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Tag: Alec Bohm

  • Phillies Offseason Predictions – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Phillies

    Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

    The dust has settled on the 2025 MLB season with the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrating back-to-back World Series Championships just like everyone expected. With the 2025 season in the rearview mirror, the attention turns to the offseason. One that might be the most pivotal offseason this franchise has had since they signed Bryce Harper in 2019.

    Who’s Back, Who’s Gone

    Right off the bat, it’s very easy to say the Phillies’ top priority is Kyle Schwarber, which I completely agree with. I would love to see Schwarber finish his career in a Phillies uniform, especially after the season he put together last year. As great as his play is on the field, he’s an amazing clubhouse guy, which is another reason why I think the Phillies must re-sign him. It’s going to leave a bad taste in a lot of fans’ mouths if the Phillies don’t offer Schwarber.

    While Schwarber is priority number one, resigning JT Realmuto would be my number two. I think JT should finish his career with the Phillies, and to me, it makes too much sense. He had a great offensive season, considering how slow he started out of the gate. He is familiar with our pitching staff, and I have never heard any of the pitchers he’s worked with complain about how he handles things. Realmuto is still a top catcher in the league despite his age, and there aren’t many other options to replace JT. The key replacement would be trying to trade for Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles, but I would much rather the Phillies resign JT and not give up any assets.

    Harrison Bader, I would love to have back, but I’m not sure where he would fit. If we could sign him for a year or two, I don’t mind Bader being a nice bridge player until top prospect Justin Crawford gets settled at the major league level. Bader would be a great mentor for Crawford during his first few years at the major league level.

    In terms of who’s gone, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Nick Castellanos traded along with Johan Rojas and possibly even Alec Bohm. Castellanos is the one most likely to be moved, especially with how things were handled with him the last few months of the season. Ever since his incident with Rob Thomson, it’s been painfully obvious that the Phillies want to try and move him.

    Rojas has become expendable with the emergence of prospect Justin Crawford, who should definitely be on the Phillies’ opening day roster as their centerfielder. Crawford hit .334 in Triple-A last season and played above-average defense in centerfield. Mix in 46 stolen bases, and you now have a better version of Johan Rojas in centerfield.

    Alex Bohm could be in a similar situation; however, I don’t know if they will cut ties with him just yet. Top prospect Aidan Miller is still only 21 years old, but he put together a strong season across Double-A and Triple-A last season. Miller broke the Reading Fightin Phils record for most stolen bases in a season with 52. If the Phillies move Bohm, I definitely expect Aidan Miller to be with the big league club this season. Unless Miller puts together an incredible spring, I do expect him to start the season in Triple-A. That means the Phillies would need to try and find a bridge third baseman until Miller is ready. Nolan Arenado is a name to watch if they do end up trading Bohm. However, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Phillies went with Bohm to start the season and then moved him in the middle of the year if Miller is ready and performing.

    Pitching

    In terms of the pitching, getting Zach Wheeler back healthy is the most important thing for this team. The development of Andrew Painter will be something to monitor as well. Ranger Suarez is the big decision this front office will have to make. His performance has statistically tailed off in the second half of the season, and staying healthy has been a struggle. I’m hesitant to throw money at someone who has struggled to stay healthy. It’s going to be an extremely important decision and one that takes a few years to develop before we decide if it was the right move. It all comes down to money, whether they want to give Suarez the contract he deserves.

    If Suarez returns, the Phillies’ rotation will be poised to be a top rotation in baseball again. Christopher Sanchez was your NL Cy Young runner-up after Paul Skenes took home the award last week, which is an incredible accomplishment for Sanchez. A pitcher the Phillies acquired in a trade from the Rays a few years back has turned into a Diamond in the rough. If Wheeler comes back healthy, Aaron Nola bounces back, and Jesus Luzardo builds off of last year’s strong season, then the Phillies could no doubt have the best rotation in baseball.

    Winter Meetings

    Most action won’t start happening until the week of the MLB Winter Meetings, which will occur from December 7-10. That is when the owners and managers will get to work on building their ballclubs for the 2026 season, as everyone has a fresh start for a World Series run.

    Tags: Aaron Nola Aidan Miller Alec Bohm Bryce Harper Bryson Stott Jesus Luzardo Kyle Schwarber MLB Nick Castellanos Philadelphia Phillies Phillies Trea Turner Zach Wheeler

    Categorized: Phillies

    Matt Saglembeni

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  • Stay or Go – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Phillies

    Phillies President of Baseball Operations David Dombrowski on his phone during batting practice before the Phillies play the San Diego Padres in game two of the National League Championship Series at Petco Park in San Diego on Wednesday, October 19, 2022.

