<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/mlb-stories/phillies-trade-proposal-50-million-white-sox-star');   ga('set', 'title', 'Phillies trade proposal for $50 million White Sox star');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Phillies-trade-proposal-for-50-million-White-Sox-star.jpg"></figure><h1>Phillies trade proposal for $50 million White Sox star</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-03T15:25:45-07:00">April 3rd, 3:25pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-03T15:25:45-07:00">April 3rd, 3:25pm</time><address><a>Bailey Bassett</a>Bailey Bassett is a sports writer from Denver, Colorado, covering major sports events and athlete backgrounds at ClutchPoints. He has experience covering and writing on high school, collegiate, and professional sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago White Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago White Sox’s rebuild is nearly complete, but there is still one star left on the team. It seems like just a matter of time until the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-white-sox/white-sox-news-luis-robert-jr-believe-hasnt-been-traded">White Sox trade Luis Robert</a>. The centerfielder had a great spring training, and now that the regular season has begun and the White Sox are again struggling, a trade could be right around the corner. The Philadelphia Phillies seem like an ideal trading partner for the White Sox, but what trade package makes sense for both sides?</p><h2><b>Phillies trade proposal for Luis Robert</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Luis-Robert-1.jpg"><figcaption>David Banks-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><b>Phillies receive: </b>Luis Robert</p><p><b>White Sox receive: </b>Justin Crawford (Phillies No. 3, MLB No. 63), Gabriel Rincones Jr. (Phillies No. 10), Aroon Escobar (Phillies No. 13)</p><p>The Phillies have been World Series contenders for years now, but they haven’t been able to bring home the Commissioner’s Trophy with their current core. Contenders who need to get over the hump tend to make trades during the regular season, so a Robert to Philadelphia trade makes a lot of sense.</p><p>The Phillies are stacked on offense, so Robert would fit right in because he has middle-of-the-order talent. Having so much talent around him would take some of the pressure off and potentially change how teams pitch to their lineup. He’d help on defense as well. Robert has killer speed, which is something the Phillies lack.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/white-sox-news-chicago-dealt-luis-robert-injury-blow-amid-playoff-push">Robert has struggled with injuries</a> and plate discipline at times during his career, but at his best, he is one of the rare true five-tool players in baseball. He has <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/roberlu01.shtml" rel="noopener">hit as many</a> as 38 home runs in a season, and he has a .338 batting average year to his name. Robert is a somewhat high-risk, high-reward trade target due to his injury history, but he can also outplay what is expected of him as of now due to his star-level potential. The return on investment could be huge in a Robert trade because his trade value isn’t super high right now.</p><h2><b>Taking a look at the rebuild in Chicago</b></h2><p>In 2016, the White Sox blew things up and started one of the biggest rebuilds in the MLB has ever seen. They traded every one of note from their roster and created the<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/top-10-mlb-farm-systems-ahead-of-2025-season"> best farm system in baseball</a> at the time. Over two days, Chicago traded Chris Sale and Adam Eaton away for Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, Dane Dunning, Reynaldo Lopez, and Lucas Giolito.</p><p>The team would continue to trade for, draft, and sign elite prospects over the next couple of years. Perhaps the face of their rebuild was Robert. The outfielder from Cuba signed a contract as an international free agent with the White Sox in 2017, and he eventually agreed to a six-year, $40 million deal in 2020 before even reaching the major league level. Not long after that, he established himself as the best player on the team.</p><p>The rebuild seemed to pay off, as Chicago looked like a legitimate World Series contender by 2021. That year, they won 93 games with a young roster that looked like it could contend for years to come. Robert was looking like an All-Star caliber player, and he’d win that award in 2023, but the wheels fell off for the outfielder and his team quickly.</p><p>By 2024, the team had to blow things up yet again and start their rebuild over. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-white-sox/worst-mlb-teams-history-white-sox-record-breaking-season">White Sox had one of the worst seasons ever,</a> as they went 41-121. That set the record for the most losses in the modern era. Over the course of the last two seasons, the team has been trading all of their veteran talent, a lot of which were among their prized prospect possessions only a few years prior.</p><p>They’ve held onto Robert so far, but a trade is inevitable. Holding onto the star made sense last year, considering his trade value was at an all-time low due to poor play and injuries. Robert seems to be stringing together a good run of health and production, though, and that is helping rejuvenate his trade value. When said trade value reaches a perceived maximum, the White Sox should cash in on a trade that brings in even more young talent. Perhaps the second rebuild will be the charm in Chicago.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Phillies trade proposal for $50 million White Sox star

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-anonymous-player-bashes-espn-jt-realmuto-ranking-compared-roki-sasaki');   ga('set', 'title', 'Anonymous player bashes ESPN for Phillies’ J.T. Realmuto ranking compared to Roki Sasaki');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Phillies-JT-Realmuto.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Ross-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Anonymous player bashes ESPN for Phillies’ J.T. Realmuto ranking compared to Roki Sasaki</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-03T12:42:45-07:00">April 3rd, 12:42pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-03T12:42:45-07:00">April 3rd, 12:42pm</time><address><a>Quinn Allen</a>Quinn Allen is a Senior Associate Editor with ClutchPoints. He specializes mainly in soccer, basketball, and baseball. When Quinn isn't producing content for CP,  he's writing sports betting predictions for numerous sites across North America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Philadelphia Phillies star JT Realmuto has been in the big leagues for over a decade, and he’s undoubtedly one of the best catchers in the sport.</p><p>But, somehow, ESPN’s latest rankings of the top 100 players in the Majors had Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Roki Sasaki much higher than Realmuto on their list, putting him at No. 60, while Realmuto came in at No. 89. An anonymous player<a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/44479703/mlb-rank-2025-top-100-ranking-audit-players-feedback-hits-misses" rel="noopener"> absolutely ripped apart</a> ESPN for placing a first-year player above Realmuto:</p><p>“You have [Roki] Sasaki” — the Los Angeles Dodgers’ rookie pitcher who’s ranked No. 60 — “over J.T. Realmuto?” asked one player, who called attention to Realmuto’s nearly decade-long standing as one of the best catchers. “In what world does that make sense?”</p><p>There’s certainly a valid point here. I mean, Sasaki has barely taken the hill in the MLB, and he’s supposedly better than Realmuto? Yes, they play different positions so it’s hard to compare, but the Phillies backstop deserves to be a lot higher in these rankings. That is the reality. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-news-roki-sasaki-pulled-second-inning-rough-start-vs-tigers">Sasaki has also struggled to begin his big league career</a>. He’s proven nothing yet in the show.</p><p>ESPN had several head scratchers on this list. One that sticks out like a sore thumb is Pittsburgh Pirates phenom Paul Skenes at No. 5. While he is electric, there’s no way he should be in the top 10 at this point in his career.</p><p>“Paul Skenes has amazing stuff,” said another player about the fifth-ranked young Pirates pitcher. “But he’s ahead of Francisco Lindor? Like, a shortstop who plays every day and just finished second in the NL MVP race?”</p><p>You got that right. As for Realmuto, he’s not going to care much about where he ranks on ESPN’s top 100. The main focus is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-news-experts-reveal-braves-phillies-beat-dodgers">helping the Phillies make a World Series run</a> in a very difficult National League. His play on the field, both behind the dish and at the plate, speaks for itself.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Anonymous player bashes ESPN for Phillies’ J.T. Realmuto ranking compared to Roki Sasaki

