Philadeplhia needs just a little bit more luck this season.

Had the Phillies received some of that luck at the beginning of last season, they might have had centerfielder Lenny Dykstra and catcher Darren Daulton in the lineup more often, instead they missed a combined total of 172 games.

Had the Phillies received some of that luck at the end of last season, they might have challenged the St. Louis Cardinals for second place and given the Pittsburgh Pirates a run at the National League East title.

Had the Phillies received some of that luck over the offseason, they might have won the race for former Pirates outfielder Bobby Bonilla, who ended up with the New York Mets.

But if everything comes together, the Phillies should give the Mets and the Pirates a heap of trouble this year, especially late in the season. How much Philadelphia improves on its 78-84 record of last year depends mainly on how quickly a very young starting infield proves itself, and how healthy everyone on the team stays throughout the season.

The least of manager Jim Fregosi's worries for the coming season is the team's relief pitching. Closer Mitch Williams again anchors the bullpen this year, after posting a 12-5 record last season with 30 saves and a 2.34 earned run average. Former Montreal reliever Barry Jones (4-9 record, 13 saves, 3.35 ERA) was an excellent offseason pickup, as he has been one of the best setup men in majors the last two years. Lefthanders Steve Searcy and Wally Ritchie, most likely joined by righties Danny Cox and Bob Aryault, will round out the bullpen, but Jones and Williams will be the two go-to guys in relief.

Believe it or not, the starting rotation will probably be a strong point for the Phillies this year, led by lefty Terry Mullholland (16-13 record, 3.61 ERA) and righty Tommy Greene (13-7, 3.38). Both pitched in excess of 200 innings last year, and each has the ability to completely take control of a game, as each has pitched a no-hitter in the last two seasons. Righthander Jose DeJesus (10-9, 3.42) should do well in the No. 3 spot, as he has finally found a major-league home in his ninth professional season.

After that, Fregosi will choose from lefty Kyle Abbott (1-4, 4.58 with California), righty Andy Ashby (11-11, 3.46 with Scranton-Wilkes Barre, the Phillies' Triple A affiliate) and lefty Pat Combs (2-6, 4.90 with Philadelphia) to fill the final two spots. Fregosi will also have Tyler Green, the team's No. 1 draft pick last June, and Ken Howell, who sat out last season after shoulder surgery, waiting in the wings if needed later in the season.

Daulton (.196 batting average, 12 home runs, 42 runs batted in) will handle most of the catching. Of course, that's if he stays healthy. Losing backup Steve Lake to free agency hurts the Phillies, but rookie Todd Pratt, picked up from the Baltimore Orioles in the offseason, appears to have inherited Lake's spot on the roster. If things go like they did last season for the backstops, the Phillies may call on Doug Lindsey, who last year was rated the best defensive catcher in the Eastern League, with the Phillies' Double A affiliate Reading.

The outfield, and the rest of the team, centers around Dykstra, who in his short year with Philadelphia in 1991 batted .297 with three HRs and 12 RBIs, and led the team with 24 stolen bases. The Phillies were 36-27 last year with Dykstra in the lineup and 42-57 without him. Many have said that Dykstra is the one of best leadoff hitters in the game and his loss proved how valuable he is to the Phillies. If he plays 140 or more games this season, the Phillies will finish over .500, no matter what else happens. But he must stay healthy.

In right field, 36-year-old Dale Murphy returns for what could be his last year with the Phillies. He's a good player, and he tries to be a leader, but he's just not getting any younger. His stats last season (.252, 18, 81) are proof of that. Left field, though, is a question mark. Wes Chamberlain has shown flashes of power (13 HRs in 383 at-bats), but he only hit .240 and made every fly ball hit in his direction an adventure. Both Murphy and Chamberlain need to be more dependable this season.

But the big question mark for Philadelphia lies in the infield. The best thing that the Phillies could have done in the off-season was trade Charlie Hayes. He improved dramatically as a fielder, but never lived up to his potential at the plate. He was supposed to be the most important player on the team two years ago, but he never really came through for them.

Dave Hollins will replace Hayes at the hot corner, showing he's capable in the short time he was up from the minors last year. He is an average fielder, but he is a much better hitter than Hayes -- Hollins hit .388 in July with the Phillies and ended up with a .296 average. At shortstop, Kim Batiste will replace Dickie Thon, who was lost to the Texas Rangers as a free agent. People are still wondering about Batiste's fielding ability, after he committed 37 errors last year at Scranton-Wilkes Barre. Dale Sveum will make the team as a backup to both Batiste and Hollins.

Fregosi will probably platoon Mickey Morandini and Mariano Duncan at second, hopefully to push each other a little bit, since neither has really made a big enough impression to take the spot by themselves.

John Kruk "rounds" out the Phillies' starting lineup at first, and he appears the only infeielder who is set in his job for the season. He was outstanding last year, batting .294, and led the team in both home runs (21) and RBIs (98), and played in 152 games, second only to Murphy. He showed last year that he was capable of carrying the team on his back, but hopefully this year he won't have to do it all himself.

Backing Kruk up this year will probably be Ricky Jordan. This will allow Kruk to play in the outfield, which gives him a chance to rest while keeping his bat in the lineup.

It's no secret that the Phillies are a team on the way back. They have come a long way since they bottomed out in 1988. There is enough talent on this team to get above .500 this year, and they should definitely do that. Unfortunately, that's not going to get them past the Pirates and the Mets. In other words, the Phillies should finish third again this season, but this time it will be a close third.