The Philadelphia Phillies have looked like the best team in baseball for much of the 2024 season, and with a 7.5-game cushion in the NL East standings and an MLB-leading plus-115 run differential, they are bona fide title contenders.
With Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber back in action and J.T. Realmuto expected to return soon from meniscus surgery on his right knee, the only hole in the lineup is figuring out a productive everyday option in center field.
Meanwhile, the pitching staff has been baseball's best with a 3.24 ERA, but injuries to Taijuan Walker and Spencer Turnbull have stretched things a bit thin at the back of the rotation, and there is no such thing as too many quality relievers for a contending team.