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-zack-wheeler-tabbed-top-mlb-pitcher-by-far-by-padres-star');   ga('set', 'title', 'Phillies’ Zack Wheeler tabbed top MLB pitcher ‘by far’ by Padres star');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Zach-Wheeler-with-Philadelphia-Phillies.jpg"><figcaption>Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Phillies’ Zack Wheeler tabbed top MLB pitcher ‘by far’ by Padres star</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-03T11:24:57-07:00">April 3rd, 11:24am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-03T11:25:20-07:00">April 3rd, 11:25am</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Philadelphia Phillies ace Zach Wheeler placed ninth on the recent ESPN Top 100 and second among starting pitchers. After <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/braves-news-chris-sale-wins-nl-cy-young-award-resurgent-season">finishing second in the National League Cy Young race last year</a>, it is an expected high ranking for Wheeler. But for one National League rival, it is not high enough. Padres third baseman Manny Machado <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/44479703/mlb-rank-2025-top-100-ranking-audit-players-feedback-hits-misses" rel="noopener">says there should be</a> no pitchers ahead of the Phillies star.</p><p>“Zack is the No. 1 pitcher in the league right now, by far,” Machado said. The rankings disagree, with Paul Skenes ranked fifth as the highest non-Ohtani pitcher. The Dodgers’ two-way star is, of course, ranked first. Skenes’ ranking did cause some issues among players surveyed, even his own teammates.</p><p>“But you guys have Paul Skenes at [No. 5], but Paul Skenes doesn’t hit. That skews the list for me,” Andrew McCutchen said. “To me, that’s like ranking offensive and defensive [NFL] players on the same list. It doesn’t work.”</p><p>Wheeler lost to Chris Sale in the Cy Young race last year, who finished 32nd on the ESPN Top 100. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tigers-news-tarik-skubal-with-special-reaction-to-al-cy-young-victory">AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal</a> came in tenth. Wheeler is the top-ranked Phillie on the list, with Bryce Harper coming next at number 11. Trea Turner, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sanchez, Kyle Schwarber, and JT Realmuto are also on the list.</p><h2><b>The Phillies are riding their ace early</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Zach-Wheeler-with-Philadelphia-Phillies-2.jpg"><figcaption>Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Through two starts of his 2025 campaign, Zach Wheeler has thrown 13 innings and allowed only two runs. He picked up the win on Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies after a no-decision on Opening Day. The Phillies won both games on their way to a 4-1 record to start the season.</p><p>The Phillies’ strength is their pitching rotation, with Wheeler, Nola, Sanchez, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/phillies-news-philadelphia-acquires-jesus-luzardo-trade-marlins">new acquisition Jesus Luzardo</a> all making starts so far. While their offense is a collection of stars that can dominate a season, their pitching is what will get them deep in the playoffs this year.</p><p>Wheeler turned his dominance up a notch after joining the Phillies in 2020. His Mets tenure was riddled with injuries and some growing pains coming into the majors. But since joining Philly in free agency, he has been one of the top pitchers in the National League. He will turn 35 during the season, and this could be the crowning season of his career.</p><p>The Phillies host the Los Angeles Dodgers for a home series where Wheeler likely will not pitch. He is likely to start a game against the Atlanta Braves when they hit the road.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Phillies’ Zack Wheeler tabbed top MLB pitcher ‘by far’ by Padres star

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/zack-wheeler-dominates-rockies-sets-phillies-franchise-record');   ga('set', 'title', 'Zack Wheeler dominates Rockies, sets Phillies franchise record');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Phillies-news-Zack-Wheeler-dominates-Rockies-sets-franchise-record.jpg"></figure><h1>Zack Wheeler dominates Rockies, sets Phillies franchise record</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-02T19:54:51-07:00">April 2nd, 7:54pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-02T19:54:51-07:00">April 2nd, 7:54pm</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Colorado Rockies</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Zack Wheeler continues to show why<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/phillies-news-zack-wheeler-predicted-paul-skenes-nl-cy-young"> he’s one of the most dependable arms in baseball</a> — and why the Phillies were right to lock him down with a hefty extension this past offseason.</p><p>On Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park, Wheeler delivered a masterclass in a 5-1 win over the Colorado Rockies, striking out 10 batters over seven innings of three-hit, one-run baseball. In the process, he made franchise history, becoming the first Phillies pitcher to go 13 consecutive regular-season starts allowing <a href="https://x.com/ScottLauber/status/1907587682638651585" rel="noopener">two earned runs or fewer</a> in six or more innings — the longest such streak in club history.</p><p>“It’s just Zack being Zack,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said postgame. “He’s a workhorse, and he sets the tone every time he takes the mound.”</p><p>Wheeler’s streak is the longest in MLB since Shane McClanahan did it in 2022 and places him among elite company. Only 28 pitchers in MLB history have <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/zack-wheeler-dominates-rockies-with-10-strikeouts" rel="noopener">achieved a run like this</a> since earned runs became an official stat in 1912 — names like Roger Clemens, Tom Seaver, Randy Johnson, and Greg Maddux.</p><h2><b>Zack Wheeler, Phillies dominant in win vs Rockies</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Zack-Wheeler.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Wheeler’s only blemish Wednesday came in the seventh, when Hunter Goodman launched a solo homer off a 2-0 sinker. That was the second straight night Goodman took a Phillies starter deep — the only two runs Colorado has scored in the series. Despite the chilly, rainy weather, Wheeler took the mound in short sleeves, seemingly unfazed.</p><p>He induced a career-high 25 whiffs in a regular-season start, topping his previous high. His pitch mix was sharp as ever, relying on his fastball to get ahead before finishing hitters with his curve, cutter, and splitter. “I try not to overthink it,” Wheeler said. “I go out there, follow my routine, and try to give us a chance to win. That’s it.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/phillies-news-kyle-schwarber-edmundo-sosa-hot-start">Offensively, the Phillies got just enough done early</a> to support their ace. Kyle Schwarber stayed hot with an opposite-field RBI double in the fourth to score Alec Bohm, then scored himself moments later on a slow roller in front of the plate by J.T. Realmuto. Aggressive baserunning caught the Rockies napping and gave Philadelphia a 2-0 lead.</p><p>Trea Turner returned to the starting lineup after back spasms sidelined him earlier in the week, and he didn’t skip a beat — tallying three hits and an RBI. Edmundo Sosa, continuing to thrive in a utility role, collected three hits and two RBI of his own, pushing his team-leading total to nine hits through four games.</p><p>“Stud. So good,” Turner said of Sosa. “He’s a team player, he’s a winner. It’s great having him here.”</p><p>Despite loading the bases with no outs in the fifth, the Phils came up empty thanks to strikeouts by Harper, Bohm, and Schwarber. Still, they improved to 4-1 on the year and locked in their second consecutive series win to open 2025. As long as Wheeler is dealing like this, the Phillies can afford to be patient with their offense.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Zack Wheeler dominates Rockies, sets Phillies franchise record

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-all-star-blasts-torpedo-bats-criminal-take');   ga('set', 'title', 'Phillies’ All-Star blasts torpedo bats with ‘criminal’ take');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/All-Star-blasts-torpedo-bats-with-criminal-take.jpg"></figure><h1>Phillies’ All-Star blasts torpedo bats with ‘criminal’ take</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-01T06:39:02-07:00">April 1st, 6:39am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-01T06:40:15-07:00">April 1st, 6:40am</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a>Rexwell Villas is an experienced sports writer covering a variety of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college football. He's a Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, and he claims to have JR Smith's conscience with his shot selection. He has won a basketball, a baseball, and a football championship in fantasy all within a year.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Philadelphia Phillies</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Not a week has elapsed <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-opening-day-question-for-phillies-key-bullpen-piece">since the 2025 MLB Opening Day</a> but there’s already controversy swirling in the big leagues. At the center of it all is the “torpedo bat,” which gained fame after the New York Yankees <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-jazz-chisholm-jr-idiots-complaining-new-bats">pummeled the Milwaukee Brewers for nine home runs</a> last Saturday. But it has also gained notoriety to many others, seemingly including Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Matt Strahm.</p><p>Strahm <a href="https://onpattison.com/news/2025/mar/31/the-phillies-had-some-interesting-thoughts-on-the-torpedo-bat/" rel="noopener">appeared to take issue</a> with what he seemingly perceives as an unfair view in terms of the desire to make baseball more exciting through increased offense as opposed to how pitchers are treated.</p><p>“If pitchers mattered in this game, maybe I’d have (an opinion),” Strahm said (h/t Anthony SanFilippo of OnPattison). “But we get checked like criminals every time we walk off the mound, so I don’t think our opinion matters anymore. I think they made that very clear. It’s all about offense. So, yeah, let’s make more offense.”</p><p>Like all other pitchers, Strahm, who was an  All-Star during his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/mlb-rumors-phillies-eyeing-2-yankees-relievers-free-agency">second season with the Phillies in 2024</a>, needs to get checked by the umpires for “sticky substance” before getting on the mound and after leaving it.</p><p>The torpedo bat is a custom-made bat that is designed to add more mass to the area where a hitter usually makes contact with the ball. It is also said to have been <a href="https://x.com/JoePompliano/status/1906737740583932294" rel="noopener">invented by an MIT physicist, Aaron Leonhardt</a>, who worked with NASA and taught physics at Michigan for nearly a decade before getting a career in baseball.</p><p>In any case, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-immediately-jump-on-yankees-torpedo-bat-train">torpedo bats are here to stay</a>. At the end of the day, it is legal and nothing is stopping other teams from using them. Strahm even noted another team that used it in 2024.</p><p>“Go back and watch the Baltimore Orioles, they used it last year, right,” Strahm shared. “It’s only getting coverage because it’s the Yankees.”</p><p>As for the Phillies, at least one player on the team has hopped on the torpedo bat boat, with third baseman Alec Bohm, who already used it during Monday’s home opener against the Colorado Rockies. Bohm went 1-for-4 with a strikeout.</p><p>When asked after the game <a href="https://x.com/Devan_Kaney/status/1906834452426137881" rel="noopener">about whether it worked</a>, Bohm simply said: “Did I hit a home run?” (h/t Devan Kaney of SPORTSRADIO 94WIP).</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Phillies’ All-Star blasts torpedo bats with ‘criminal’ take

