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After all of the preseason hype, largely due to the return of Cliff Lee, the Philadelphia Phillies have come out red hot in early April like a fox escaping a forest fire.

The Phils’ are off to a 7-2 start, capped off by 2-1 series win over the Atlanta Braves who are thought to be their main competition in the NL East.

While their loaded pitching staff was expected to be their deadliest weapon, the Phillies offense has been the dominant force in crushing opponents in their opening three series.

They lead the league in batting average (.334), they’re second in OBP (.380) and third in slugging (.484). These impressive stats have created 59 runs in nine games, all without Jayson Werth and Chase Utley.

From the bench players to the superstar starters, everyone has been producing since Opening Day as the Phillies have taken control of the division.

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With Opening Day nearly a week away, the Philadelphia Phillies pitching staff is still the top topic of preseason predictions. On paper, the Phils should easily pitch their way to the World Series, but so many things can happen over the course of the season that nothing is certain.

Roy Oswalt’s frightening experience on the hill on Wednesday proved that seasons can be altered in the swing of a bat.

Oswalt took a line drive to the back of the neck in the fourth inning of a Spring Training matchup with the Rays. Manny Ramirez‘s blast sent him to the dirt, but fortunately he only ended up with a nasty bruise and was able to walk off on his own without losing consciousness.

His X-rays were negative, but one thing is positive in Philadelphia, things could have been much worse for the most talked up rotation in the MLB.

Oswalt is lucky he didn’t end up with a serious injury. The Phils have yet to rule out a concussion, but Charlie Manuel expects him to make his next start. Nevertheless, Oswalt took a scary shot and it showed how vulnerable pitchers are on the mound.

Chances are the Phillies’ rotation will be the best around, but fans can only hope that freak accidents and injuries don’t send their stars to the DL.

Baseball may not seem as dangerous as football or hockey, but promising players can be sidelined quicker than a fastball passes over the plate. The ability to stay healthy and consistent over 162 games will determine if the Phillies will live up to their great expectations.

Such factors can cause the downfall of credible preseason predictions. Analysts can only guess. Sports are simply unpredictable. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com