    With the 2025 Phillies season over we look toward next year. The World Series was played in the NLDS and the Phillies are still on the cusp of a World Series after a few years of playoff disappointment. Let’s take a look at who should stay or go for the Phillies next season.

    Stay

    JT Realmuto  

    He is the best catcher on the market. He is vital to our pitching staff. Look at the growth of Wheeler, Suarez, and Sanchez. Caleb Cotham is phenomenal but JT deserves a lot of credit too.

    For as much as people complained about his regular season hitting, JT actually showed up in the playoffs, hitting .353 with 6 hits including a home run. So spare me age or whatever reason you come up with to not re-sign him. The guy is still a really good ball player. The bigger issue is how much we rely on JT to knock in runs. If the offense can add more production you don’t have to rely on JT to carry the load.

    Kyle Schwarber

    He has got to stay. The lineup would be worse off without him. You can say what you want about his performance in the playoffs, but game 3 shows how important he is to the team. The second he homered everything got going. I am not sure fans realize how much this team would have struggled without his 56 home runs and 132 rbis. You cannot replace that. Pay him whatever he would like.

    Ranger Suarez

    The loss of Ranger Suarez feels inevitable. Andrew Painter should be added to the rotation, but there is still a spot for Ranger. Wheeler is not going to be healthy to start the season and who knows how his recovery will go. A rotation of Sanchez, Luzardo, Suarez, Nola, and Painter is still nasty. Ranger will come at a high cost, but with no salary cap I don’t see any reason for him to leave other than Middleton avoiding a tax. 

    Let’s not forget Ranger has been deadly in the playoffs and Toppers failure to use him in game 1 is a huge reason they lost the series. Ranger needs to be a Phillie next season, even though the feeling is he won’t be.

    Justin Crawford

    Crawford should be on this roster. He will add youth and speed to this team. I think he should have been called up in the second half of last season, but the Phillies decided against it. Since he didn’t get an opportunity last season, it will be interesting to see how productive Crawford will be for the Phillies. The teams biggest mix up this offseason will likely be in the outfield. I would love to see Crawford start in left or center for the Phillies.

    Jose Alvarado

    Alvarado is a really interesting case for the Phillies. He has been one of our better relievers the past couple seasons, but a PED suspension kept him out for most of the season and the playoffs. Alvarado has a $9 million dollar player option, which makes sense for the Phillies to pick up. It is not anything too expensive and they need a left handed arm. I think he stays but feel indifferent on his status.

    Go

    Alec Bohm

    The team needs to move on from Bohm. He just isn’t it. Doesn’t hit for average, doesn’t hit for power, isn’t a great fielder but also isn’t a bad one, and offers nothing on the basepaths. 

    For being 6’5” he severely lacks in power which hurts the lineup (and top 3 hitters) as a whole. You expect your 3rd baseman to have some power, but the Phillies have not gotten that. They do not have a true 4 hole hitter and I would like to see them fill that role at 3rd base or right field. Regardless, it is time to move on from Bohm. 

    Nick Castellanos

    Castellanos has been one of the more interesting players for the Phillies the last few seasons. He is one of the most frustrating players on the team to watch. Free swinger, who gets fooled by the same sequence over and over. But at the same time, he has had many big moments at the plate and even on defense during the playoffs. Overall his hitting has been fine, but his defense is not nearly good enough. In fact, it is awful. His first step is the slowest I have seen, he leaves so many outs on the field that look like he made the correct play but in reality, he physically can’t reach the ball. A new RF is needed. Just move him, I do not care about the return. 

    Maybe Stay Maybe Go

    Bryson Stott

    Stott is an interesting case. He could fit in the same category as Bohm. A player from the “Day Care” not developing as much as we hoped. However, I feel this team has bigger holes to fill than Stott. His fielding is second to none and he makes them an infinitely better defensive team. His at bats leave a lot to be desired but having Sott hit 8th or 9th with his defense helps this team a lot. There is not a logical reason to move on from him. He should stay. 

    Harrison Bader

    Most of the fans would like to see Bader back in CF. The fit is there, but the contract will be the question. He added “something” to this team that was previously missing. Bader was a mold of hitter that fit what the team needed and played great defense; he was missed during the NLDS. Bader coming back depends on his cost, which may end up being too high for Middletown and Dombrowski, but he would make an ideal starting CF.

    Brandon Marsh and Max Kepler

    I decided to pair Kepler and Marsh together. I do not see both of these players coming back together. Throughout the season I assumed Kepler would be one and done, but he came on strong at the end of the year and had a good playoffs. Depending on the outfield options I could see them bringing back Kepler on a cheap deal. 