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-trea-turner-j-t-realmuto-nationals-phillies-series-finale-outlook-injuries');   ga('set', 'title', 'Trea Turner, J.T. Realmuto get Nationals vs Phillies series finale outlook amid injuries');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Phillies-news-Trea-Turner-J-T-Realmuto-get-Nationals-series-finale-outlook-amid-injuries.jpg"></figure><h1>Trea Turner, J.T. Realmuto get Nationals vs Phillies series finale outlook amid injuries</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-29T22:22:54-07:00">March 29th, 10:22pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-29T22:22:54-07:00">March 29th, 10:22pm</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/phillies-news-espn-star-shows-off-incredible-opening-day-fit-support-alec-bohm">Philadelphia Phillies are off to a 2-0 start in 2025</a> after back-to-back wins over the Washington Nationals, but they might be <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/trea-turner-j-t-realmuto-injury-updates" rel="noopener">without two key players</a> in Sunday’s series finale.</p><p>Shortstop Trea Turner and catcher J.T. Realmuto are both dealing with injuries that could keep them out of the lineup at Nationals Park. Turner was a late scratch on Saturday with back spasms, while Realmuto exited the game in the seventh inning after fouling a ball off his left foot.</p><p>“I’m not going to put them in any kind of danger,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said after Saturday’s 11-6 win. “We’ll know more tomorrow, but I’m going to be really careful.”</p><p>Realmuto underwent X-rays, which came back negative, and his injury appears to be minor. Turner’s situation, however, is a bit more complicated. He said his back started to tighten toward the end of Thursday’s Opening Day win and worsened Saturday while fielding grounders during pregame warmups.</p><h2><b>Phillies injuries continue to pile up early in the season</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Trea-Turner-2.jpg"><figcaption>Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>“I’ve never had anything like this,” Turner said. “I’d think it’s day to day. I feel way better now than I did a few hours ago. I just basically got treatment all day. I don’t know a timeline or anything, but hopefully [Sunday]. If not, the next day.”</p><p>Turner joked that his recent back discomfort might be connected to a hip issue that flared up near the end of spring training, which he blamed on sleeping arrangements during his stay at teammate Bryson Stott’s house. “It felt good playing,” Turner said. “It was more so sitting down or sleeping… I think that kind of turned into this a little bit.”</p><p>If Turner sits again Sunday, Edmundo Sosa would likely get another start at shortstop. Sosa made the most of his opportunity Saturday, going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Meanwhile, Rafael Marchán would likely fill in for Realmuto behind the plate if the All-Star catcher is unavailable.</p><p>Saturday’s win was fueled by strong performances from Bryson Stott, Kyle Schwarber, and Brandon Marsh. Stott homered and doubled, scoring three runs, while Schwarber and Marsh each launched three-run home runs to break the game open in the sixth and seventh innings. It was also a stellar Phillies debut for left-hander Jesus Luzardo, who struck out 11 in five innings and flashed upper-90s velocity with a newly developed sweeper pitch.</p><p>With Aaron Nola set to start Sunday, the Phillies are aiming for a sweep to open their season. But all eyes will be on Turner and Realmuto’s availability heading into the finale.</p><p>For now, Thomson is playing it safe. “I’m going to be really cautious with both of them,” he said. “It’s early. We’re not taking any risks.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Trea Turner, J.T. Realmuto get Nationals vs Phillies series finale outlook amid injuries

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-bryce-harper-gets-real-alec-bohm-trade-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Phillies’ Bryce Harper gets real about Alec Bohm trade rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Phillies-news-Bryce-Harper-gets-real-about-Alec-Bohm-trade-rumors.jpg"></figure><h1>Phillies’ Bryce Harper gets real about Alec Bohm trade rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-28T15:31:47-07:00">March 28th, 3:31pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-28T16:35:35-07:00">March 28th, 4:35pm</time><address><a>Matty Breisch</a>Matty Breisch is a Senior Editor who specializes in NFL and WWE content at ClutchPoints. He can be read at Heavy, FanSided, The Needle Drop, Philadelphia Sports Network, and right here at ClutchPoints. Are you ready to read about football and wrestling? Well, you've come to the right place.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Though the 2025 MLB season just officially opened up, one member of the Philadelphia Phillies is already on the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/phillies-news-espn-star-shows-off-incredible-opening-day-fit-support-alec-bohm">proverbial trade block in third baseman Alec Bohm</a>.</p><p>Now granted, there have been rumors of a Bohm deal since the 2024 MLB season ended, with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-rumors-phillies-mason-miller-demand-athletics-shut-down-alec-bohm-trade-talks">his name a popular one during the winter</a>, but as the season has geared back up, the concept of the former first-round pick finishing out the season elsewhere has remained a hot topic.</p><p>And yet, in the opinion of his teammate Bryce Harper, those rumors <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/gabe-lacques/2025/03/27/alec-bohm-phillies-vs-nationals-opening-day/82698821007/" rel="noopener">aren’t getting in the way of the task at hand</a>, as the players in the Phillies dugout remain fans of Bohm.</p><p>“He had a possibility of going somewhere else,” Harper said via USA Today. “A lot of guys in here — including myself — we love that kid over there. He plays the game hard and understands what takes, man. He just needs to not put pressure on himself too much and just have fun.”</p><p>Pitcher Zack Wheeler commented on the rumors too, noting that he’s been the subject of them as well but remains a big fan of what Bohm brings to the table nonetheless.</p><p>“I’ve been through those also,” Wheeler noted. “Your name’s out there a good bit; you think you’re gone. He’s here with us. He’s our third baseman; he’s a really good hitter; he’s become a good fielder, and I’m happy to have him. He’s a competitor. Just glad he’s with us.”</p><p>Will Bohn end up getting traded? Maybe yes, maybe no, but for now, he’s keeping his eye on the prize, which is trying to win the World Series alongside the teammates he’s been playing with for three, four, or even more straight seasons.</p><p>“It’s not very often you get to play three, four seasons in a row with the same group in professional sports like this,” Bohm said Thursday. “It’s nice to be back here, back where I’m comfortable and familiar.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Phillies’ Bryce Harper gets real about Alec Bohm trade rumors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/celebrity/phillies-news-espn-star-shows-off-incredible-opening-day-fit-support-alec-bohm');   ga('set', 'title', 'ESPN star shows off incredible Phillies Opening Day fit to support Alec Bohm');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ESPN-star-shows-off-incredible-Opening-Day-fit-to-support-Alec-Bohm_16x9.jpg"></figure><h1>ESPN star shows off incredible Phillies Opening Day fit to support Alec Bohm</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-28T00:20:33-07:00">March 28th, 12:20am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-28T00:20:33-07:00">March 28th, 12:20am</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Celebrity</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>ESPN personality <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/nationals-news-how-nationals-mackenzie-gore-bob-gibson-mlb-history-opening-day">Erin Dolan made waves on MLB Opening Day</a> — and not just for her usual betting insights. Dolan, the rising star and ESPN betting analyst, showed off a stunning throwback Phillies jacket <a href="https://www.si.com/onsi/athlete-lifestyle/fashion/espn-erin-dolan-amazing-phillies-coat-boyfriend-alec-bohm-is-perfection" rel="noopener">to support boyfriend</a> Alec Bohm as he and the Philadelphia Phillies kicked off their 2025 season on the road against the Washington Nationals. The varsity-style jacket featured the vintage burgundy-and-powder-blue Phillies color scheme, with block lettering and the iconic 1980s “P” logo — a hit among fans and followers alike on social media.</p><p>Dolan and Bohm went Instagram official in epic fashion back in February, appearing together at <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-news-fans-flame-new-fox-scorebug-chiefs-eagles-super-bowl">Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans as they cheered on the Philadelphia Eagles</a>. Since then, she’s been a visible supporter, often appearing at spring training and regular-season games in full Phillies gear. On Opening Day, her fashion sense once again matched the moment.</p><p>And Bohm? He matched it with performance. The Phillies’ third baseman — <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-rumors-phillies-mason-miller-demand-athletics-shut-down-alec-bohm-trade-talks">whose name had swirled in trade rumors all offseason</a> — came through in a huge way during extra innings. With the game tied 3-3 in the 10th, Bohm ripped a two-run double to left-center that ultimately proved to be the game-winning hit. J.T. Realmuto followed with a two-RBI triple to seal the 7-3 victory.</p><h2><b>Alec Bohm shines in Phillies extra-inning win against the Nationals</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ESPN-star-shows-off-incredible-Opening-Day-fit-to-support-Alec-Bohm-v2_16x9.jpg"><figcaption>Mar 24, 2025; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third base Alec Bohm (28) is congratulated after he scored a run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>“For three months this offseason, Alec Bohm had no idea where he’d be on Opening Day,” Bryce Harper said after the win. “A lot of guys in here, including myself, we love that kid. He plays the game hard and understands what it takes. He just needs to not put too much pressure on himself and enjoy what he does.”</p><p>The clutch hit capped a rollercoaster opener for the Phillies, who struck out 19 times — a franchise record for a team that won on Opening Day. Washington’s starter MacKenzie Gore was lights-out, striking out 13 in just five innings, but Bohm’s poise and plate discipline eventually helped turn the tide in extras.</p><p>“Doing hard things only makes you a better person,” Bohm told The Athletic earlier this spring, referencing the ups and downs of his career. “So I think dealing with all the hard s**t only makes all the good stuff feel even better, you know?”</p><p>That sentiment rang true Thursday, as the Phillies — and Bohm — battled through offensive struggles and late-game pressure to pull out the win. With Bohm expected to be a major piece of the lineup in 2025, his strong start is encouraging for a team looking to return to October glory.</p><p>And while the pressure is high — Bohm is playing on a one-year, $7.7 million deal — support from fans and Dolan alike continues to surround him. The Phillies are off Friday before continuing their opening series in D.C. this weekend. But after Bohm’s big moment, one thing’s clear: he’s right where he belongs — both in the lineup and in Philly.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

