3 Definitive Things We Know About The Phillies

We are close to the halfway point of the Phillies' season. By the time you read this, they will be within 10 games of the exact midway point.

This Phillies season has been a Roller Coaster. They were multiple games back from the Mets at one point. An extended winning streak put them ahead. Then they went 1-9 and fell to 5.5 games back. Now, after a great week, and the Mets getting swept by the Rays, they are, as I write this, 2.5 games back.

The volatility of this past month can make it hard to nail down who this Phillies team is. But we have also seen this core be together for several seasons now, so some things are clearer than others.

The trade deadline is a bit over a month away. The Giants already made a splash by acquiring Rafael Devers. But what do the Phillies need? Who are they? Is this team a couple of players away from winning it all?

Some things are still in the air, but here are 3 things we can definitively say about this Phillies team.

Let's start with the positive. The Phillies' Starting Rotation is fantastic.

Zack Wheeler is arguably the best pitcher in the league. We also know he has the playoff chops to back it up. Cristopher Sanchez has quietly been one of the best lefty pitchers since they put him in the starting lineup 2 years ago. Ranger Suarez has at times been a Cy Young candidate. Outside of 2 awful starts, Jesus Luzardo has been elite. Mick Abel has impressed early on. And Andrew Painter is looking every bit the elite prospect he is down in the minors, and should join the team before August.

Even with the Aaron Nola issues, I would put this rotation up against any team in baseball. All of them are capable of pitching deep, which is a rarity these days. And many of them have proven themselves in the playoffs, especially Wheeler and Ranger.

That will go a long way. Any team that takes the Phillies on in the playoffs will have to get 3 or 4 wins when facing Wheeler twice, with Ranger, Luzardo, and Sanchez taking the other starts. Your lineup could be terrible, and they will still have a chance to win games.

If Jose Alvarado were available, they could maybe get away with adding only 1 high-end bullpen arm. With him suspended and ineligible for the playoffs, they need at least 2 guys you can hand the ball to in the playoffs.

Let's look at the pitchers you trust. After a shaky start, Orion Kerekring has been lights out. Matt Straham had a couple of hiccups, but has mostly been great. That is where it gets tricky.

At times, Jordan Romano has looked great. At other times, he is a mess. The ERA is still over 7, and we are past the point where we can blame only the terrible start. He took two of the losses in that 1-9 stretch. Romano had a stretch in May where he had 9 straight scoreless outings. Then he gave up 3 runs, and has given up a run in 3 of the 6 outings since. You just can't trust him.

After that, it is a crapshoot. Tanner Banks and Joe Ross are both fine as middle relievers, but you won't feel good about them in high-leverage situations. Taijuan Walker has yet to wow anyone out of the pen. They need arms. Not just filler arms, they need more guys you can hand the ball to and feel good about in the playoffs.

Having a great starter doesn't mean much if the bullpen blows the lead the second you hand them the ball. And they are now overusing the guys they do trust, which runs the risk of wearing them out by the playoffs.

Sooner rather than later, the Phillies need to go get someone. It needs to be a big move. They might need to give up a top prospect. But if they want to win this year, they need another high-end bullpen arm.

In 3.5 seasons now, this lineup has hardly changed. They brought in Trea Turner and pushed out Rhys Hoskins. That is the only significant change. The only new addition this year was Max Kepler, who is adequate at best.

Right-handed power is completely absent from this lineup. Power in general is missing. They don't even hit very many doubles. After years of this team living and dying by the long ball, they are now a singles and walks team. And as much as we have begged for them to try and manufacture more runs, living and dying by small ball is a hard way to find success.

They need a spark. They need new blood. Whether it is in center field, left field, or at 1st base with Harper moving back to the OF, the Phillies' lineup needs an infusion of talent. Dombrowski has said that he thinks lineup improvements will come internally. Maybe calling up Justin Crawford would help, though he is not a power guy either.

But I have come to believe they need more than that. They need to make a move for another top hitter. Someone who fills the hole in this lineup that Rhys Hoskins left. Because while the Phillies' lineup is not bad, they lack the thump that most of the teams they would face in October have.

If they want to beat the Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, etc, they need to add to this lineup. Because we have seen the amazing rotation can only take them so far, at some point, the bats need to carry this team. And this Phillies lineup is not deep enough to do that.