    I also believe the will hold onto Brandon Marsh. There seems to be a belief in the lockeroom that he can get his hitting figured out. The issue is he cannot hit lefties. So, if Marsh is on the roster next season, he may need to be paired with a right-handed bat. Marsh is an interesting piece because he is still young and has shown potential, but I feel we have seen the player that he is. The Phillies shouldn’t look to move him but if a trade package makes sense, we could see Brandon Marsh on the move.

    Photo Credit: Yong Kim/Philadelphia Inquirer

    Tags: Alec Bohm Brandon Marsh Bryson Stott Dave Dombrowski Harrison Bader John Middleton Jose Alvarado JT Realmuto Justin Crawford Kyle Schwarber Major League Baseball Max Kepler Nick Castellanos Philadelphia Phillies Ranger Suarez

    Categorized: Phillies

    Liam Mahoney

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  • Rob Thomson Set to Return as Phillies Manager in 2026 – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

    The Phillies announced on Monday that Manager Rob Thomson will be returning for the 2026 season.

    Thomson will be entering the final year of his contract, making 2026 a true make-or-break season for both Thomson and the Phillies.

    Philadelphia Heartbreak

    It’s been five days since the Phillies lost Game 4 of the NLDS in the most heartbreaking fashion you could imagine. The first series in MLB history to end on an error. Of course, it would happen to the Phillies.

    It took me all day Friday to go through the stages of grief following the loss. I was not angry at Kerkering for a miscue throw to—the. In fact, I completely understand the mental state when you first bobble a ball. Even if you knew where you were supposed to go with the ball, the second you bobble it, panic sets in, and that’s exactly what happened. I know Kerkering can be a good reliever, and I hope he bounces back next year with us.

    Different Year, Same Result

    While my sympathy was with Kerkering, my anger was directed towards Rob Thomson, the entire lineup aside from JT Realmuto, Alec Bohm, and Nick Castellanos. The big three of Turner, Schwarber, and Harper went 1-14 in the Game 4 elimination game. The third season in a row, the big guns disappeared when it mattered most. That part of it is on the players, and while Rob Thomson makes the lineup, he can’t control what pitches these guys are swinging at.

    Rob Thomson controls the bullpen and who comes in certain situations. This is part of his job; Rob Thomson has been horrible at it in the postseason. In 2023, he brought Craig Kimbrel in against the Arizona Diamondbacks, which eventually led to the Phillies blowing the lead and the series. Since that series, Rob Thomson has poorly managed the bullpen when it matters the most. It’s led to the Phillies blowing leads in multiple playoff games over the last few years, including in this year’s series. Going to Kerkering with runners on was a terrible idea from the start. 8/13 inherited runners have scored on Kerkering since August. Having him in the game in that moment was a terrible decision by Rob Thomson. Even leading up to that, one might question why we walked Ohtani in the 7th inning to load the bases? Duran would walk in a run, tying the game 1-1 after Mookie Betts worked a walk. Thomson made a few questionable decisions, but it’s not solely on him to blame.

    What Went Wrong?

    Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

    I touched on the lack of production from Turner, Schwarber, and Harper before, but it’s important to know how flat-out bad these three were in this series. Aside from the Game 3 outburst, these three underperformed when the lights were the brightest. While I still want the Phillies to re-sign Kyle Schwarber, you have to wonder if he decreased his price tag following his poor October showing. Harper and Turner need to figure out a way to make their $300 million price tags worth it come October. Harper had an incredible postseason in 2023 and 2024, but his last two postseason showings have been lackluster. You aren’t gonna win many baseball games when the highest-paid players don’t show up.

    Harrison Bader was injured with a groin injury, which also hurt the Phillies in terms of their lineup. Bader was such a spark for this team down the stretch, and his absence should not go unnoticed. I’m hoping the Phillies could bring him back, but the question is for how much and where he would play. If Bader did play his last game in a Phillies uniform, he was an incredible addition to this team, and it’s a shame he got injured when he did.

    I tip my cap to Alec Bohm and JT Realmuto, who had really strong showings at the plate in the division series. I would love to have JT back behind the plate next year, as he is set to hit free agency. If JT walks, I expect the Phillies to possibly pursue a trade with the Baltimore Orioles for catcher Adley Rutschman. Rutschman would be a nice replacement for the Phillies if Realmuto isn’t on the team next year. With that being said, I do hope JT works out a deal and hopefully ends his career as a Phillie.

    Pitching Excellence

    The starting pitching once again showed up when it mattered most, despite not having Zack Wheeler. Christopher Sanchez pitched two great games and further solidified himself as a true ace during this series. Jesus Luzardo, Aaron Nola, and Ranger Suarez all pitched great throughout the series as well. The starting pitching was dominant all year, and they performed well above expectations in this series.

