The Best Thing About A Phillies Season Might Be The WORST Thing
The calendar is about to turn to August which means we now have the traditional ritual of MLB where every fan base wonders if their team is good enough. After a weekend of exchanging “back away from the ledge” texts with Phillies fans as their struggles continue, I’ve come to this conclusion.
The best part about a Phillies season can also be the WORST thing. The 162-game slate allows every team to find itself. The 2022 and 2023 Phillies both needed at least until August for them to move into postseason contention. This time around, the post-season seemed like a guarantee by the time June rolled around. They are talented, balanced, and exciting to watch. Is that good enough for a large portion of the fan base here? Of course not! Sometimes being so good, so early, is a curse instead of a blessing.
Kincade, this team is “leaking oil”!
I actually think that this current Twitter favorite is fair. When you lose four consecutive series and have a 4-8 record over a 12-game stretch it’s reason for questioning but not concern. Over the course of six months you can’t expect a team to play to a fever pitch all the time. What fans should expect is far better fundamentals than they display often at the plate, on the base paths and in the field. I’ll continue to praise this team for their fantastic record, but insist that they aren’t a smart baseball team. Talent carries you a long way in this sport and tends to win out over 162 games, but in a short series in October these warts can haunt you.
History tells Phillies fans to chill out
The fact that this team hasn’t been swept in a 2024 series has them currently as the longest such contender. They show resilience and focus to stop losing streaks from piling up. It’s important to note that losing stretches, even late in a season, tend to mean little in this sport. It happens to eventual champions too.
The Orioles were not swept in 106 consecutive series from 2022-2024, except for their Divisional Playoff series in the 2023 playoffs. The most important series they played they came up the smallest. It shows you that the regular season and post season are far different animals. That can either concern you or cause you to value their persistence more. I’ll choose the latter.
Look back just a few seasons
The Texas Rangers won the World Series last season. They started September of 2023 with a 1-7 stretch and had a 4 game losing streak with less than two weeks remaining in the regular season.
The Astros won the 2022 World Series and had numerous dry spells despite a fantastic overall record. That included 3-6, 3-8 and other short losing stretches.
The 2022 Phillies won the National League Championship and had a 3-10 stretch in September! In other words, this 4-8 stretch should be looked upon as completely normal, yet frustrating!
So, the best thing is the worst thing!
The 162-game season is the ultimate test of your mental toughness as a fan. Short stretches do not matter. Every Phillies fan freaking out about a potential “October collapse” sounds ridiculous. Of course, we could see an October collapse! Every team could see one. If you see major issues with this Phillies team, what about every team that trails them in MLB? Fearing what you will see in October based on two weeks in July is not only irrational, it’s nuts.
Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.
Phillies All-Star Break Check-In: Analyzing Every Position Group
Starting Pitchers
The starting rotation carried the Phillies into a solid NL East lead with an otherworldly effort during the early months of the season. Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suarez, and Cristopher Sanchez dominated throughout the first half.
The Phillies reached the break with the best ERA among starting pitchers in the majors at 3.22.
Wheeler, Suarez, and Sanchez all posted ERAs under 3.00. All three earned National League All-Star selections.
“I think most teams get that way when their rotation’s going well. They get on a roll. They want to sort of outdo each other. It’s kind of a competition amongst each other, so I think that’s a good thing.” -Rob Thomson
Phillies All-Star Break Check-In: Starting Pitchers
Position Players
The Phillies averaged 4.97 runs per game before the break, sitting third behind only the juggernaut New York Yankees and a sliver behind the pesky Arizona Diamondbacks.
They’re about where most analysts would’ve predicted, but a different context shows the real accomplishment of their offensive performance leading into the MLB All-Star Break. Trea Turner, J.T. Realmuto, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Brandon Marsh all spent time on the injured list early in the season.
While the pitching staff stayed relatively healthy, the Phillies impressively withstood a barrage of injuries to lineup regulars.
The Phillies rank third in batting average, tied for third in OPS, and sixth in home runs despite five lineup regulars missing a combined 96 games.
Phillies All-Star Break Check-In: Position Players
Bullpen Pitchers
Outstanding individual performances during the first half define the Phillies bullpen much more than collective numbers can.
Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm earned unlikely All-Star selections as relievers who haven’t racked up saves because of their usage in Philadelphia. Orion Kerkering additionally reached the break with a sub-2.00 ERA.
Jose Alvarado has tripped up in a handful of bad outings, but he’s still holding onto one of the most trusted roles in a well-rested and poised bullpen capable of carrying the Phillies on a World Series run.
How will the Phillies bullpen take shape before Red October? It’ll be one of the most interesting and impactful storylines to follow during the second half of the season.
Phillies All-Star Break Check-In: Bullpen Pitchers
Bench Players
The starting rotation has carried the Phillies in 2024. The offense has impressively withstood injuries to remain toward the top of the league. The defense has shown significant improvement, and the bullpen looks poised for another run in Red October.
The bench hasn’t come together like the other units have. Thomson doesn’t seem to have found a rhythm and fully determined his level of trust in his reserves.
Dave Dombrowski will likely trade for a right-handed outfielder to cover his mistake with Whit Merrifield.
The organization needs to make additional decisions about Cristian Pache, Kody Clemens, Garrett Stubbs, and Weston Wilson before the postseason.
Phillies All-Star Break Check-In: Bench Players
