Busting The Myth That The Phillies Struggle With RISP
The Phillies struggle with runners in scoring position. That is a take many Phillies fans will state as a fact. Convincing them otherwise feels futile because it is a core belief for them. They know it is true, they have seen it with their own eyes.
Here is the thing, it is made up. It is as fake as the Loch Ness Monster or Bigfoot. People might tell you they have seen it. There is tons of anecdotal evidence. But when you actually look at the facts, the entire argument falls apart.
The Truth About The Phillies And RISP
Think about the every day hitters in this Phillies lineup. Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Bryce Harper, Alec Bohm, Nick Castellanos, JT Realmuto, Bryson Stott, Brandon Marsh, and Johan Rojas. Take a moment to guess how many of them you think hits over .260 with runners in scoring position. If you guess any number under 6, you are wrong.
Yes 6 guys, Schwarber, Turner, Harper, Bohm, Castellanos, and Rojas, all hit at least .260 with RISP. Rojas, harper, and Bohm all hit over .300 with RISP. Schwarber, Bohm, and Harper all have an OPS over .800 with RISP, with Harper’s OPS with RISP sitting at an absurd 1.140.
Brandon marsh just missed the cut at .257. But that is still an improvement compared to his normal BA. Realmuto and Stott are the only guys who actually struggle with RISP based on the numbers. Austin Hays does not have enough of a sample size to determine one way or the other. Edmundo Sosa hits .257 like Marsh does.
As a team, they are 7th in the league with a .267 AVG with RISP. For all the talk of them striking out too much, they have the 11th lowest strikeout rate with RISP. They are 14th overall
There is no basis in reality for the argument that they struggle with RISP. There is no metric that suggest they struggle with RISP. There are a few teams better than them. You can certainly say the D Backs are better than them at hitting with RISP. But when someone says they suck with RISP, or that it is some major issue for this team, they are living in an alternate reality. One where their feelings matter more than the actual data.
This Team Is Good, Stop Looking For Problems
Is this team flawless? Of course not. Like every team, they have some flaws. But of all 30 teams, they might have the fewest flaws. Their bullpen is elite. Their starting staff is elite. And their lineup top 5 in baseball.
The problem is fans tend to judge them in a vacuum. They don’t look at other teams, they only look at their own team. But you could pick apart every team the way Phillies fans try to do with their own team. The Dodgers pitching staff is shallow, and their lineup after the 3 big names is questionable. The same goes for the Yankees.
There is no such thing as a perfect team. Last year some people thought the Braves were near perfect, the Phillies proved that was not the case.
This is a very good team. Are they are a lock to win? Of course not. There are several other very good teams in their way. If they do lose, it does not necessarily mean they choked or failed. That will depend on how they lose, and who they lose to. Only 1 team can win.
If they go on to lose, and there is a glaring flaw in how they played, pick them apart then. But don’t make up stuff ahead of time to complain about. Stop spreading the myth that they struggle with RSIP, because it is a flat out lie. Other than your own imagination, there is nothing to back that statement up.
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8 Highlights Of Phillies Alumni Weekend
David Montgomery On The Wall Of Fame
Former Phillies President and CEO David Montgomery joined the Phillies Wall of Fame posthumously on Saturday night.
Montgomery spent 48 years in various roles within the organization, rising into the executive ranks during the 1990s. He passed away in 2019 after a five-year battle with cancer.
His wife Lyn Montgomery and his daughter Susa McFall attended the festivities on David’s behalf.
The Phillies alumni in attendance lauded Montgomery for the family atmosphere he created within the organization. The Roxborough native built a reputation for his inclusion of all ballpark staff, from star outfielders to security guards and from starting pitchers to elevator attendants.
Mike Schmidt spoke about Montgomery after the Wall of Fame ceremony.
“I think David was a big link to the city itself. Man of the people might be putting it too mildly, but David Montgomery was a man of the people.” -Mike Schmidt
Series Victory Over The Nationals
The Phillies didn’t forget there was a series to play. They had hit their low point of the 2024 season after a 5-0 embarrassment against the Miami Marlins on the first game of the homestand on Tuesday.
They’ve recovered nicely by salvaging the split against the Fish and pounding the inferior Nationals in a commanding weekend series win that made the franchise legends proud.
Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, and Cristopher Sanchez regained the form that helped the Phillies off to a hot start to gain control of the National League East. A loss on Sunday snapped a four-game winning streak, but they’ll hit the road now to face stronger opponents in the Atlanta Braves and the Kansas City Royals.
Full List Of Phillies Alumni Attendees
Circa 1980: Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton, Greg Luzinski, Larry Bowa, Bob Boone, Bob Wine, Manny Trillo, Juan Samuel, Ron Reed, Dickie Noles, Gary Matthews, Garry Maddox, Steve Jeltz, Greg Gross
Circa 1993: John Kruk, Milt Thompson, Tommy Greene, Larry Andersen, Ruben Amaro Jr., Kevin Stocker, Jeff Manto
Circa 2004 Jim Thome, Bobby Abreu, Mike Lieberthal, Brandon Duckworth
Circa 2008: Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, Carlos Ruiz, Charlie Manuel, Pat Gillick, Brad Lidge, Jamie Moyer, Joe Blanton, Ryan Madson, Aaron Rowand, Erik Kratz, Kevin Frandsen
Local Alumni: Mark Leiter Sr., Greg Legg, Art Mahaffey, Ramon Henderson, Terry Harmon, Gene Garber, Doug Clemens, John Briggs, Howie Bedell