    Ranger Suarez is the only starting arm that is a free agent this upcoming winter. The big question is, do you pay Ranger Suarez knowing you have a replacement in Andrew Painter coming up? Suarez has been one of the best lefties in the game over the last two years, so although it would hurt to lose him, the Phillies might not be able to afford to keep him. It’s going to be very interesting to see where Suarez lands this upcoming offseason.

    Season Conclusion

    That’s officially a wrap on the Phillies’ 2025 season, as well as my first season covering the team. It was a pleasure to bring you weekly storylines and my thoughts on this ball club throughout the year. The season ended like no one could have expected, with a game-losing error. One of the main things I love about baseball is that you can shake off whatever happened in the game before and get right back at it within a day or two. But in this scenario, having to sit with this feeling all offseason is certainly going to sting.

    While some fans (including myself) are still angry with this team and the result, I can already feel the excitement and optimism of opening day 2026 when the Texas Rangers come to town. Only 163 days until The Bank is packed for Opening Day on March 26, 2026!

    One Last Weekly Prediction: The Seattle Mariners are going to be your 2025 World Series Champions.

    Tags: 2025 MLB Postseason Aaron Nola Alec Bohm Arizona Diamondbacks Bryce Harper Bryson Stott Christopher Sanchez Craig Kimbrel Dodgers Harrison Bader Jesus Luzardo Jhoan Duran JT Realmuto Kyle Schwarber Los Angeles Dodgers MLB MLB playoffs MLB Postseason NLDS Orion Kerkering Philadelphia Phillies Phillies Playoffs Postseason Ranger Suarez rangers Rob Thomson Texas Rangers Trea Turner

    Categorized: Phillies

    Matt Saglembeni

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  • No Guts, No Glory – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Watching the Phillies in the playoffs the last three seasons has been excruciating. Anyone hoping for something different this season, think again. It ended in a complete disaster. It’s tough not to feel for Kerkering a little bit, but that is an inexcusable error. He has struggled with runners on base all season. It was unfair to bring him in there. The worst part is he ended up making the pitches and got the ground ball. But instead of a calm cool collected throw to first Kerkering panicked. One of the most gut wrenching things I have witnessed. 

    What Really Went Wrong

    We can look up all the stats, splits, and percentages we want. But the eye test tells you all you need to know. The bats failed to show up. Turner, Schwarber, and Harper showed up for one of the four games. But that’s why you lose a series right? The big players didn’t produce. So now they go home. What puzzles me about the offense is their inability to adjust. Now, four straight seasons of chasing pitches at bat after at bat. Every batter wanting to win the game in one pitch. The goal should have been to have the best at bat for the team. Instead guys are up there hacking away trying to have a moment. 

    The Phils made Glasnow throw 19 pitches in the first inning. Even though they didn’t score, that’s a successful inning and part of winning baseball games. You have to make pitchers work. Obviously, the Phillies did the opposite. Glasnow cruised through 6 innings. If the Phillies kept grinding away he should’ve been on the ropes by the 5th inning. There are many ways to blame the offense for the losses. But overall it was their inability to make anything happen. JT and Kepler were really the only two guys to hit, The stars and the bats let the fans and the pitching staff down. 

    Topper, Topper, Topper

    I have many gripes with Rob Thomson. Yes, he has done a great job at bringing this group together. He has the Phillies playing great regular season baseball. They are fun to watch again and in an Eagles city, when the Phillies are good it’s a baseball town. But then, the playoffs. Whatever happened in 2022 is not there anymore. The players have to win the game, but there have been countless decisions from the manager that have hurt the club in the postseason. 

    Game One

    With a fully rested bullpen Thomson decided to bring Robertson back out for the 7th inning. This forced Strahm to come in with multiple runners on. The decision to bring Robertson back out is what cost them. A reliever comes into a high leverage situation with their adrenaline pumping. He did his job and got out of the jam, he should have never gone back into the game. Topper overthinking the bullpen once again.

    Game Two

    The Phillies had life. With no outs Nick Castellanos doubled in Realmuto and Bohm. The offense was finally rolling. Three straight hits. Zero outs. Ninth inning. Citizens Bank Park going absolutely nuts.

    Bunt – ball one. Bunt again – Castellanos gunned down at third. 

    This was one of the worst decisions I have ever seen. The Dodgers couldn’t buy an out in that inning. Even Castellanos doubled on that outside pitch he strikes out on all the time (you know the one).

    All the momentum in the world was on the Phillies side. And then he gave them an out. Rob said here you go a free out and the Dodgers said thank you. In your last at bat in the game, the manager gave the other team an out. I was stunned. Topper has no feel for the game going on around him. He even admitted in his press conference he was playing for the tie. A shocking statement to hear. That is the complete wrong mindset coming from the manager.

