The 2015 Phillies were projected to be one of the worst teams in baseball. The 2007-2011 run was a distant memory, and the roster was a bad combination of past-their-prime stars and young players with questionable futures. Just about every pundit figured them for last place in the National League East, and a 100-loss season seemed possible.
But on Opening Day, it’s easy to forget about that. After a long winter, baseball is finally back, and when you see the players run out onto the field for the first time, it’s easy to get swept up in a sense of optimism.