ESPN star shows off incredible Phillies Opening Day fit to support Alec Bohm

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/mlb-stories/mlb-news-experts-reveal-braves-phillies-beat-dodgers');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB experts reveal how Braves, Phillies can beat Dodgers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Experts-reveal-how-Braves-Phillies-can-beat-Dodgers.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB experts reveal how Braves, Phillies can beat Dodgers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-26T12:45:10-07:00">March 26th, 12:45pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-26T13:09:54-07:00">March 26th, 1:09pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Dodgers racked up <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/full-details-emerge-on-dodgers-1-billion-deferred-payments">$1 billion in deferred payments</a> to assemble a star-studded team. After winning the World Series last season, the Dodgers will field an even stronger squad in 2025. The expectation is that Los Angeles will run away with the championship this season. But the outcome is <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/44389786/mlb-2025-predictions-playoffs-world-series-mvp-rookie-year-cy-young" rel="noopener">not so clear cut</a> for some MLB insiders.</p><p>While the Dodgers were the overwhelming favorite to capture the National League Pennant and go on to win the World Series in ESPN’s recent 2025 MLB predictions piece, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves were given an outside chance of beating LA.</p><p>Much has been made of the Dodgers’ pitching this offseason with the starting rotation receiving plenty of praise. But Philadelphia boasts a very strong group of starters as well. Led by ace Zack Wheeler and steady veteran Aaron Nola, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/jesus-luzardo-trade-grades-phillies-marlins">Phillies acquired Jesus Luzardo in a trade</a> with the Miami Marlins. His addition to the rotation gives the team three high-end starters.</p><p>If Cristopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez reach their potential in 2025, the Phillies could have the best starting pitching in baseball. That’s especially true if <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-no-1-overall-prospect-honest-admission-before-2025-season">Philadelphia’s top prospect Andrew Painter</a> is ready to contribute this season. Painter’s inclusion in the rotation would provide the team tremendous depth and flexibility.</p><h2><b>Can Bryce Harper and the Phillies overcome the powerhouse Dodgers?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Bryce-Harper_7e2315.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Ross-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>With their rotation, the Phillies can beat any team in a playoff series, according to ESPN’s Eric Karabell. Additionally, the Dodgers’ staff has dealt with injuries of late, making them “far from reliable,” per Karabell.</p><p>The Phillies also boast a superb lineup. While the team is still a step behind the Dodgers offensively, Philadelphia’s biggest postseason issue has been the team’s failure to produce at the plate in the playoffs. Perhaps this is the year Bryce Harper and company put it all together.</p><p>The Braves are one of baseball’s most talented teams. However, it was difficult to tell at times in 2024 as Atlanta was decimated by injuries, losing former MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. and Cy Young candidate Spencer Strider early in the season.</p><p>Both players should rejoin the team early in 2025, with Strider expected back on the mound in April and Acuña returning to the lineup at some point in May. And this offseason, the team <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/braves-news-atlanta-adds-2024-padres-all-star-free-agency">added All-Star Jurickson Profar</a>, creating one of the best outfields in baseball when healthy.</p><p>“If Acuña and Strider return as expected and the Braves avoid terrible injury luck elsewhere, they should be right there in October – and anything can happen in October,” ESPN’s Jorge Castillo noted.</p><p>It won’t be easy toppling the powerhouse Dodgers in 2025. But the Phillies and the Braves have a shot. The NL East in general should be an interesting race as the New York Mets have also improved with the addition of Juan Soto to the lineup. Starting pitching, however, remains an issue for New York.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB experts reveal how Braves, Phillies can beat Dodgers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-rumors-604-million-kyle-tucker-prediction-will-make-cubs-sad');   ga('set', 'title', 'Phillies rumors: Insider makes $604 million Kyle Tucker prediction that will make Cubs sad');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Insider-makes-604-million-Kyle-Tucker-prediction-that-will-make-Cubs-sad.jpg"></figure><h1>Phillies rumors: Insider makes $604 million Kyle Tucker prediction that will make Cubs sad</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-25T19:25:11-07:00">March 25th, 7:25pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-25T21:48:14-07:00">March 25th, 9:48pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia Phillies finished with a 95-67 record in 2024, winning the NL East for the first time in 13 years. This season the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/mlb-news-braves-phillies-mets-biggest-threats-dodgers">Phillies are considered one of the biggest threats</a> to the Dodgers’ World Series hopes, as the team boasts an excellent, deep rotation and All-Star-caliber players throughout the lineup.</p><p>Although Kyle Tucker is just settling in with the Chicago Cubs after being <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-chicago-land-kyle-tucker-massive-astros-trade">traded by the Houston Astros</a> over the offseason, one insider expects the veteran right fielder’s stay in the Windy City to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6228831/2025/03/25/mlb-predictions-2025-vladimir-guerrero-extension-kyle-tucker-phillies/" rel="noopener">be brief</a> with a trip to Philadelphia next on his itinerary.</p><p>“After a strong season with the Cubs, Kyle Tucker signs a 14-year, $604 million contract with the Phillies in free agency,” Jim Bowden of The Athletic wrote in his list of 25 predictions for the 2025 season. “The deal includes significant deferrals,” Bowden added.</p><h2><b>Would Kyle Tucker choose the Phillies over the Cubs?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Kyle-Tucker_b516bf.jpg"><figcaption>Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Tucker avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $16.5 million deal with Chicago for the upcoming season. And he’s been outspoken about his interest in signing a long-term deal with the team. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-kyle-tucker-comments-catch-fans-attention">Tucker won Cubs fans over</a> by discussing how happy he is to be on the team. He also praised the organization and its fanbase.</p><p>But in Bowden’s prophecy, Tucker eschews an extension with the Cubs and chooses to join the Phillies.</p><p>Tucker had a good run with the Astros, spending the first seven seasons of his eight-year career in Houston. A shin fracture hampered his 2024 campaign, costing Tucker 79 games. But when he was healthy enough to play, he was excellent, earning his third consecutive All-Star Game nod.</p><p>Tucker appeared in the World Series three times with the Astros and was a member of the team that beat the Phillies in the 2022 Fall Classic. Philadelphia believes it has a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-dave-dombrowski-philadelphia-world-series">championship-caliber team in 2025</a> but adding Tucker would certainly be a boon.</p><p>The Phillies’ current right fielder, Nick Castellanos is signed with the team through the 2026 season but that’s unlikely to prevent Philadelphia from pursuing Tucker. And his Gold Glove probably gives him the edge at the position.</p><p>Although deferrals play a role in the actual value of contracts, Bowden’s prognostications have Tucker’s deal surpassing Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s. While he predicts a 14-year, $604 million pact between Tucker and the Phillies, Bowden believes the Blue Jays will <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-rumors-insider-577-million-vladimir-guerrero-jr-prediction">re-sign Vladdy to a 15-year, $577 million contract</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Phillies rumors: Insider makes $604 million Kyle Tucker prediction that will make Cubs sad

