READING, PA. -- Dante Nori, Aidan Miller, and Carson DeMartini had to soak it all in -- literally.

For the Reading Fightin' Phils trio, this season certainly had its trials and tribulations. Nori and DeMartini missed months with various injuries that kept them from playing baseball. Miller wasn't even certain he was going to play at all at one point.

When the Fightin' Phils trio went to jump in the pool and celebrate Reading's first championship in 31 years, neither of them hesitated to soak in the moment. The famous pool that sits in right field at First Energy Stadium was warmed up to 87 degrees on the first night of autumn, a temperature not hot enough for how those three played since they returned to Reading and finished a quest for a championship.

"People counted us out so early in the season," Nori said to Phillies on SI. "When I was in rehab, I was seeing it. I wanted to get back here. I want to help this team win a championship. When things got going and we were coming back, we knew this was going to happen."

Nori missed two months with a broken hip, sidelining him from June 6 to August 15. DeMartini missed nearly three months with a hamstring injury, last playing on May 6 and returning on July 28.

Miller was out all year with a back injury where he underwent a procedure, unclear if he was going to play baseball in 2026. He was able to slowly work his way back and eventually ended up in Reading for the final week of the regular season, helping the Fightin' Phils clinch a playoff berth and compete for an Eastern League title.

Once Reading got in the playoffs, it was all hands on deck. There was no telling what an already lethal lineup was going to do with all three players healthy. DeMartini and Nori were massive assets in the last six weeks of the regular season.

Miller Was the Final Piece

"I had this on my mind in rehab. I knew when I was coming back, I was going to be here," Miller said. "I fought to be here for the playoffs and for the championship."

The impact Nori, DeMartini, and Miller added to a lineup that already had Bryan Rincon, Raylen Heredia, Aroon Escobar, Pedro Leon, and Austin Murr can't be overstated.

Nori hit just .237 with a .713 OPS since he returned, but his speed in the No. 2 hole opened things up for Rincon, Miller, and Heredia at the top of the lineup. His home run in the eighth inning of his return from rehab in the morning game on August 25 sparked the Fightin' Phils (Iced Coffees that day) and set up the eventual playoff run.

DeMartini was arguably the hottest hitter in the lineup since he returned. He hit .298 with a 1.058 OPS in August and September combined, with 5 HR and 19 RBI. He walked 31 times and struck out 30.

Miller hit .300 with an .864 OPS in Reading, his first week back from rehab. All three were major catalysts in a postseason where the Fightin' Phils scored 40 runs in four games, leading to two sweeps in winning the title.

Nori hit .250 with a .650 OPS, but had three hits in the Eastern League clincher Tuesday night. DeMartini had a grand slam in that clincher, capping a postseason which he hit .385 with a 1.292 OPS.

Miller had two hits in the clincher, hitting .286 with an .857 OPS in the postseason. The patience at the plate was massive for all three players, as they struck out 13 times and walked 16.

Reading had a historic offense to close the season, scoring 80 runs in the six games since they clinched a playoff spot on September 10. The Fightin' Phils averaged 14.8 runs over their last five home games.

The Fightin' Phils already had a good offense that could mash the baseball, but the return of three top-15 prospects was massive for a team that was already trending towards a playoff run.

The trio just finished the story.

"It didn't matter how the year started," Miller said. "The fact that we were back here and got the ultimate goal -- which was the championship.

"Being in rehab all year and getting to be a part of this at the end. It makes it so much sweeter."