The One Thing We Know About The Phillies Is There Are Lots of Unknowns
SAN DIEGO, CA - SEPTEMBER 04: Philadelphia Phillies players high-five after the Phillies beat the San Diego Padres 9-7 in a baseball game on September 4, 2023 at Petco Park in San Diego, California.
The bends. Defined as injuries caused by a rapid decrease in the pressure that surrounds you, of either air or water. Now most Phillies fans probably don’t watch games of their favorite team while deep-sea diving, but the highs and lows this team has taken everyone on throughout this season certainly could be comparable to the bends.
There has been a month of phenomenal starting pitching, where Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Taijuan Walker, and Ranger Suarez pitched to their higher capabilities and the results were what you expected. The problem has been the consistency has been about as dependable as Kyle Schwarber’s glove in left field.
Speaking of Schwarber, his crazy season just may be the microcosm of what is the 2023 Phillies. Perhaps the Phillies offensive MVP this season, despite an average that has struggled to be 10 points below the Mendoza line (that’s .200 for those who don’t know). But the team-leading 40 home runs, 89 RBI, and 129 walks cannot be denied.
Nor can the team’s 51-30 record since he was inserted as the team’s leadoff hitter on June 2. That’s a .630 winning percentage over those 81 games. Only the Atlanta Braves have a better winning percentage than that this season. Then add in this torrid version of Trea Turner, the consistent and now powerful Bryce Harper, the trustworthy at-bats of Bryson Stott, the resurgent Nick Castellanos, and so on and so forth when it comes to the offense. And while the bullpen has had some terrific moments that defined them as A-plus leading up to the All-Star Break, they’ve fallen on injuries and hard times recently.
So what does it all mean? That’s the point of this. I don’t know. You don’t know. Maybe even the Phillies and Rob Thomson don’t know. Of course, predicting sports isn’t an exact science. Nothing proved that more than last season’s magical run to the World Series. Could this Phillies team repeat that? Sure. In fact, they are probably better equipped to do so.
Like the bends, it’s going to be a postseason of harrowing ups and downs. That’s pretty much all that can be guaranteed.
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Could Bryce Harper Make it to 600 HRs? History Says He Has a Chance
Bryce Harper hit a historic milestone on Wednesday. 300 career Hrs. In typical Harper fashion, it was with style. He hit a go-ahead 2-run blast in the bottom of the 8th inning. The Phillies went on to lose anyway, but that was despite Harper’s best effort.
The question anytime someone hits a milestone like this is always when will they hit the next one? Will he make it to 400? Probably. Will he make it to 500? He certainly has a chance. But will he become the 10th player in MLB history to make it to 600 HRs? Most people will say no. If it took him 12 seasons to get to 300, you’d think it would take at least 12 more to get to 600, and he is already 30. But don’t be so fast to doubt Harper.
Jayson Stark joined the Best Show Ever after Bryce Harper hit number 300, and weighed in on Harper’s chances to make it to 600. And he seemed to believe Harper could hit that goal.
“He is the youngest active member of the 300-Hr Club. Just for fun, I looked at the ages of the 600-Hr Club, and how old those guys were when they hit their 300th. And Bryce is pretty much the same age as all of them, with a couple of exceptions. He is not going to hit 700. But 600? Who would say he is not going to hit another 300? This is one of the best stretches of his career. He is 16 of his last 34, with more home runs than strikeouts.”
So according to Stark, he may just be on pace for it. And remember, there was a Covid shortened season among those 12 seasons and some injury-shortened seasons. So his actual HR pace is more than 300 per 12 seasons. But let’s actually take a look at the rest of the 600 HR Club, and see how he compares at this point of his career.
Bob Cooney has been a part of the Philadelphia sports scene for more years than he wants to admit after 25 years in print media, and now in his seventh year at The Fanatic. Throughout the years, he has covered all sports from the World Series, multiple Final Fours and Regional Finals in men’s college basketball, to the U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club and the 76ers. He takes his sports media knowledge and background to a new level by joining a conversation with the passionate fans of this great city. He writes about the Sixers, Eagles, Flyers, and Phillies for the Fanatic.