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/mlb-stories/mlb-news-braves-phillies-mets-biggest-threats-dodgers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Braves, Phillies, Mets labeled ‘biggest threats’ to Dodgers in MLB');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Braves-Phillies-Mets-labeled-biggest-threats-to-Dodgers.jpg"></figure><h1>Braves, Phillies, Mets labeled ‘biggest threats’ to Dodgers in MLB</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-25T14:52:04-07:00">March 25th, 2:52pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-25T14:52:28-07:00">March 25th, 2:52pm</time><address><a>Benjamin Adducchio</a>Benjamin Adducchio is a journalist and writer with more than a decade of experience in covering sports news. Ben is a passionate sports fan who loves college football, basketball, and the New York Yankees.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Dodgers may be favored to win the World Series once again, but it won’t be easy for them. The Dodgers are predicted to have challenges from at least three other teams. The Braves, Phillies and Mets are <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/44328603/mlb-2025-season-preview-opening-day-power-rankings-playoff-odds-all-30-teams" rel="noopener">considered the biggest threats</a> to the Dodgers, per ESPN baseball insiders.</p><p>Atlanta, Philadelphia and New York are all considered to be playoff teams in 2025. That certainly makes sense for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mets-news-juan-soto-slaps-yankees-harsh-reality-after-bombshell-free-agency-choice">the Mets, who signed the jewel of free agency in Juan Soto</a>. New York also made the NLCS last year before losing to the Dodgers.</p><p>The Braves are coming off a 2024 season that saw the team riddled with injuries. Atlanta still won 89 games, despite those problems. The Phillies, meanwhile, have reached three straight postseason appearances.</p><p>“The Phillies’ offense is menacing and their rotation looks deep, but they need to shore up the back end of their bullpen if they hope to compete in the Dodgers’ territory,” ESPN baseball writer Alden Gonzalez wrote.</p><p>Time will soon tell, as the Major League Baseball season officially begins on Thursday. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-roki-sasaki-predicted-win-major-awards">Dodgers are 2-0, however, after sweeping the Chicago Cubs in the Tokyo Series</a>.</p><h2><b>MLB teams will need some luck to upend the Dodgers this season</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Roki-Sasaki_da5e00.jpg"><figcaption>Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Dodgers spent an awful lot of money the past two years on some of the biggest names in the free agent market. Los Angeles has three of the hottest players in MLB from Japan, including phenom pitcher Roki Sasaki.</p><p>Sasaki joins Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani as some of the best players on the team’s roster. Los Angeles agreed to spend more than $1 billion on Yamamoto and Ohtani alone. That is simply a bucketful of cash that several other teams in MLB can’t afford.</p><p>“Major League Baseball is a quarter century removed from its last repeat champion, but the Dodgers might be more prepared to pull it off than anyone,” Gonzalez added for ESPN. “Their rotation was their only weakness in October, and they have since doubled down by adding (Blake) Snell and Sasaki (not to mention getting Tyler Glasnow and Yamamoto back healthy).”</p><p>Casual MLB fans may consider the Mets to be the greatest threat in the National League to Los Angeles. That’s because the team bulked up their offense this past offseason with Soto. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mets-news-pete-alonso-truth-meeting-re-signing-new-york">The Mets were also able to hold on to Pete Alonso</a>. That tandem should be able to help score runs for the team, but it’s uncertain if the pitching will be able to hold as well.</p><p>Time will tell how the race for the NL pennant plays out this year.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Braves, Phillies, Mets labeled ‘biggest threats’ to Dodgers in MLB

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/mlb-news-dodgers-red-sox-braves-phillies-earn-world-series-winner-votes-poll');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dodgers, Red Sox, Braves, Phillies earn most World Series winner votes in poll');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/MLB-news-Dodgers-Red-Sox-Braves-Phillies-earn-most-World-Series-winner-votes-in-poll.jpg"></figure><h1>Dodgers, Red Sox, Braves, Phillies earn most World Series winner votes in poll</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-24T11:14:48-07:00">March 24th, 11:14am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-24T11:14:48-07:00">March 24th, 11:14am</time><address><a>Russell Steinberg</a>Russell Steinberg covers Major League Baseball and the New York Liberty for ClutchPoints. A baseball and basketball lifer, he has written for Boardroom, SLAM, SB Nation, The Next, and more. He graduated from NYU in 2012 and still returns to serve as PA announcer and occasional broadcaster for the school’s basketball and volleyball teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The experts over at The Athletic have gathered ’round the proverbial roundtable to make their predictions for the 2025 MLB season and the results are in. The Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies are your <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting/mets-news-new-york-2025-world-series-odds-after-massive-juan-soto-signing">World Series favorites</a>, according to their <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6222015/2025/03/24/mlb-predictions-2025-world-series/" rel="noopener">preseason poll</a>.</p><p>All 33 of the outlet’s MLB writers took part, giving their picks for team and individual honors in 2025. Overall, 14 out the 33 writers picked the Dodgers to repeat as World Series champions — not a majority, but the team with the most votes by far. An additional two more picked Los Angeles to win the National League pennant again.</p><p>After the Dodgers, no team received more than four votes (Red Sox) to win the World Series. The Braves and Phillies followed Boston with three votes each, while the Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Mets each had two. The New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners each took a vote a piece.</p><p>Though the 2023 World Champion Rangers only had one vote to win it all in 2025, the team actually had 11 writers pick them to win the pennant. The Yankees, who won the pennant last year, entered spring training as American League favorites, but a rash of injuries, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/mlb-rumors-yankees-wont-trade-gerrit-cole-replacement-season-ending-injury">including to 2023 Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole</a>, led to only three writers still believing in them.</p><h2><b>Dodgers 2-way star Shohei Ohtani is the overwhelming NL MVP pick</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Shohei-Ohtani-Dodgers.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It’s hardly breaking news that the perceived best players in baseball all garnered picks to carry MVP honors in the AL and NL. In the National League, 18 of 33 writers — more than the amount who picked the Dodgers to win the World Series — believe <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-roki-sasaki-predicted-win-major-awards">Shohei Ohtani will be the NL MVP</a>.</p><p>And why shouldn’t they? He’s already won the award three of the last four years, and he did it last year as a permanent DH. In 2025, he’s expected to return to the mound, where he has a career 3.01 ERA in 86 starts. No one expects him to have another 50-50 season next year while he’s also part of the rotation but at this point, why would we put anything past him?</p><p>In the American League, Kansas City Royals infielder <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-aaron-judge-al-mvp-repeat-bobby-witt-jr-poll">Bobby Witt Jr., who finished second in MVP voting</a> in 2024, also earned 18 votes from The Athletic staff. Witt also won the AL batting title with a .332 average and 211 hits last year as the Royals advanced to the ALDS. 2024 MVP Aaron Judge finished second to Witt with five votes.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dodgers, Red Sox, Braves, Phillies earn most World Series winner votes in poll

