2011 Preview:
This team looks even better. Sure, Werth left; his production should be filled by Brown (maybe not this year, but he’ll hold his own during his first full season). Outside of that, they pretty much have the same offense.

The pitching is amazing. Not only will they bring back Halladay, Oswalt, and Hamels, but they stole Cliff Lee from the Yankees’ grasps. Joe Blanton is the fifth starter for now, but he might be moved to cut some salary; in that case, Kyle Kendrick becomes the fifth.

The one worrisome spot is the bullpen; Brad Lidge is not completely reliable. I don’t see Jose Contreras or Ryan Madson as solid options to close either. They really needed to get a shut down closer, which they could still do once they shed Blanton’s contract.

From the Bloggers:
Stacy Podelski, Through the Fence Baseball: – “What can Brown do for you?” is known to most people as the catch phrase for the UPS company, but for many Philadelphia Phillies fans it may be the answer to their outfield problems. As rookie Domonic Brown looks to compete for the right fielders position this season.

Ever since fan favorite Jayson Werth decided to sign with the Nationals, one of the biggest questions for the Phillies is-who will now play right field. There are three candidates thus far along with Ben Francisco and John Mayberry, Jr.

Brown will get a good crack at the starting position during the course of this year’s spring training. The rookie who rose through the system last year has a lot of questions to answer. One of the main issues for the rookie is his ability to hit big league pitching.

Brown had this to say to PhiladelphiaPhillies.com of his development in right field, “They want me to get comfortable out there, on the bases, in the field, at the plate. I’m working toward every area.”

Another thing that will be missed by Philadelphia this season was Werth’s ability to field the ball in right. But according to MLB.com Brown was a top 50 prospect, along with a five tool-player Brown as a good approach during his at-bats along with a ton of speed.

Speed is something that the Phillies have prided themselves on. As an addition of Brown can compliment a lineup that already features both Shane Victorino and Jimmy Rollins, while continuing to put pressure on pitchers in the National League.

For the Phillies and their fans they are hopeful to see more of Brown in the outfield and hope that what he can do will help to bring another World Series Championship to the team in the 2011 season.

Justin Klugh, That Balls Outta Here: We may think, “What a great time to be a Phillies fan!” but those of us who can recall Kevin Stocker trying to sell us “Phillies Franks” can remember a time when you could get a free Phillies ticket just because you had a hankering for eight wieners. So those of us who maybe wanted to be at Citizens Bank Park (or anywhere that the Phillies go; we travel well, like the Bubonic Plague) may not get to be, as Phils tickets have become too hot of a commodity to find in a pack of hot dogs.

We may not be there when it’s finally apparent that Davey Lopes and his stopwatch are no longer co-first base coaches. When one or all of our rotation is suffering from an inexplicable downward spiral at a critical moment. When players realize they are not as young as they used to be. When things don’t go perfectly the first time and then every time after it, as the public demands. When hipsters jump on the field to be ironic at a night game in mid-July. When Carlos Ruiz makes his first All-Star team. When nobody comes up with a decent nickname for the rotation and people finally stop trying to. When we win 100 games and Raul Ibanez shatters his pelvis in the division clincher and sadly allows a fiery-eyed Dom Brown enough time to have developed enough to finally catch his big break in left field, after Ben Francisco shocks the world with a banner offensive output in the midst of replacing Jayson Werth.

But, hey–it’s worth it for us to no longer be in the “Kevin Stocker” era.

Mike Reisman, Phighting On: Pitching: With all the hype surrounding the Phillies’, many people think the standards have been set far too high, and rightfully so. Four twenty game winners on the same team? Come on that’s ridiculous right? But think about it, you have Roy Halladay, a two-time Cy Young winner, Cliff Lee, whose ERA has been under 3.25 for the past three years, Roy Oswalt, who had a 1.74 ERA in Philly, and Cole Hamels, who had 12 wins even with 14 games with two or less runs of support. So really, this rotation is incredible, but 20 games apiece sound crazy. With the nature of baseball, there is no way that the Phillies bats can produce the runs to win four days out of five. Realistically, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee will probably both win 20 games, with Hamels and Oswalt coming in at around 15. Of course, if the Phillies decide to keep Joe Blanton, he will also be a force for a fifth starter. You can probably also expect about 10 wins from him. Though 20 wins each may be ridiculous for the big four, a total ERA of less than three is definitely within reach. Expect great things.

Hitting: Another thing that comes with the hype of the rotation is the line-up becoming undervalued. Now you may think that I’m crazy and the line-up isn’t that good, but before Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay, the hitting was what got the Phillies through the season. Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Shane Victorino, Raul Ibanez, Carlos Ruiz, the list of good players go on. Yes, Jimmy Rollins is not as great as he used to be, and yes Jayson Werth is gone. However, Rollins is still the heart of the team, and Domonic Brown has tons of potential. The Phillies are not one of the top five MLB offenses like they once were, but to say they’re not in the top ten? Though not every player will have a career year some, like Utley and Howard, are due for big seasons. That with some help with the pitchers should put the Phillies in a favorable position.

Results: No the Phillies will not win 120 games, and no, they probably won’t live up to all the expectations already set for them, but they will be very good. The Braves will compete with them for the NL East, and will probably challenge them through August, and possibly parts of September, but in the end the Phillies will come out on top of the East, yet again. This year the NL is not very strong, though the Reds will be just as good if not better than last year. Of course, nobody can discount the reigning champion Giants, but the chances of them being as good as last year are slim. Personally, I think that the Phillies will simply overpower the NL, however the AL is a different story. The Red Sox are a very powerful team that could be a serious threat in the World Series, however, the Phillies have two advantages in team chemistry and pitching.

FINAL PREDICTION: 104-58, 1st in NL East, Win World Series over Boston 4-3.

Prediction:
1st Place