    Stott has had multiple playoff moments for the Phillies. He’s come up with big hits each post season. Thomson should trust him to come through. Do you think Dave Roberts would have made Tommy Edmunds bunt in that situation? No chance. Stott wasn’t even given an opportuninty to hit. No doubt in my mind the Phillies win that game if Stott doesn’t bunt.  

    Those were the two big decisions that cost the Phillies in this series. Although, all of this is not on Rob Thomson, I believe this team has gone as far as they will with him. He doesn’t have quite the right feel of how to manage postseason games. He never seems to pull the right strings. It may be time to move on at the end of the season. 

    What’s Next

    This team is clearly in need of a shake up. I am not sure if blowing it up is the right call. Dombrowski should prioritize Realmuto, Schwarber, and Suarez. They haven’t shown up recently, but I believe the core of Turner, Schwarber, Harper, and Realmuto can get the job done. They need to step up in the playoffs, but I believe in those guys. 

    There are a couple of spots the Phillies need to address. They need to find a clean up hitter. The front office should look to upgrade in right and at third. It’s time to move on from Castellanos and Bohm. It would be nice to see Bader back in center. The ship has run its course for some of this crew and hopefully the roster looks a little different next season.

    Photo Credit: Matt Slocum/AP Photo

    Tags: Aaron Nola Alec Bohm Brandon Marsh Bryce Harper Christopher Sanchez David Robertson Jesus Luzardo JT Realmuto Kyle Schwarber Major League Baseball Matt Strahm Max Kepler Nick Castellanos Orion Kerkering Philadelphia Phillies Ranger Suarez Rob Thomson

    Categorized: Phillies

    Liam Mahoney

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  • Phillies Offense Disappears, Rob Thomson Strikes Again – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    The Phillies had the entire city riled up and ready for another deep postseason run after finishing 96-66 and getting a first-round bye. Everyone knew the Dodgers wouldn’t be easy, but when your top three guys refuse to show up when it matters most and your manager continues to make terrible decisions, you won’t often find yourself in a winning situation.

    To be very blunt, the 2025 Philadelphia Phillies are who we thought they were.

    Same Results, Different Year

    The Phillies are down 0-2 and would need to win three games in a row against the Dodgers, with the next two games in Los Angeles. I’m not gonna sit here and feed optimism when this team has given nothing for us to be optimistic about.

    The Phillies are 1-7 in their last eight playoff games. They refuse to work any ABs, and when they do, they end up swinging at what would be ball four most of the time. Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper have disappeared. Those three in this series are 1-21. I’m gonna say that again. The top three hitters in this lineup are 1-21. I don’t care if you’re playing the Colorado Rockies, you aren’t gonna win games with the top three guys on your team going 1-21 at home in a series. The middle and bottom parts of the order haven’t been any better. This team couldn’t hit water if they fell out of a boat right now.

    No one in the order has stepped up and tried to provide a spark. Nick Castellanos had a two-run double in the 9th inning of game two that barely got me excited because I just knew the Phillies were gonna find a way to ruin the situation.

    Rob Thomson Strikes Again

    Following the double from Castellanos, Bryson Stott then bunted with 0 outs, runner at second, which resulted in Castellanos being thrown out at third. I nearly turned the game off. Bunting in that situation comes from the manager, and boy oh boy would I love to know Rob’s thought process behind this one.

    You are handcuffed because, with Bader dealing with a groin injury, you had to save a pitch runner for Bader. You can’t run for Castellanos, but Castellanos doesn’t run well, so what do you do? HAVE STOTT SWING THE BAT. THIS IS BASEBALL!

    I understand the concept of moving the runner over, but once again, Thomson’s lack of baseball feel strikes again. The crowd was finally into it, the tying run is at second with 0 outs, and you bunt into an out at third and kill any rally you had. Just to top it off, Bader would single in the next AB that would’ve likely scored Castellanos. Can’t make this stuff up.

    This 9th-inning debacle by Rob Thomson wasn’t even his worst moment of the night. Thomson decided to go with Orion Kerkering out of the bullpen first when Jesus Luzardo ran into trouble in the 7th. Luzardo pitched a gem in this game and is the only Phillie worth noting from last night. Luzardo had runners on second and third when Thomson pulled him and put in Kerkering.

    Let me remind you, Kerkering has been terrible inheriting runner all season. One look at a stat sheet and anyone who works in baseball would be able to tell you that. Everyone but Rob Thoms, apparently. He puts in Kerkering, who immediately gives up two runs after nearly getting an out at home. The Dodgers would add on, giving themselves a 4-0 lead in the 7th. Since August, Kerkering has let 8/13 inherited runners score when he comes out of the bullpen. That is not good. Going to Kerkering in that situation is a terrible decision, knowing he’s not good with runners on base. I would’ve much rather seen Strahm in that situation, who was up and warm.