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-zack-wheeler-predicted-paul-skenes-nl-cy-young');   ga('set', 'title', 'Phillies’ Zack Wheeler predicted to edge Paul Skenes for NL Cy Young');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Zack-Wheeler-predicted-to-edge-Paul-Skenes-for-NL-Cy-Young.jpg"></figure><h1>Phillies’ Zack Wheeler predicted to edge Paul Skenes for NL Cy Young</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-24T10:37:36-07:00">March 24th, 10:37am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-24T10:37:36-07:00">March 24th, 10:37am</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates both have high expectations coming into this season. For Philly, they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/phillies-most-blame-embarrassing-nlds-loss-mets">won the National League East last year but lost to the rival Mets in the NLDS</a>. There is excitement around the Buccos because of their new star pitcher, Paul Skenes. In<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6222015/2025/03/24/mlb-predictions-2025-world-series/?source=emp_shared_article" rel="noopener"> a preseason poll,</a> experts from The Athletic picked Philly’s Zack Wheeler to edge out Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes for the National League Cy Young.</p><p>“Phillies ace Zack Wheeler is the reliable option. He’s twice finished as Cy Young Award runner-up, and he’s gotten down-ballot Cy Young Award votes in two other seasons,” Chad Jennings wrote. “Fourteen of our voters think this is the year he finally wins it. Paul Skenes is the young sensation coming off a Rookie of the Year season in which he started the All-Star Game and finished third in Cy voting. A dozen voters think his ascent to the top of the league is inevitable.”</p><p>The remainder of the votes are split among four pitchers. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/diamondbacks-news-corbin-burnes-decision-diamondbacks-free-agency">Corbin Burnes from the Diamondbacks</a> got four votes, and the Dodgers’ Tyler Glasnow, Braves’ Spencer Strider, and defending champion Chris Sale each got one vote. What has to happen for this prediction to come true?</p><h2><b>Can Phillies’ Zack Wheeler overcome the Paul Skenes hype?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Zack-Wheeler-with-Phillies.jpg"><figcaption>Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Last year, Skenes made his debut with the Pirates after just 12 minor league starts. With the hype of a number-one overall pick behind him, he put up one of the best pitching seasons in the National League. He edged out <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/pirates-news-paul-skenes-beats-jackson-merrill-nl-rookie-of-the-year">Jackson Merrill and Jackson Churio for the NL Rookie of the Year</a> title.</p><p>Despite the Pirates’ lack of offensive additions this year, many expect Skenes to take a big step forward. The team may struggle because of their offense but their pitching should be great. But at 23 years old, Skenes could go through some growing pains as he faces teams for the first time.</p><p>That is where Wheeler comes in, as the Phillies ace has been consistently great for a half-decade. Since he joined the Phillies in 2020, he has finished second in Cy Young voting twice, including last year. He lost the 2021 title to Burnes and last year’s to Sale.</p><p>There will be a lot of conversation about Skenes this year. His stuff is electric, his relationship grabs headlines, and the team could capture the fan’s imaginations this year. The momentum points to the youngster but a career full of high finishes points to the Phillies and Wheeler.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Phillies’ Zack Wheeler predicted to edge Paul Skenes for NL Cy Young

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-phillies-all-star-pitcher-likely-start-season-on-il');   ga('set', 'title', 'Phillies news: Philadelphia all-star pitcher likely to start season on IL');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Phillies-news-Philadelphia-all-star-pitcher-likely-to-start-season-on-IL.jpg"></figure><h1>Phillies news: Philadelphia all-star pitcher likely to start season on IL</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-23T23:38:30-07:00">March 23rd, 11:38pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-23T23:38:30-07:00">March 23rd, 11:38pm</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/phillies-news-ranger-suarez-update-injury-scare">Philadelphia Phillies will be without All-Star left-hander Ranger Suárez</a> to begin the 2025 season, as manager Rob Thomson confirmed Sunday that Suárez is expected to open the year on the 15-day injured list due to<a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/03/ranger-suarez-likely-to-begin-season-on-phillies-injured-list.html?utm_source=twitter" rel="noopener"> a lingering back issue.</a></p><p>“We don’t want this thing to linger,” Thomson said, via MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. “So if we do officially IL him, we don’t think it’s going to be long.”</p><p>Suárez has been sidelined since March 15 and has only recently resumed playing catch. Given his history with back injuries — including one that derailed a potential Cy Young campaign last season — the Phillies are exercising caution. The team hopes that by giving him time to recover now, they can avoid the kind of second-half fade that plagued him in 2024, when his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/phillies-news-ranger-suarez-big-hint-philadelphia-future-contract-year">ERA ballooned from 2.76 before the All-Star break to 5.65 afterward.</a></p><p>By backdating the IL stint and taking advantage of three off-days in the season’s first 12 days, the Phillies expect Suárez to miss just one start and be eligible to return as early as April 8 against the Braves.</p><h2><b>Phillies will look to another former All-Star to fill the void in the rotation</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Ranger-Suarez-1.jpg"><figcaption>Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Taking Suárez’s place in the rotation will be right-hander Taijuan Walker, who is looking to rebound after a disappointing 2024 season in which he posted a 7.10 ERA over 83 2/3 innings. Walker has shown signs of improvement this spring, notably adding over three miles per hour to his four-seam fastball and refining his splitter.</p><p>“His stuff’s better, flat out,” Thomson said of Walker, who is entering the third season of a four-year, $72 million deal. Walker is slated to start April 3 against the Rockies at Citizens Bank Park.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Phillies continued to tweak their roster ahead of Opening Day. On Sunday, they claimed right-hander Carlos Hernández off waivers from the Kansas City Royals and designated righty Tyler Phillips for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster. Hernández, who boasts a fastball averaging nearly 98 mph, is expected to be used as a long reliever.</p><p>“He’s got a great arm,” Thomson said. “He’s pitched two innings multiple times in Spring Training. So he’s a two-inning guy.”</p><p>Despite his impressive raw stuff, Hernández has struggled with command, posting a 6.97 ERA in spring action and a career 11.3% walk rate. The Phillies now have just one more roster decision to finalize before flying to Philadelphia: choosing between Kody Clemens and Buddy Kennedy for the final bench spot. Both are out of options.</p><p>In terms of lineup construction, Thomson said he’s still evaluating his options and could alternate leadoff hitters based on matchups, with Trea Turner leading off against lefties and Kyle Schwarber against righties. The Phillies open the regular season Thursday in Washington, with ace Zack Wheeler set to take the mound against the Nationals.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Phillies news: Philadelphia all-star pitcher likely to start season on IL

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-fans-roast-bob-nightengale-accidentally-tweeting-bryce-harper-died');   ga('set', 'title', 'Phillies fans roast Bob Nightengale for accidentally tweeting Bryce Harper died');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Phillies-news-Fans-roast-Bob-Nightengale-for-accidentally-tweeting-Bryce-Harper-died.jpg"></figure><h1>Phillies fans roast Bob Nightengale for accidentally tweeting Bryce Harper died</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-23T08:34:24-07:00">March 23rd, 8:34am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-23T08:34:24-07:00">March 23rd, 8:34am</time><address><a>Owen Crisafulli</a>Owen Crisafulli is a Senior Editor and NFL Lead at ClutchPoints. He recently received his Masters in Business Administration from Nichols College. Previously, he obtained his Bachelor's degree in Sport Management and for a while ran his own sports website. Sports are his passion, and he thoroughly enjoys writing about thoughts and opinions that are related to the game. He has been a lifelong fan of the major professional teams in Boston and loves discussing all topics surrounding those teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/phillies-news-all-star-promising-update-back-injury">Philadelphia Phillies are gearing up for the 2025 campaign</a>, where they are hoping to be a top playoff contender in the National League. However, the team and their fans were dealt quite a scare on Sunday morning when MLB reporter Bob Nightengale erroneously reported that their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/phillies-bryce-harper-revealed-as-new-cover-athlete-for-mlb-rivals">star first baseman, Bryce Harper</a>, had died.</p><p>One of Nightengale’s colleagues, Bryce Miller, a columnist for the San Diego Union-Tribune, passed away at the age of 56 due to bladder cancer. Naturally, Nightengale <a href="https://x.com/BNightengale/status/1903815697517748537/history" rel="noopener">wanted to pay his respects</a> to Miller on social media. Unfortunately, instead of saying Miller had passed away, Nightengale <a href="https://twitter.com/KYcodilehunter/status/1903816871276621876" rel="noopener">initially said</a> that it was Harper, leading to a frenzy of replies from fans on social media.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bob Nightengale just tried to kill off Bryce Harper <a href="https://t.co/CaClgbU4ju">pic.twitter.com/CaClgbU4ju</a></p><p>— Kyle (@KYcodilehunter) <a href="https://twitter.com/KYcodilehunter/status/1903816871276621876?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Phillies fans take aim at Bob Nightengale over Bryce Harper mistake</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Phillies-first-baseman-Bryce-Harper.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the replies to this post from Nightengale were flying in from fans everywhere on X, formerly Twitter. And while Nightengale did correct the error, it’s clear that he’s not going to live this mistake down for quite some time.</p><p>@DTSbaseball immediately came for Nightengale’s head, saying, “Can we agree that Bob should not be employed?”</p><p>@Thomas_hook was baffled by Nightengale’s mishap, claiming that he thought he was being trolled at first. “I checked 5 times to make sure this wasn’t a parody account and can confirm this is a real tweet.”</p><p>@PalmerDesigns_ remembered another major error from a baseball reporter, when Jon Heyman said that “Arson Judge” instead of Aaron Judge would be signing with the San Francisco Giants in free agency. Not only was Judge’s first name spelt incorrectly, but he also didn’t sign with the Giants, opting to re-sign with the New York Yankees instead. And yet, “this is worse than Arson Judge” in this user’s eyes.</p><p>Harper is fresh off another strong season in 2024, when he posted a .285 batting average while smacking 30 home runs and racking up 87 runs batted in. And while this post from Nightengale caused some fans to be quite concerned, he is alive and well ahead of the Phillies 2025 campaign.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Phillies fans roast Bob Nightengale for accidentally tweeting Bryce Harper died

