CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Phillies have improved upon their previous year’s regular-season win total in every season (excluding the shortened 2020 campaign) since 2018. So, while it might not be bold to suggest it does or doesn’t happen again, there are plenty of outlandish predictions to make about a Phillies team that is never not interesting.

Here are three bold ones that probably won’t happen.

Jesús Luzardo leads the National League in strikeouts

Only five starters in the sport posted a higher strikeout rate than Luzardo in 2025; it was an eye-popping season for the lefty, whose promise has always been tantalizing but derailed by a lack of durability.

The Phillies believe; they rewarded Luzardo with a $135 million contract extension this spring. The 28-year-old lefty appeared to reach a different gear later in the 2025 season as he established a career high in innings pitched (183 2/3), then impressed as both a starter and reliever in the postseason.

Luzardo has tweaked his changeup, and it’s a pitch that will prominently feature in his arsenal this season. The sweeping slider he added in 2025 became a legitimate strikeout pitch. He is an ascendant pitcher and, if he nudges toward 200 innings, he’ll finish above Logan Webb and Paul Skenes this time to win the league’s strikeout crown.

The Phillies have five 20-homer hitters

The franchise record is six in 2023. But last season, only Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper reached the 20-homer mark. That was the fewest for a Phillies team (in a non-shortened season) since 2015, when just Ryan Howard eclipsed 20 homers.

So there’s room for growth here. Schwarber and Harper should be there again. Adolis García has hit 20 homers in four of his past five seasons. He’s a decent bet to do it with Citizens Bank Park as his new home. Then, among the group of Alec Bohm, Trea Turner, Brandon Marsh and Bryson Stott, two should emerge with at least 20 home runs.

Three Phillies teams — 2023, 2009 and 2007 — have had five 20-homer hitters.

Zack Wheeler wins his long-coveted NL Cy Young Award

This is crazy. This is probably too bold. But Wheeler, who turns 36 in May, was pitching at an elite level last season before a blood clot that later revealed thoracic outlet syndrome derailed everything. Wheeler did not throw a pitch after Aug. 15 and still finished ninth in the NL Cy Young Award voting.

He’s going to miss at least a few weeks to begin the 2026 season. But voters won’t remember that in September if Wheeler returns to form and dominates. It’s a lot to ask any pitcher, especially an older one, to make a seamless return from such a significant injury. Wheeler has projected confidence this spring as his recovery has progressed ahead of schedule. He should be back sometime in April.

Wheeler, who has never been shy about his desire to win a Cy Young, has come so close with the Phillies. He finished second in 2021, sixth in 2023 and second again in 2024. If he posts comparable numbers to the league’s other best pitchers in 2026, his journey back from the injury might appeal to voters.