    If the Phillies go to LA and lose game three, getting swept in this fashion is more than enough of a reason for the organization to have a long conversation this offseason about the players and staff on this ball club. The team has gotten better every year since 2022, and yet the results are worse and worse. At this point, players and coaches need to be held accountable.

    Heading to LA

    The Phillies will travel to Los Angeles today and play game three of the series Wednesday night at 9:08. The Dodgers will start Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12-8, 2.49 ERA, 201 Ks), and the Phillies will start Aaron Nola (5-10, 6.01ERA, 97 Ks). As you can tell, the pitching matchup heavily leans in the Dodgers’ favor. Maybe the struggling offense will get going since they are away from home.

    The Phillies will be playing for their season Wednesday night and avoid getting swept 3-0 in embarrassing fashion.

    Tags: Alec Bohm Bryce Harper Bryson Stott Harrison Bader Jhoan Duran JT Realmuto Kyle Schwarber Max Kepler MLB Nick Castellanos NLDS Orion Kerkering Philadelphia Phillies Phillies Rob Thomson Trea Turner

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    Matt Saglembeni

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  • Phillies Postseason Expectations and Predictions – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    After a grueling 162-game season, the Philadelphia Phillies finished their season with a record of 96-66, good enough for the second-best record in all of Major League Baseball. They won the NL East with a 13-game lead over the New York Mets, a team that won’t be playing into October after a historic second-half collapse. The Phillies have the luxury of a first-round bye and will open the NLDS at home on October 4th against either the Los Angeles Dodgers or Cincinnati Reds. The best time of year is here; nothing beats October baseball.

    Playoff Expectations

    Win the whole thing.

    The end.

    All jokes aside, this team is more than capable of delivering a World Series title to Philadelphia. The loss of Zach Wheeler is massive, and not having him throughout this postseason run will sting. However, I trust Christopher Sanchez, Ranger Suarez, Jesus Luzardo, and even Aaron Nola enough to hopefully get us deep into the postseason.

    Looking at the pitching first, I would say this is the best overall staff the Phillies have had in recent years. Not only are the starters great, but the bullpen, with guys like Tanner Banks, Orion Kerkering, Matt Strahm, and Jhoan Duran, rounds out one of the best staffs in the postseason. The last few seasons, the Phillies have lacked solid bullpen arms, and this year is the complete opposite. I feel comfortable knowing Duran is pitching in the 9th if we have a 1-2 run lead late.

    As for the offense, that will be the biggest question mark. Last postseason, the bats disappeared. This year, that simply can’t happen. This team is way too talented offensively to go through a slump this time of year. Led by Kyle Schwarber, this Phillies offense should be able to put up runs. The Phillies’ ability to weather the storm with starting pitching to get into the opponent’s bullpen will be interesting to see. They chased too much out of the zone last year, and it eliminated easy walks and ways to get guys on base. If this lineup can stay consistent and play within itself, the team can put up 5-7 runs per game in the postseason.

    Getting Trea Turner will be massive for the top of the order, especially since with Bader moving back down, it will make the lineup longer in terms of depth. Harrison Bader has been the best trade deadline acquisition Dave Dombrowski has made in recent years. His play in CF will be an integral part of a potential Phillies World Series run. The Phillies have lacked a true centerfielder over the last few playoff runs, so hopefully, Bader will be another spark for this team.

    Postseason Predictions

    Right now, I can see the Dodgers beating the Reds easily in the Wild Card round to set up a NLDS matchup with the Phillies. While the Phillies will have home-field advantage, it’s a best-of-5 series for the NLDS. Truthfully, if the Phillies play their brand of baseball, I could see the Phillies taking the series 3-2

    Next, they would face the Brewers in the NLCS, who I’m predicting will go on to beat the Padres in the NLDS 3-1. A Milwaukee Brewers vs Philadelphia Phillies NLCS with the Phillies winning 4-2 in 6 games.

    I do believe this team is good enough to make a run through the National League and win the Pennant this year. The way the Phillies played in the second half makes me highly optimistic that this team will be able to make it to the World Series.

    As for who they will play, my two guesses are the New York Yankees or the Seattle Mariners, which I know could be a shock to some people. I think the Mariners have the offense and the pitching staff that could help spark a run for them. It would be exciting to see Seattle playing in a World Series. If the Yankees end up making it, then it’s time for us to get our revenge for what happened in 2009.

    My overall prediction is the Phillies win the World Series in 6 games, and we’ll have our second championship parade of the year on Broad Street in November!!