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-all-star-promising-update-back-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Phillies All-Star gives promising update on back injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Philadelphia-All-Star-gives-promising-update-on-back-injury.jpg"></figure><h1>Phillies All-Star gives promising update on back injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-22T15:35:22-07:00">March 22nd, 3:35pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-22T15:45:58-07:00">March 22nd, 3:45pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia Phillies boast a strong starting rotation in 2025 as new addition Jesus Luzardo is slotted in between staff ace Zack Wheeler and dependable veteran Aaron Nola. The team also has high hopes for its fifth starter. However, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-ranger-suarez-all-star-stiff-back-injury-opening-day">Ranger Suarez’s sore back</a> is jeopardizing his availability for the start of the season.</p><p>Suarez first <a href="https://www.mlb.com/phillies/news/ranger-suarez-back-injury-update" rel="noopener">felt discomfort</a> in his back earlier this week. But the condition is improving. “It’s better than Monday… I felt a little pain in that area, but I’m better now,” he said, per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. Suarez is now hopeful he’ll be able to make his first start.</p><p>The Phillies named <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-zack-wheeler-opening-day-aaron-nola-praise">Wheeler the Opening Day starter</a> for the second straight year. Luzardo is scheduled behind him, followed by Nola, Cristopher Sanchez and Suarez, who’s tentatively slated to take the mound on April 2 against the Colorado Rockies.</p><h2><b>Ranger Suarez is hoping for a career year with the Phillies</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Ranger-Suarez_9b51ac.jpg"><figcaption>Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>If he needs extra rest, Wheeler will start on the 2nd and Suarez will get the ball on the third. However, there’s also a scenario in which Suarez opens the season on the injured list. If he’s placed on the 15-day IL he could be ready to pitch by April 8 if the stint is dated retroactively.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-ranger-suarez-mlb-feat-never-seen-before-history">Suarez enjoyed a brilliant start</a> to the 2024 season with the Phillies. He had a 10-2 record with a 1.83 ERA over the first three months. The performance earned him his first career All-Star selection. However, things fell apart for Suarez over the second half as his ERA jumped to 6.54 over his last 11 starts of the season.</p><p>Suarez is hoping for a career year in 2025. He’s in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-ranger-suarez-big-hint-philadelphia-future-contract-year">final year of his deal with the Phillies</a> and looking to make a good impression as he enters free agency following the season. Although he’d prefer to stay in Philadelphia, it may not be possible considering the wealth of pitching the team has. And, hot prospect Andrew Painter is nearing his debut with the club.</p><p>If Suarez is unable to make his first start of the season, Taijuan Walker will take his place in the five-man rotation. Still, Suarez refuses to rule out a quick recovery.</p><p>Phillies manager Rob Thomson believes Suarez could still make his scheduled start. “Theoretically, yeah… We’ll know a lot more tomorrow. We’ll just have to see. We want to make sure we’re careful with him,” Thomson said, via MLB.com.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Phillies All-Star gives promising update on back injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-brandon-marsh-may-have-breakout-season-after-philadelphias-latest-move');   ga('set', 'title', 'Brandon Marsh may have breakout season after Phillies’ latest move');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Phillies-news-Brandon-Marsh-may-have-breakout-season-after-Philadelphias-latest-move.jpg"></figure><h1>Brandon Marsh may have breakout season after Phillies’ latest move</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-21T09:56:36-07:00">March 21st, 9:56am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-21T09:56:36-07:00">March 21st, 9:56am</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Though <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-philadelphia-injury-updates-alec-bohm">Philadelphia Phillies star Brandon Marsh has been dealing with an injury</a>, he is set to have a breakout season this upcoming season due to the team’s recent move. With the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-ranger-suarez-all-star-stiff-back-injury-opening-day">Phillies preparing for Opening Day</a>, they have announced their plans to make Marsh more of a focus on both sides of the ball.</p><p>The team said that Marsh will be the “everyday center fielder” as well as <a href="https://www.mlb.com/phillies/news/brandon-marsh-to-be-phillies-everyday-center-fielder-in-2025" rel="noopener">“starting him against left-handed pitching,” </a>which could have been an expectation since the ballclub has said in the past he was capable of handling those duties according to MLB.com.</p><p>“The Phillies say they are going to give Brandon Marsh runway early this season as the everyday center fielder, starting him against left-handed pitching,” Todd Zolecki of MLB.com wrote. “It is something the Phillies have said Marsh can do, although he has not had more than 110 plate appearances against lefties in any season since joining the organization in 2022.”</p><p>So far during spring training, Marsh has shown to be effective, especially against lefties as he’s hitting three for seven or a .429 batting average with one double, three walks, and one strikeout. Overall, he was .290 or nine for 31 at the plate as he spoke about the work put in the offseason.</p><p>“I see the offseason work paying off a little bit,” Marsh said.</p><h2><b>Phillies’ Brandon Marsh honed in on a new aspect during offseason work</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Brandon-Marsh-on-March-19-2025.jpg?w=1024"></figure><p>As fans lock in their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/3-philadelphia-phillies-bold-predictions-for-2025-mlb-season">bold predictions for the Phillies</a> this season, there’s no doubt they’ll think about the impact Marsh will have for the team as he went through major work in the offseason to perfect the craft. He would even speak about working the machine which mimicked left-handed pitching with some help from batting coach Kevin Long.</p><p>“Just because … I guess you could say I was soft in that aspect,” Marsh said on why he wasn’t a huge fan of the machine via MLB.com. “I didn’t like getting jammed and hurting the hands every day. But we used the soft balls — the foamy balls — that shoot up and have a bunch of break. One day, we had [Clayton] Kershaw’s curveball going, and it was a whole lot of fun. It was difficult. There were 10 swings in a row where it didn’t feel right, but then we found it and kept chugging until we got the feel for consistent reps. Yeah, it’s tough, left on left. But it’s also tough for the righties hitting right on right. They just do it a lot more.”</p><p>“I feel like the work has transferred well into the spring,” Marsh continued. “I’ve just got to transfer it into the 27th [Opening Day in D.C. on March 27]. And then from there on out.”</p><p>At any rate, Philadelphia looks to further improve after finishing last season at 95-67 which won them the NL East, though they were eliminated in the NLDS by the New York Mets in four games.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Brandon Marsh may have breakout season after Phillies’ latest move

