On a spring day in Clearwater, Fla., longtime Philadelphia executive Pat Gillick offered a realistic outlook for the 2016 Phillies.
"We're probably not going to win a lot more games this year but I'll guarantee we're going to be more competitive," said the architect of Toronto's two World Series titles in the 1990s. "We've got some young guys who like to work hard."
Now into the third month of the season, Gillick's prediction rings true. The Phils came out of the gate faster than anyone could have expected, riding the young arms of Vince Velasquez, Aaron Nola and Jerad Eickhoff to a 24-17 record 41 games into the season.