team. If Bryson starts hitting lead off for this team, that means he's hitting, you know, close to three hundred, maybe better than three hundred. He's getting on base at a great clip. That means all those other guys slide down, like you said, really easy to see this team scoring a ton of runs and winning a lot of baseball games.

00:27:57
Speaker 6: I love it.

00:27:58
Speaker 1: I love I like it. I like that lineup. I don't know if that's what it's going to be, but yeah, but I like that one.

00:28:04
Speaker 3: I actually considered for my bold prediction. I considered, uh, Bryce Harper leading off thirty games.

00:28:11
Speaker 2: Wow, well, I could see that happening too. I could see that happening too, and we will. I think we talked about this maybe a couple of weeks ago, Jim, after the winter meetings, when Rob Thompson mentioned, you know, that was mentioned he would you consider Bryce hitting lead off? He said, well, you know, you get more at bats over the course of the season. You know, it can help your Hall of Fame chances. So it's it sounds to me like that's something that's been kicking around as in mine. You know, you have Atani hitting lead off, the door, hitting lead off. A lot of the baseball's best hitters are hitting lead off now when there may be more traditional three four guys.

00:28:48
Speaker 3: Yeah, that is not my official bold prediction, but if it happens, we'll we'll splice it in. We will splice it in.

00:28:55
Speaker 2: You're like, I remember you, Jim on January first, ding, Bryce Harper is gonna hit lead up and god dang it, you nailed it. So all right, we'll be back next week, guys. I was fun little twenty twenty five look ahead. We'll have plenty more in the year to come.

00:29:12
Speaker 1: See you guys.

00:29:13
Speaker 3: Happy New Year, smell your LANDA happy New Year, Smelling Tim.

00:29:17
Speaker 7: The Philly Show is brought to you by the Foul Territory Network. Subscribe to The Philly Show on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. If you like us, give us a review, follow us on Instagram, TikTok x, Facebook, and threads. Find Rubens analysis before, during, and after Phillies games on NBC Sports Philadelphia on the Sports Radio ninety four WIP Morning Show and MLB Network. Find Jim at all phl y dot com. Find me at MLB dot com, the Phillies Beat newsletter, and MLB Network