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-ranger-suarez-all-star-stiff-back-injury-opening-day');   ga('set', 'title', 'Phillies’ All-Star comes down with stiff back a week before Opening Day');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/All-Star-comes-down-with-stiff-back-a-week-before-Opening-Day.jpg"></figure><h1>Phillies’ All-Star comes down with stiff back a week before Opening Day</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-20T07:27:00-07:00">March 20th, 7:27am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-20T07:27:00-07:00">March 20th, 7:27am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Philadelphia Phillies’ 2024 All-Star starting pitcher Ranger Suarez is <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/44319991/phillies-lhp-ranger-suarez-miss-next-start-due-stiff-back" rel="noopener">reportedly battling a stiff back</a>, per ESPN. The 29-year-old will not make his next spring training start as a result, but it remains to be seen if the back concern will impact his regular season availability.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/phillies-news-ranger-suarez-mlb-feat-never-seen-before-history">Suarez enjoyed a breakout season in 2024</a>. He pitched to a 3.46 ERA while striking out 145 hitters across 150.2 innings pitched. The left-handed hurler’s performance played an important role in the Phillies’ strong campaign without question.</p><p>Suarez has spent his entire big league career in Philadelphia. He features both starting and relief experience. In recent seasons, though, Suarez has primarily worked as a starter.</p><p>The 2025 season will be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/phillies-news-ranger-suarez-big-hint-philadelphia-future-contract-year">especially important for Suarez, as it represents his contract year</a>. The Phillies pitcher will earn a large contract if he pitches well during the upcoming campaign. Staying healthy will be of the utmost importance as well.</p><p>Even if Suarez does not pitch up to his potential or misses time, he will probably still earn a respectable contract given his play in past seasons. As mentioned, he was an All-Star a season ago. His 4.18 ERA in 2023 was nothing to write home about, but he turned in a quality 3.65 ERA across 29 starts in 2022. It is also worth mentioning that Suarez recorded a stellar 1.36 ERA in 39 appearances (12 starts) during the 2021 season.</p><p>Still, pitching well and staying on the field in 2025 will only help his future contract situation. Accomplishing those feats would also certainly help the Phillies. Philadelphia has found plenty of regular season success over the past few years, but they are looking to win their first World Series championship since 2008.</p><p>The Phillies feature more than enough talent to earn a Fall Classic victory. However, they will need to come through in the big moments in the postseason. Ranger Suarez will help the Phillies in October.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Phillies’ All-Star comes down with stiff back a week before Opening Day

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/why-the-phillies-are-suing-2-companies');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why the Phillies are suing 2 companies');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Why-Philadelphia-is-suing-2-companies.jpg"></figure><h1>Why the Phillies are suing 2 companies</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-19T19:29:15-07:00">March 19th, 7:29pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-19T19:29:15-07:00">March 19th, 7:29pm</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/3-philadelphia-phillies-bold-predictions-for-2025-mlb-season">Philadelphia Phillies have filed a lawsuit</a> against sports analytics companies Zelus Analytics<a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/article/phillies-sue-over-potential-sale-140000773.html" rel="noopener"> and its parent company,</a> Teamworks Innovations, accusing them of violating an exclusivity agreement regarding proprietary baseball analytics. The dispute centers around the Titan Intelligence Platform, a data-driven tool that provides teams with crucial insights into player evaluation, trade analysis, roster construction, and on-field strategy.</p><p>According to the complaint filed in a Pennsylvania federal district court, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/phillies-news-ranger-suarez-big-hint-philadelphia-future-contract-year">Phillies entered into an exclusive agreement</a> with Zelus in 2022 to use Titan Intelligence within the National League East division. The contract also restricted Zelus from licensing Titan to more than one team per division. Since then, the Phillies have paid over $1.75 million for access to the platform and have committed an additional $725,000 for the 2025 season.</p><p>However, the Phillies allege that Zelus and Teamworks are now attempting to sell components of Titan to multiple teams in the NL East and beyond, violating the exclusivity clause in their contract. The Phillies argue that this move would nullify their competitive advantage, as it would allow rival teams to access the same analytics they have relied upon for strategic decision-making.</p><p>The Phillies are not only suing for damages but also requesting a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction to prevent Zelus and Teamworks from selling any part of Titan to additional teams.</p><h2><b>What comes next for the Phillies?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Alec-Bohm.jpg"><figcaption>Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>A key factor in the case is whether the Phillies can prove irreparable harm, meaning that monetary damages alone would not be sufficient to compensate for the losses. In their complaint, the Phillies emphasize that their competitive advantage is built on exclusivity. If other NL East teams gain access to Titan, the Phillies argue, they would lose the strategic edge they paid a premium to secure.</p><p>“The harm suffered by the Phillies,” the complaint states, “cannot be adequately remedied by monetary damages alone, as the competitive advantage secured through the division exclusivity agreement and six-team limitation is unique and cannot be precisely quantified.”</p><p>Zelus and Teamworks have not yet publicly responded to the lawsuit, but they are expected to argue that selling Titan’s individual components rather than the full platform does not violate the contract. Additionally, they may challenge whether the Phillies’ exclusivity claim extends beyond what was explicitly outlined in their agreement.</p><p>Another key point in the case is that temporary restraining orders are considered an extraordinary legal measure. For the Phillies to be granted this relief, they must present a compelling argument that allowing Zelus to sell Titan’s components to other teams would cause immediate and irreparable harm.</p><p>The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe, who will determine whether the Phillies have a strong enough claim to warrant a restraining order. The lawsuit could have broader implications for how proprietary analytics and exclusivity agreements are enforced in professional sports. If the court rules in favor of the Phillies, it could reinforce the importance of exclusivity in data-driven decision-making for MLB teams. For now, the Phillies are taking legal action to protect their investment in analytics, hoping to ensure that their cutting-edge tools remain an advantage rather than becoming widely available to competitors.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why the Phillies are suing 2 companies

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-zack-wheeler-opening-day-aaron-nola-praise');   ga('set', 'title', 'Zack Wheeler Opening Day move draws high Aaron Nola praise');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Phillies-news-Zach-Wheeler-Opening-Day-move-draws-high-Aaron-Nola-praise.jpg"></figure><h1>Zack Wheeler Opening Day move draws high Aaron Nola praise</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-17T22:19:16-07:00">March 17th, 10:19pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-17T22:36:52-07:00">March 17th, 10:36pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia Phillies enter the 2025 season with high expectations. While the National League East will be a competitive division with the New York Mets acquiring Juan Soto and the Atlanta Braves getting Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider back from injury, the Phillies believe they’re a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-dave-dombrowski-philadelphia-world-series">championship-caliber team</a>.</p><p>Philadelphia will <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/zack-wheeler-named-2025-opening-day-starter-for-phillies" rel="noopener">begin the season</a> on the road against the Washington Nationals on March 27 and, unsurprisingly, the team will start Zack Wheeler on Opening Day, per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.</p><p>“He’s a stud, man… His track record shows it. I’ll say it again, I think he’s the best in the league,” fellow starter Aaron Nola said of Wheeler.</p><p>Nola has been with the Phillies since 2015 and he made six straight Opening Day starts for the team from 2018-2023. But he passed the torch to Wheeler, who started his first season opener last year and will do so again in 2025.</p><h2><b>Phillies’ ace Zack Wheeler earns his second career Opening Day start</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Zack-Wheeler.jpg"><figcaption>Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Wheeler is coming off an All-Star season in 2024. He finished second to Chris Sale in a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-bryce-harper-gets-real-zack-wheeler-vs-chris-sale-cy-young">close race for the NL Cy Young Award</a>. Wheeler went 16-7 with a 2.57 ERA, 0.955 WHIP and 224 strikeouts in 200 innings. He finished the year with 6.1 bWAR.</p><p>Phillies manager Rob Thomson shares Nola’s view of the 10-year veteran. “He’s one of the best pitchers in baseball… It’s the combination of power and command – pitchability. That’s why he’s so great,” Thomson said after announcing Wheeler as Philadelphia’s Opening Day starter, via MLB.com.</p><p>In addition to his second-place Cy Young finish last season, Wheeler was also the runner-up in 2021, when he was edged out for the award by Corbin Burnes. Wheeler led all pitchers with 7.5 bWAR that season.</p><p>The Phillies boast a deep rotation in 2025. The team<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/jesus-luzardo-trade-grades-phillies-marlins"> landed Jesus Luzardo in a trade</a> with the Miami Marlins this offseason after an injury limited him to just 12 starts last year. And Philadelphia’s top prospect Andrew Painter is nearing his big league debut.</p><p>If that wasn’t enough, the Phillies are rumored to be interested in <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/mlb-rumors-phillies-padres-scouting-dylan-cease-trade-buzz">trading for Dylan Cease</a>. Of course, they’re just one of at least eight teams with designs on the pitcher. And the Padres may decide not to trade him after all.</p><p>As it stands now, Wheeler is at the top of the Phillies’ rotation, followed by Luzardo, Nola, Christopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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