5 Reasons Philadelphia Phillies Could Have A Stronger Start in 2024
Let me give you this disclaimer upfront: If the Phillies don’t get off to a strong start in April, I don’t expect them to compete for the Nation League East.
That would be a huge disappointment. There are so many reasons that I’m optimistic about this as the year of the fast start. The Phillies have shown they can be the top or bottom wildcard and still make a run at the World Series. I want a pennant race! Here’s why it should happen.
A Healthy Bryce Harper Moving To First Base
Bryce Harper has missed a total of 99 games in the past two seasons, which is part of the reason he’ll move to first base. That is roughly two months of action in each of the last two campaigns. Having Harper healthy to start in a less physically taxing position at firstst base should allow him to have a fully productive season.
Ranger Suarez had his paperwork in order this time.
The Phillies won’t have to cut and paste an early season rotation. They will have their five-man rotation in camp ready to ramp up for the start of the season. There are not a lot of early season off-days, so having a full complement of pitchers available means no bullpen games. No bullpen games means less early-season stress on the arms.
A Braves home series launches the season.
There are only 13 divisional games with each opponent. Three of your seven home games against the Atlanta Braves (this year the Phillies have the extra game) start off the season. If you want to be in the race all year, it would be great to get off to a hot start. The regulaar-season goal would be winning the season series tie-breaker.
Weak Opponents in April
A home set with the Cincinnati Reds follows the Braves series. The first road trip is to Washington to face the Nationals. Then, the Phillies head off to St. Louis to battle the Cardinals. A nine-game home stand follows against the Pirates, Rockies, and White Sox. Then it’s off to face the Reds in Cincinnati. That is one of the softest stretches of the schedule.
No Lopsided Home/Away Splits: 16 Home/16 Away
The first 32 games are equally split. A 20-12 start could set this season off on fire! Thats my prediction. Write it down!
“Obviously I want to be here a long time”
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) February 18, 2024
Bryce Harper says he is talking to Dave Dombrowski and Scott Boras is as well about a possible extension.
Bryce says Phils wanted him to play first full-time and he will be staying there
“They said first base is where we want you” pic.twitter.com/59VAHHElVG
Watch The John Kincade Show on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.
History of Philadelphia Phillies World Series Appearances
Ya Gotta' Believe (1980)
The franchise began as the Philadelphia Quakers in 1883, and the first World Series took place 20 years later. However, Phillies fans had to wait until 1980 to celebrate their first World Series.
Mike Schmidt led the team with two home runs and seven RBIs in the series. Tug McGraw struck out Willie Wilson for the final out in Game 6 at Veterans Stadium end the drought.
Macho Row Falls to Joe Carter (1993)
The 1993 Phillies became one of the most beloved teams in Philadelphia sports history because of the “Macho Row” mentality that landed so perfectly with the fan base. A colorful mix of personalities like Curt Schilling, Lenny Dykstra, and John Kruk helped push the Phillies past the Braves in the NLCS.
One of the most infamous moments in franchise history ended the memorable ride. Mitch Williams surrendered a walk-off home run to Joe Carter in the 9th inning of the Game 6 clincher.
Surviving Mother Nature (2008)
The Phillies announced a new era of dominance in 2007 by storming back on the New York Mets for their first playoff appearance in 14 years. However, they left the fan base hungry for more with a quick playoff exit. Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, and Cole Hamels delivered one year later with an unforgettable playoff run.
Shane Victorino’s grand slam helped the Phillies to a commanding lead in the NLDS. Matt Stairs hit an absolute moonshot at Dodger Stadium. Utley made the best heads-up play in MLB history for the third out of the 7th inning in the clincher.
Mother Nature made them wait two extra days, but Brad Lidge eventually threw the final strike to break a 25-year championship drought for major professional sports teams in Philadelphia. Hamels took home the hardware as the World Series MVP at age 24.
Just Short of Back-to-Back World Series (2009)
The defending NL champions sunk the Dodgers again in the NLCS to advance back to the World Series. Cliff Lee dominated a stacked Yankees lineup in Game 1, but the Phillies ultimately ran out of gas just short of the finish line.
Cole Hamels ended his disappointing 2009 season with a Game 3 loss. Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Hideki Matsui overwhelmed a pitching staff that didn’t have enough behind Lee to win consecutive titles.
"Dancing On My Own" To A Miracle Run (2022)
The Phillies backed into the 2022 MLB Playoffs, but their first postseason trip in over a decade made the fan base forget quickly. A 9th inning rally in the postseason opener raised some eyebrows, and the Phillies set themselves up for the triumphant return of Red October at Citizens Bank Park.
The Atlanta Braves didn’t know what hit them in an NLDS stunner, and Bryce Harper capped off the NLCS with the swing of his life against the San Diego Padres.
Only the Houston Astros stood in the way. The Phillies slugged their way to a 2-1 lead in front of a raucous crowd in Philadelphia, but the Astros responded with a combined no-hitter in Game 4 to suck the momentum out of the miracle Red October run. The series ended with another heartbreaker in a Game 6 loss in Houston.
