Disclaimer: What you are about to read isn’t clickbait. Sorry, but if you’re scrolling for sensational headlines or stop-the-presses stories, Phillies camp isn’t the place for you. Trust us, we’ve looked under every palm tree.

There is enough evidence, even halfway through spring training, to suggest that Walker is a different pitcher from last year's poor version.

"This is your bread and butter as well as mine,” declared Phillies manager Pat Moran in a pep talk to his players at Spring Training in 1915. A lot was new about the club that year. A reserve catcher with the team since 1910,

“His adjustments came after spending time with Long in Arizona, where the hitting coach recommended three key changes: getting into his legs more for better balance, moving closer to the plate to better handle outside pitches, and tipping his bat slightly toward the dugout instead of keeping it straight up,” Haena reported.

A year ago, Taijuan Walker could barely reach 90 miles per hour with his fastball. In his first spring start of 2024, only three of his pitches eclipsed that marker — 90.2, 90.2, 90.3 — with the remainder of his fastballs landing in the high 80s.

Taijuan Walker was mostly solid in his spring training debut, giving the Philadelphia Phillies an easy excuse to roster him on Opening Day.