Sometimes, players that are the keys to a team’s season aren’t the ones you would expect them to be. Looking at the Phillies as they embark on the 2024 campaign, it’s easy to point at players like Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber and Zack Wheeler and call them the most important players because they are the stars. They are the ones being compensated accordingly, expected to produce over the full 162 game season. That’s true of any team - the stars need to produce like stars if a playoff berth is to be gained.
There are always other players, though, that would have to perform well for an additional step to be taken.