Top 10 Phillies of the first half of 2025
The Phillies are finally at the halfway point.
At 47-33, the Phillies have a 0.5 game lead over the Mets for first place in the NL East. They will play game No. 81 of the season on Thursday afternoon against the Astros.
The story of the season so far has been the continued excellence of the rotation. Four of the five members of the current starting staff are in the top six of Phillies Nation’s top ten Phillies players of the first half.
Back in spring training, we ranked the top 10 Phillies players of 2025 with our friends at On Pattison based on past performance and our opinions on who would perform the best this year. Six players that appeared on the top 10 preseason list have made the list of top players of the first half.
This time around, Phillies Nation staff writers Bailey Digh, Nathan Ackerman, Ty Daubert and Destiny Lugardo submitted individual rankings of the top 10 Phillies of the first half. The list below is an aggregation of the four rankings.
No. 10 — Nick Castellanos
- Preseason Ranking: N/R
- Highest Ranking: 7th
- Lowest Ranking: N/R
If defense mattered more than it does, Castellanos would not be on this list at all — he’s fifth-worst out of 140 fielders in DRS. While the on-base and slugging clips are unremarkable, a .281 average is worth something, especially when it comes with a sense of consistency that most of the Phillies’ lineup can’t claim: He hasn’t ended a game below .270 since April 9. He’s also, once again, a bastion of availability; he would’ve appeared in all 80 games so far if not for (insert offensive comment here). The Phillies need more thump, including from Castellanos, but he’s consistently hitting while also striking out at the lowest rate of his career. It’s fine. — Nathan Ackerman
No. 9 — Orion Kerkering
- Preseason Ranking: N/R
- Highest Ranking: 9th
- Lowest Ranking: N/R
The bullpen has been a problem for the Phillies all season, and it was only given a bigger spotlight after José Alvarado’s PED suspension in May. But amid all the issues, Orion Kerkering has stepped up in relief for Philadelphia. The young right-hander has bounced back from a rough April and proven himself to be the team’s go-to guy in pivotal spots. He has a 2.35 ERA in 35 games this season and has not allowed an earned run in his last 19 appearances, holding leads and escaping sticky situations for the Phillies. — Ty Daubert
No. 8 — Alec Bohm
- Preseason Ranking: N/R
- Highest Ranking: 7th
- Lowest Ranking: 8th
It’s a miracle that Alec Bohm is on this list after the start he had to the season. He is batting .321 with an .835 OPS since May 1. He had a .487 OPS on April 21. He went 12 games without an extra-base hit from late March to mid-April. His batting average dipped to .150 on April 13. He’s now sitting at a comfortable .283. Bohm has also been a reliable defender at third base. He’s eighth among qualified third baseman in outs above average at +2. The Phillies could use more power out of Bohm, especially since he’s primarily hitting third with Bryce Harper out. But he deserves some credit for crawling out of the deep hole he dug for himself in the first month of the season. — Destiny Lugardo
No. 7 — Bryce Harper
- Preseason Ranking: 2nd
- Highest Ranking: 7th
- Lowest Ranking: 8th
This is mostly a volume problem, because Harper missed 23 of the first 80 games this year and has put up respectable non-counting numbers. Still, .258/.368/.446 is substandard for Harper, and the hope is that nagging injuries are to blame as opposed to something gloomier, which is certainly a troubling concept at the midway point of Harper’s contract. For this year, though, it’s far from disaster — a healthier (or manageable) wrist would go a long way in turning Harper’s numbers from respectable to typical, even if his power just isn’t what it used to be. — Nathan Ackerman
No. 6 — Ranger Suárez
- Preseason Ranking: N/R
- Highest Ranking: 4th
- Lowest Ranking: 6th
It’s going to be difficult for the Phillies to say goodbye to this version of Ranger Suárez. Excluding his stinker against the D-Backs in his season debut, Suárez has a 1.17 ERA. He has pitched into the seventh inning in all but one of his last nine starts. It’s a pleasure to watch him freeze up hitters on pitches on the inside corner. It’s a pleasure to watch him field his position with ease. It’s a pleasure to watch him be in complete control of a game. Those are the things I’m going to miss about Suárez when he is on another team next year. — Destiny Lugardo
No. 5 — Jesús Luzardo
- Preseason Ranking: 8th
- Highest Ranking: 3rd
- Lowest Ranking: 6th
Jesús Luzardo was brought to Philadelphia to round out the Phillies’ starting rotation, cementing it as one of the best in baseball heading into 2025. But his impact has been more than that. Aside from back-to-back disastrous outings against the Brewers and Blue Jays three weeks ago, where hitters seemingly knew what pitches were coming, Luzardo has pitched like an ace. Only eight major league starters have posted a higher wins above replacement, per FanGraphs, than Luzardo’s 2.6. — Bailey Digh
No. 4 — Cristopher Sánchez
- Preseason Ranking: 3rd
- Highest Ranking: 3rd
- Lowest Ranking: 5th
Last season, Cristopher Sánchez made the jump from intriguing breakout pitcher to All-Star. He’s continued to get even better to start 2025. The left-hander has a 2.87 ERA through 15 starts, doing so in almost a ho-hum fashion. It’s just what Sánchez does now; he’s simply one of the better starting pitchers in the majors at this point in his career. — Ty Daubert
No. 3 — Trea Turner
- Preseason Ranking: 4th
- Highest Ranking: 2nd
- Lowest Ranking: 4th
Trea Turner is having the season the Phillies are paying him to have. He is slashing .299/.354/.445 with a team-leading 96 hits and 19 stolen bases, matching his stolen base total from a year ago. The soon-to-be 32-year-old has cut down on his strikeout rate this year. And, while he’s made some errors, Turner’s defense has improved, too. Only two shortstops in baseball – Jeremy Peña and Bobby Witt Jr. – have accumulated a higher wins above replacement than Turner’s 3.3, according to FanGraphs. Turner is helping lead the offense and playing better defense, providing the impact a $300-million player should. — Bailey Digh
No. 2 — Kyle Schwarber
- Preseason Ranking: 5th
- Highest Ranking: 1st
- Lowest Ranking: 6th
The Junebarian has cooled down in recent weeks, but Kyle Schwarber is still the club’s most indispensable offensive player. He’s third in the National League in home runs with 24. No other Phillie, outside of a healthy Harper, possesses the power he has. But it’s not just about home runs. The strikeouts are down, he continues to walk and is able to take his base hits and run out softly-hit balls for an infield single. He has turned himself into a complete offensive player. Re-signing Schwarber in the offseason is a no brainer. — Destiny Lugardo
No. 1 — Zack Wheeler
- Preseason Ranking: 1st
- Highest Ranking: 1st
- Lowest Ranking: 2nd
Zack Wheeler is the Phillies’ ace, and he’s met the lofty expectations that he receives each year. After Wednesday’s performance — a six-inning, one-run showing that resulted in a loss — Wheeler has a 2.55 ERA in 16 starts. His WHIP is even lower than it was last year when he led the National League in that stat. Wheeler is dependable. He’s dominant. He’s the Phillies’ best player. — Ty Daubert
Other Phillies to receive votes: J.T. Realmuto, Brandon Marsh and Bryson Stott.