America’s pastime is officially back, and for the first time in a long time, the people of Philadelphia are excited for the Philadelphia Phillies again. The Phillies haven’t made the postseason since 2011, but the hope is that changes this upcoming season.

Last season had us fans full of emotions. Up until Aug. 5, the Phils had a record of 63-48, which had them atop the N.L. East for a few weeks after no expectations coming into the 2018 campaign. Then September came around, and the team fell apart.

A huge contributing factor to this collapse was arguably the worst defensive team of all time. Defensive Runs Saved is a stat that measures the number of runs individual players save their team. The team as a whole had a -132 team DRS. Their defense cost 132 more runs than the average ball club — the worst ever recorded. Yes, it was that bad.

The Phillies ended up finishing the 2018 campaign going 17-51, with a final win/loss record of 80-82, third in the N.L. East.

However, the 2019 season should be completely different. General Manager Matt Klentak and managing partner of the Phillies John Middleton put together arguably the greatest offseason in baseball history.

With two of the game’s best players set to hit the open market (Manny Machado and Bryce Harper), Middleton was eyeing to spend “stupid money.” Machado and Harper decided to wait what seemed like 100 years to finally sign. Klentak wasn’t going to wait around.

On Dec. 3, 2018, Klentak made his first huge splash of the offseason. He acquired shortstop Jean Segura along with two pitchers from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Carlos Santana and one-time top prospect J.P. Crawford. Segura, an All-Star in 2013 and 2018, led the majors in hits in 2016 with 203.

Segura is one of the best contact hitters in the sport, hitting for an average of .308 and an on-base slugging percentage (OPS) of .803 over the last three seasons. He’s also a good defender, which will surely help the disasters that occurred in the field last season.

Just nine days later, on Dec. 12, the Phillies finally signed the former National League MVP that we’ve all been waiting for…  Bryce Harper? No, not quite yet. It was Andrew McCutchen. McCutchen won the Most Valuable Player award in 2013 with the Pirates. McCutchen is nowhere near that MVP-caliber player anymore, but still hit .255 last season with 20 home runs and 65 runs batted in with the San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees.

When talking about McCutchen, Matt Klentak said, “I have incredible respect for what he has accomplished in his career. His Baseball Reference page is littered with MVP, multi-time All-Star, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger — you name it.”

On Jan. 3, the Phillies added to their bullpen by signing former Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees pitcher David Robertson. Robertson, an All-Star in 2011, posted an earned run average of 3.23 last season with the Yankees. Along with Seranthony Dominguez, these two have the potential to be the best 8-9 innings punch in baseball.

Then on Feb. 7, the Phillies acquired the best catcher in Major League Baseball: J.T. Realmuto. This blockbuster trade caught everyone off guard. Yes, the Phillies were rumored to be in contact with the Miami Marlins, but no one believed there was any real traction there.

That changed once the Phillies put their No.1 prospect in the package. Sixto Sanchez has drawn comparisons to Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez. Promising catcher Jorge Alfaro was also sent to Miami.

It was a bold move to make, but the Phillies are in win-now mode. Realmuto, now 28, batted .277 last season with 21 home runs, 30 doubles and 74 runs batted in. You have to take into account that he was batting in one of the worst-hitting ballparks most of the season down in Miami. Those numbers should skyrocket in 2019, and he’s also a major defensive upgrade over Alfaro.

And finally, on Feb. 28, the biggest contract in North American sports history was signed. Weeks later Mike Trout signed an extension that beat Harper’s number, but at the time, it was the largest contract ever. When the Phillies finally landed Bryce Harper after 118 long, exhausting days waiting for him to sign, the city rejoiced like it was 2008 again. The deal is worth $330 million dollars for 13 years with no opt-outs.

Harper spent seven seasons with the division rival Washington Nationals. He won National League Rookie of the Year in 2012, has appeared in six All-Star games, and won the National League MVP in 2015. Harper, 26, has 922 career hits, 184 home runs, 521 runs batted in and is a career .279 hitter. Harper is just now entering the prime of his career and makes the Phillies legitimate World Series contenders not only this season, but for the next decade.

With all these moves, the Phillies should end their seven-year drought of no red October at Citizens Bank Park, but still need a few things to line up correctly if they want to win the Fall Classic.

First off, they need to find more consistent pitching. Outside of ace Aaron Nola, there is no sure thing. Nola finished third in the Cy Young voting last season and will look to further cement his ace status. But the key for the Phillies’ success will be the rest of the rotation.

Jake Arrieta and Nick Pivetta both have potential to be dominant pitchers. Arrieta won the Cy Young in 2015, but has slowly declined since then. He tore his meniscus last season, which exposed him on the mound. This season, he’s back to full health and a full spring training, and the Phillies expect Arrieta to be his old dominant self.

Pivetta is the major key. If he can finally put together that breakout season, the Phillies are legitimate contenders. Pivetta has made 58 starts the last two seasons. He went 7-14 last year with a 4.77 ERA, but finished fifth in the National League with 10.32 strikeouts per nine innings. His fastball is averaging around 94 mph this spring and has touched 99 at some points.

Manager Gabe Kapler mentioned that Pivetta needs to focus on being confident on the mound. Kapler said, “And if he gets to that level of focus for six or seven innings, we have as good a starter as any in the league.”

Lastly, they need their lineup to be as dominant on the field as it is on paper. They arguably have the best one-through-five hitters in the big leagues: McCutchen, Segura, Harper, Hoskins and Realmuto. That is scary good. If the numbers match the names on the back of their jerseys, the Phillies have a great shot at lifting the World Series trophy on a chilly night in late October or early November.