Projected batting order Jimmy Rollins, SS Placido Polanco, 2B Bobby Abreu, RF Jim Thome, 1B Pat Burrell, LF David Bell, 3B Mike Lieberthal, C Marlon Byrd, CF Rotation Kevin Millwood, RHP Vicente Padilla, RHP Randy Wolf, LHP Brandon Duckworth, RHP Brett Myers, RHP Bench Tyler Houston, 3B Tomas Perez, 2B Ricky Ledee, OF Jason Michaels, OF Todd Pratt, C Bullpen Jose Mesa, RHP (CL) Terry Adams, RHP Rheal Cormier, LHP Dan Plesac, LHP Dave Coggin, RHP Turk Wendell, RHP Complete Phillies roster  ESPN's Take Q: Do they have a leadoff hitter who can set the table for Jim Thome and Co.? Larry Bowa is concerned about Jimmy Rollins in the leadoff spot. Sometimes it takes time to learn that 12 homers doesn't mean anywhere near as much as a .390 on-base percentage. -- Peter Gammons Larry Bowa thinks that Bobby Abreu is in for a really big year. Abreu's power numbers were down last season, and that has fantasy owners shying away from the potential 30-30 guy in the second round of drafts. If Bowa's right, look for Abreu to get back to his 2001 numbers. When the names of the top closers come up, nobody ever mentions Jose Mesa. And you know what: that's smart. He's not one of the top guys. But in fantasy, where the saves matter most, here's a guy with 87 saves the last two years and good peripheral stats. Let someone else draft a closer in round 4, you steal Mesa in round 10 and get the same number of saves. -- Eric Karabell Gavin Floyd, RHP A first-round pick in the 2001 draft, Floyd has just one full season of pro ball under his belt, but has already shown great promise. He's probably another year-plus from pitching in the big leagues, but his rise could be a swift one.

Manager: Larry Bowa  Home: Veterans Stadium (62,418)  '02 record: 80-81  Team page | Schedule | Offseason moves

Catcher: Mike Lieberthal After missing most of the previous season with a knee injury, Lieberthal returned to health last year and, especially over the second half of the season, became an offensive threat, hitting .300 with nine homers after the break. Lieberthal has also shown steady improvement as a receiver and he'll be counted on to help the Phils young pitchers continue to mature. First Base: Jim Thome The Phillies' biggest free agent addition since Pete Rose, Thome gives the club presence in the middle of the lineup and protection for young sluggers like Pat Burrell and Marlon Byrd. Thome has always had a good eye, but managed to drastically cut back on his strikeouts last year. He hit just .245 against lefties last year, but otherwise has few holes. An adequate defender, Thome is being paid to hit. Second Base: Placido Polanco Shifted from third base after the signing of free agent David Bell, Polanco takes over at second this season. He lacks a powerful infield arm, but can get away with that deficiency at second. Offensively, Polanco sprays the ball around and will be a good table-setter for some of the big thumpers in the heart of the Phils' batting order. Third Base: David Bell A solid all-around player, Bell should be a fine addition to the Philadelphia infield. He made just nine errors at third last year for San Francisco and has sound instincts for the game -- as might be expected from a third-generation major leaguer. Bell doesn't produce big numbers for his position, but with Thome, Pat Burrell and others, he won't be required to shoulder the whole offensive load. Shortstop: Jimmy Rollins Had a streaky season and experienced several prolonged slumps at the plate. He needs to avoid such skids to reach his full potential. One of the game's best base stealers, he needs to show more discipline at the plate in order to take full advantage of his speed. Though not spectacular defensively, Rollins has few peers at short. Left Field: Pat Burrell Posted a bust-out season in his third year with the Phillies, finishing third in the NL in RBI. He needs to reduce his strikeouts (he fanned 153 times last year, fifth-highest in the league), but has made strides at the plate, becoming more disciplined. Though hardly a stolen base threat, Burrell runs well for his size and has worked hard to make himself a better-than-average outfielder. He'll only benefit from Thome's presence in the lineup. Center Field: Marlon Byrd Allowing Doug Glanville to walk, the Phils have put this highly-touted rookie in center. He was a disappointment in a September preview, but reported to spring training in far better shape. Byrd hits the ball hard to all areas of the ballpark and has shown improvement in the outfield. A possible NL Rookie of the Year candidate. Right Field: Bobby Abreu At 29, Abreu should just be entering his prime. He has a patient eye at the plate (104 walks, .413 OBP) and has been remarkably consistent at the plate the last four seasons, averaging 24 homers and 92 RBI. In the outfield, Abreu has a true right fielder's arm and on the bases, he can be counted on for 30 or so stolen bases. No. 1 Starter: Kevin Millwood The Phils stole the veteran right-hander from the Braves for a backup catcher (Johnny Estrada) and Millwood assumes the mantle of staff ace. While with Atlanta, he had the comfort and security of being on a staff with Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine; now he'll have to be the No. 1 man himself. After battling shoulder injuries in each of the last two seasons, Millwood got healthy and was as effective as any starter in the NL over the last four months of last season. No. 2 Starter: Vicente Padilla A 14-game winner last year, Padilla seemed to run out of gas in the second half of last season, winning just four times after being selected for the All-Star team. A key this year will be keeping him strong for the entire year. Padilla keeps the ball low in the strike zone and gets a lot of ground balls; with the Phils new' infield, he has the defense behind him to make the plays. No. 3 Starter: Randy Wolf If Padilla stands to benefit from improvements in the infield defense, Wolf stands to gain from the added sock in the lineup provided by Thome and Bell, since he pitched far better than his 11-9 record indicated last year. A big key for Wolf is getting ahead in the count. If he does so regularly, there's no reason he can't blossom into a 16-18 game winner. No. 4 Starter: Brandon Duckworth Took a step backward last season and finds himself at somewhere of a crossroads this year. There's little doubt that he has the stuff to win at the big-league level, but he sometimes suffers from lapses in concentration and needs to be more mentally tough on the mound. He also needs to cut down on gopher balls -- he allowed 26 homers in only 163 innings last year. Bullpen: Terry Adams, Rheal Cormier, Dan Plesac, Dave Coggin, Turk Wendell Adams proved last year that he's far as a reliever than as a starter, and enters this year as the primary set-up man for closer Jose Mesa. Plesac considered retiring in the offseason, but is back and will be looked upon to get big left-handed hitters out. Coggin has a good arm, but gets needs to develop some consistency. Closer: Jose Mesa Will turn 37 in May, but he seemed ageless last year, recording 45 saves, though he also blew nine others, the highest of any closer in the game. The Phils need for him to be more consistent and not suffer through a poor month, as he did last July. No longer as overpowering as he once was, Mesa still has the guile to get the final three outs of the game.

-- Sean McAdam, ESPN.com

Record: 80-81 | Finish: 3rd in NL East | Results | Statistics: Batting | Pitching Offense (NL rank) Defense (NL rank) 710 runs (8th) Home: 317 runs (14th) Road: 393 (4th) 727 runs allowed (9th) Home: 325 (5th) Road: 399 (12th) 2002 Stats Leaders   Average: Bobby Abreu, .308 Runs: Abreu, .413 On-base pct: Abreu, .413 Stolen bases: Abreu/Jimmy Rollins, 31 Wins: Vicente Padilla, 14 Saves: Jose Mesa, 45 Home runs: Pat Burrell, 37 RBI: Abreu, 104 Slugging pct.: Burrell, .544 OPS: Abreu, .934 ERA: Randy Wolf, 3.20 Strikeouts: Wolf, 172