“Phillies are still the team to beat for me” - MLB insider drops bold prediction on NL East despite strong competition from the Braves and Mets

The start of the 2025 MLB season is less than two months away, and teams will soon report to spring training. The Philadelphia Phillies have been one of the best teams in the National League in recent years, but there is plenty of competition in the NL East.

With that in mind, MLB Network recently had a discussion about the NL East and posted a short clip on X, with analyst Matt Vasgersian predicting last year's division winners to repeat:

"The Phillies are still the team to beat for me."

It was the bullpen that let the Phillies down a season ago, but Vasgersian believes things are changing:

"Specifically the bullpen, it does look quite a bit different entering 2025 than it did last year. What was kind of a blemish for them in the postseason (losing in four games in the NLDS) now is thought to be a strength with the tweaks they've made."

Harold Reynolds, in the everyday lineup during his MLB career, gave his thoughts on the Philadelphia offense:

"This is a big-time lineup. If (Bryce) Harper is healthy the whole season, he was on MVP pace last year. ... That's why they didn't make a lot of moves."

Philadelphia Phillies settle with Ranger Suarez, Bryson Stott

The Phillies were not very active in free agency, but they still had some moves that needed to be made. Pitcher Ranger Suarez and infielder Bryson Stott were both eligible for arbitration, but the Phillies were able to come to agreements with each player.

On Jan. 9, Mark Feinsand reported that the Phillies settled with Suarez for $8.8 million for the 2025 season.

That same day, the Philadelphia Phillies reached an agreement with Stott for $3.2 million.

The Philadelphia Phillies will have to prove their worth on the field this season, but most around the league believe that they are still talented enough to be a contender. With the NL East being one of the best divisions in baseball, it will take great play by the Phillies stars to get that done.