The Phillies’ player with most to prove in spring training

The Philadelphia Phillies are in a strange position as they prepare for the 2026 season. They were big winners last year, rolling to a 13-game edge over the second-place New York Mets. The Phillies were the best team in the division by a wide margin, but it may not be so easy to repeat in the upcoming season.

The New York Mets have plenty of talent and ability but they didn’t have much of a response in the second half of the season. The Atlanta Braves are usually a playoff contender thanks to their well-rounded team. They have a dynamic leader in Ronald Acuna Jr., but they got off to a brutal start and they were never in contention.

Both the Mets and Braves figure to be much stronger competition in the National League East in the upcoming season, and the Phillie may have a much greater fight on their hands within the division this season.

Even if the Phillies remain the dominant team in the division, there are other issues. The Los Angeles Dodgers are the dominant team in the National League, and any team that has aspirations of earning a spot in the National League will have to deal with the Dodgers.

It will be a difficult challenge and the Phillies will have to contend with the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres as well as the Dodgers. Phillies manager Rob Thomson knows that it’s not simply a matter of winning the division and getting to the playoffs. He needs a team that is not going to be intimidated by the Dodgers or overwhelmed by and up and coming team like the Cubs.

He needs a team that is going to show remarkable growth, and there are significant issues with the pitching staff. Aaron Nola should be team’s No. 1 pitcher after struggling with a 5-10 record while making 17 starts last season. He needs to get back in top form, and it begins in spring training.

Aaron Nola needs to return to top form

The Phillies are counting on Nola having a bounce-back season. No. 1 starter Zack Wheeler had thoracic outlet decompression surgery in September, so there are no guarantees that he will be ready to start the season. Ranger Suarez was the No. 2 starter, but he left through free agency and signed with the Boston Red Sox.

The Phillies are happy with Christopher Sanchez and Jesus Luzardo, but they clearly need more. They need Nola to come back to top form. He had multiple injuries last year, but they should not hold him back in 2026. He had an ankle sprain and a stress fracture in one of his ribs, so those issues are not likely to come up again in the coming season.

The biggest issue will be finding a way to get his four-seam fastball back in form. His top pitch is his knuckle curve, but his four-seamer was not what it needed to be last year. His fastball dropped a couple of miles per hour last year and the results were predictable. He got hit hard and he did not miss bats the way he had in the past.

As Nola gets ready for the season at the age of 33, he needs to avoid the home run ball. This has been an issue in recent years, and a downturn in velocity would appear to have a key impact in this area. However, location is probably the biggest issue and he clearly has to stay away from the middle of the strike zone.

Avoiding the home run ball will allow Nola to pitch deeper into games, and that will allow him to reclaim his position in the rotation.

Nola was 14-8 in 2024 with a 3.57 earned run average. He made 33 starts and pitched 199.1 innings. He averaged nearly a strikeout per inning with 197 in 199.1 innings. The Phillies are hoping he can get close to that form this season.

Taijuan Walker should have a chance at the back of the rotation

The Phillies had had high hopes for Taijuan Walker when they signed him to a 4-year, $72 million contract after the 2022 season.

He has been up and down in his first three years with the Phillies. The right-hander has not been able to fill the role of dependable starter. He started 21 times last year and also made 13 relief appearances. Walker had a 5-8 record with a 4.08 ERA. He struck out just 86 batters in 123.2 innings.

He had his best year with the Phillies in 2023. Walker was 15-6 in 2023 with a 4.38 ERA with 138 strikeouts in 172.2 innings. The Phillies would love to see Walker return to that form in the upcoming season.

If Nola is healthy and can return to form and Walker can also fulfill expectations at the back of the rotation, the Phillies should have an excellent chance of having a winning rotation in 2026.

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