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At the start of this run, Philadelphia had a potent offense that featured a handful of players simultaneously entering their primes. They now boast one of the strongest starting rotations in the game’s long history. And despite a pair of surprise pennant winners the past two seasons—the San Francisco Giants in 2010 and the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011—the Phillies are the only National League team that legitimately can claim to be a powerhouse. Conversely, the American League has as many as six serious World Series contenders.

There is a “but” in this whole situation, however. Philadelphia’s window to dominate the league is closing, albeit slowly as other NL teams develop into perennial threats. The Phillies have aging stars and a regressing offense, forcing them to rely on their starting pitching this upcoming season—maybe...

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