    Tags: Aaron Nola Alec Bohm Bryce Harper Bryson Stott Christopher Sanchez Harrison Bader Jhoan Duran Kyle Schwarber MLB Nick Castellanos Philadelphia 76ers Philadelphia Phillies Phillies Trea Turner Zach Wheeler

    Categorized: Phillies

    Matt Saglembeni

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  • Phillies Enter the Final Week of the Regular Season – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Last week, the Phillies clinched the NL East title, guaranteeing another year of Red October and the opportunity to play for a World Series. While winning the NL East is nice, getting a first-round bye would be amazing for a team that’s been banged up down the stretch. With six games remaining in the regular season, the Phillies look forward to closing out the season and then preparing for what is hopefully a memorable Red October run.

    Six Games Remain

    The Phillies return home this week with an off day on Monday, so they have time to settle in after the West Coast road trip. While on the road trip, the Phillies took 2/3 from the Los Angeles Dodgers, including the NL East clinching win Monday night. After the emotional series win over the Dodgers, the Phillies would lose 2/3 to the Arizona Diamondbacks, a team fighting for that last spot in the NL Wild Card race.

    I’m not putting much stock into the series loss to the Diamondbacks because they did take the series from the Dodgers. By Sunday, I could imagine the team just wanting to return home.

    The Phillies have six games remaining in the season, all of which are at home. In fact, the Phillies have an opportunity to play at home until game 3 of the NLDS, which would be Wednesday, October 8th. That leaves 17 days in between road games for the Phillies. Something I think will help this team a lot. The Phillies have a three-game series against the Miami Marlins (76-80) and the Minnesota Twins (67-89). It’s kind of poetic that the Phillies are ending their season against the team that traded them their two most important deadline acquisitions. Harrison Bader and Jhoan Duran have been amazing for the Phillies and have certainly performed above expectations. Those six games are very winnable, but the Phillies are still three games back of the Brewers for the one seed, so they would need a miracle to secure that top seed.

    Playoff Positioning

    The Phillies will most likely finish with the two seed in the National League, which is good for the sake of the first-round bye. While some are scared about the time off during Wild Card games, this team needs to get healthy and also give the pitching staff a much-deserved rest. Trea Turner is expected to return for the last series of the season, and Alec Bohm made his return against the Diamondbacks. Bohm homered in his second game back and made his impact felt immediately. Having Bohm back in this lineup is huge, especially with runners on base. Getting Trea Turner back will be another massive boost for the offense, in hopes that he returns to the player he’s been all year. Turner was hitting .305 when he was placed on the IL a few weeks ago.

    While the top three seeds are all solidified, with the Brewers, Phillies, and Dodgers, the other three spots could all be shuffled come next week. The Chicago Cubs are 88-68 and hold the top Wild Card spot, followed by the 85-71 San Diego Padres. Those two spots are very likely to remain the Cubs and Padres. That last spot, however, is completely up for grabs. Yes, that means the New York Mets might miss the playoffs (Bummer). The Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets are both tied with the same record, 80-76, with the Reds holding a tiebreaker over the Mets. The Arizona Diamondbacks are 79-77, just one game back of that last spot. The final six games for these teams are going to be must-watch TV, so if you are a baseball fan, I suggest you tune in.

    While anything can happen in these final six games, I don’t think any Phillies fan would be opposed to the Mets not making the playoffs. The Cincinnati Reds have been a team I’ve liked all year and would be an interesting club to see make the postseason. As for the Diamondbacks, I want our revenge from 2023.

    Upcoming Week

    I expect the Phillies to hopefully win 4/6 games to close out the season. I would like them to finish strong so they go into the bye with some confidence before having to ramp it up again for postseason baseball. We are nearly one week away from the greatest time of year. Buckle up, Phillies fans.

    Prediction of the week: Alec Bohm homers twice at home this week, continuing his great performance since returning from injury.

    Oh, and the Mets miss the playoffs, and the Reds take the last spot.

    Tags: Aaron Nola Alec Bohm Brandon Marsh Bryce Harper Bryson Stott Christopher Sanchez Harrison Bader Jhoan Duran Kyle Schwarber Max Kepler MLB Nick Castellanos Philadelphia Phillies Phillies Ranger Suarez Trea Turner

    Categorized:Phillies

    Matt Saglembeni

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  • Ranger Suárez, Phillies drop D-backs series, but with focus on final postseason prep

    The Phillies dropped two of three in their weekend series to the Diamondbacks down in Arizona, which Sunday’s finale made quickly apparent when they fell into a hole of a 9-2 final.

    Arizona lefty Eduardo Rodriguez tossed six shutout innings on 93 pitches, while Ranger Suárez had a rough day on the mound because of a blow-up second inning that did him and the Phillies in fast. Suárez received the losing decision and dropped to 12-7 after getting tagged for six runs and lasting just four innings.

