Major League Baseball fans can see how players are projected to do in the upcoming season by looking at websites such as FanGraphs. The Philadelphia Phillies’ experienced roster has been looking to win a World Series the previous three seasons.

The club saw some players leave in free agency and signed or traded for new additions who will look to make good impressions in their first season with the Phillies. Many players are expected to do well in 2025 as the club tries to win its first championship since 2008. However, some players may regress this year.

FanGraphs lists multiple projection systems of players’ stats. According to MLB.com, Steamer “is widely regarded as one of the most accurate predictors in the industry. The projection system “uses past performance and aging trends to develop a future projection for players. It also uses pitch-tracking data to help forecast pitchers.”

FanGraphs lists several statistics which explain how players are doing well or need to improve. Many of the Phillies core players are predicted to have similar stats in 2025 to a year ago. However, some players are looking to do better this season after having an injury-plagued or disappointing year in 2024.

Here are three Phillies predicted to improve this season in Steamer’s 2025 projections.

Taijuan Walker

It is difficult to imagine Taijuan Walker’s upcoming season with the Phillies being any worse than his tumultuous performance one year ago. He missed the first few weeks of 2024 with a shoulder injury and was on the IL for over a month in the summer with right index finger inflammation.

He finished 2024 with a 7.10 ERA in 19 games, 15 of them starts. Manager Rob Thomson moved Walker to the bullpen in September. The right-hander received one more start during the regular season’s final month. He did not appear in any playoff games for the Phillies for the second consecutive year.

Steamer predicts Walker will have an improved year, not as a starter but as a reliever for Philadelphia. The veteran will appear in 51 games and make only three starts. His ERA will improve to 4.48, similar to his 4.38 ERA in 2023. The right-hander’s WHIP will decrease to 1.35 from 1.72 a year ago. He posted a 3.98 BB/9 in 2024, and Steamer predicts the total to be 2.86 in the upcoming season.

Walker totaled 2.58 HR/9 last year. His total HR/9 is predicted to be less, with 1.39 in 2025. According to Steamer, if the pitcher throws for fewer innings out of the bullpen (66 innings) rather than in the starting rotation, he will be more effective for the Phillies.

Jesús Luzardo

One of the Phillies’ newest additions, pitcher Jesús Luzardo, spent a portion of last year on the IL. The Lima, Peru native missed a few weeks after the regular season started with left elbow tightness. He suffered a lumbar stress reaction in June, which ended his season.

Before Philadelphia traded for Luzardo, the starter declared himself healthy, per MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola.

“[I’ve] been able to go through my normal offseason progression: throwing, running, starting to get off the mound,” Luzardo said, per De Nicola. “Feeling really good [with my] elbow, back, whole body, and just really gearing up for Spring Training and eyeing down that Opening Day to be 100% full-go, which for now, everything feels really good, and we are full-go.”

Luzardo made 12 starts in 2024 with the Miami Marlins, but his stats were not as good as in 2023. He finished with a 3.58 ERA in 32 starts two years ago compared to a 5.00 ERA last season. His fWAR (wins above replacement) decreased from 3.8 to 0.7. The left-hander’s K/9 was 7.83, less than the 10.48 he totaled in 2023.

After the Phillies and Marlins made the trade, the 27-year-old bolsters Philly’s rotation. Steamer predicts Luzardo to play in 41 games and make 26 starts. His ERA is expected to improve to 3.93, while his fWAR will increase to 2.1.

The pitcher’s numbers are expected to improve from his injury-riddled 2024. However, pitching at hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park could negatively impact Luzardo’s numbers, but he does increase the Phillies’ rotational depth in 2025.

Bryson Stott

Second baseman Bryson Stott’s statistics dropped from 2023 to 2024. He was not the reliable hitter for the Phillies in the middle of their lineup last year. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski commented earlier this offseason that the infielder played with a sore elbow in 2024, which affected his ability to drive the ball.

Stott’s ISO (isolated power) dropped from .138 to .111 last year. The infielder’s BABIP (batting average on balls in play) reduced from .312 to .275. His 2023 slash line was .280./.329/.419 line, along with a .747 OPS. The second baseman finished with a .245/.315/.356 line with an OPS of .671 last season. His fWAR was also lower, from 4.2 to 1.9.

Steamer predicts his ISO will return to .138 in 2025, and his BABIP will increase to .292. Stott’s slash line will rise to .258/.326/.396, and his OPS will be .722. His fWAR will be 3.0. The second baseman’s offensive numbers will improve from 2024. However, some of his statistics will not be as good as two seasons ago.

If Stott can post similar or surpass his numbers from 2023, the Phillies lineup will benefit. The lineup was inconsistent during the second half of the season, and production faded during the National League Divisional Series versus the New York Mets. If Philly’s second baseman does not do well in 2025, it is fair to contemplate if the team should explore other alternatives to the position. After all, top prospect Aidan Miller is only a few years from being ready for the majors.