    It’s hard to get too up in arms about it, though. 

    The Phillies’ postseason ticket is punched. They’ve already won the NL East, and if they can just stay the course at minimum for the last six games coming home, they should outlast even a crazy surge from the Dodgers for the No. 2 seed in the postseason bracket (which is boosted by having the tiebreaker over L.A., too). 

    They’re October-bound, their roster for it looks mostly set, and they appear on track to getting healthier right before. 

    At 92-64, they’re in good shape. It’s just a matter of putting those finishing touches on to clinch that vital bye into the NLDS, and clear up those last couple of lingering questions. 

    The remaining six games against the Marlins and then the Twins coming home to Citizens Bank Park to close out should be more than enough runway for it. 

    Here are a few beats on how they’re looking coming back to South Philly for the last handful of games in the regular season…

    • Alec Bohm returned on Friday night, and in a big way. He went 2-for-5 with an RBI double in the second, then a two-run single in the ninth for the Phillies’ 8-2 pile on in Game 1. He went 2-for-4 with a fourth-inning solo homer in Saturday night’s Game 2 loss, and went 4-for-4 with a walk in Sunday’s overall whimper of a finale. 

    It’s been a rocky, somewhat injury-plagued season for Bohm, but the Phillies’ best chance in October is with him at third. The same goes for Trea Turner at shortstop and at the top of the order, where he should be able to return from a Grade 1 hamstring strain before it’s playoff time. 

    Having Edmundo Sosa as that ever-versatile and dependable bench bat is a boost, too, but his stint on the 10-day Injured List ahead of the postseason seemed more like a precautionary measure than anything. If anyone needed time to heal up, these last couple of weeks were when to do it.

    • The Phillies are going to be lefty-heavy heading into the postseason with Cristopher Sánchez, Suárez, and Jesús Luzardo as the leading three in their rotation. 

    Suárez ran into trouble on Sunday, but has an overall body of work this season that points to the idea that he won’t have any trouble bouncing back from it.

    But as far as any right-handed depth goes, well, Aaron Nola’s turn was up Saturday. He got through five innings to maintain a 3-2 lead, then the sixth struck, the signs showed, and Blaze Alexander and James McCann hit back-to-back doubles to tie the game before Nola was pulled. The winning run at second for Arizona was surrendered by Tanner Banks two at-bats later, but was still charged to Nola.

    Was it the veteran right-hander’s worst start? No, but it wasn’t anything more encouraging either, because it was another scenario where fans watching were fearfully just waiting for the bottom to fall out. 

    Nola’s 4-10 and his ERA is at 6.46 in what’s just been a brutal year for a longtime face of the club. It’s a tough argument to say he should be trusted with a start in the postseason.

    The other righty option that might be under consideration, though, is interesting. Taijuan Walker started through four decent innings on Friday night, then essentially handed the ball over to Walker Buehler in a long reliever transition. They combined for 7.2 innings with five strikeouts, allowing seven hits, a walk, and two earned runs (both from Taijuan in the first). 

    Maybe that hybrid sort of bullpen game is a way to catch opponents off-guard when a series pushes later into a Game 4 or 5 or 6.

    • Arizona taking the series does play into the Wild Card picture. As of Sunday night, the Diamondbacks’ consecutive wins over the Phils are keeping them afloat and just a game out from the third and final spot behind the Reds and Mets. 

    Obviously, there are scars for fans from the 2023 NLCS with Arizona, but there are even fresher ones from last year’s NLDS against New York, along with the longstanding and heated rivalry. 

    Even if the Phillies’ work ahead of their postseason run is about 95 percent done, there’s still some intrigue for fans, rivalry-wise, on that last push coming down the stretch.

    The Mets, by the way, dropped two straight to the basement-dwelling Nationals and are 4-6 in their last 10.

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    Nick Tricome

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  • Phillies Magic Number Down To One, Clinch Postseason Berth – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Credit: John Jones/Imagn Images

    The Phillies came into last week preparing for their biggest series of the season, a four-game series against the New York Mets, with their magic sitting at 13. Since then, the Phillies would go on to sweep the Mets, take two out of three from the Kansas City Royals, and now sit just one game away from clinching the NL East for consecutive seasons. The last time the Phillies did that was in 2010-2011.

    NL East Dominance

    As of today, the Phillies are 89-61, 12 games up on the New York Mets (77-73) for first place in the NL East, which is something I didn’t expect to write this season. I truly believed the Mets would be competitive and the NL East would be close for the majority of the season. However, the Mets have played dreadful baseball in September and just snapped an eight-game losing streak yesterday.

    As for the Phillies, they are playing their best baseball of the season right now. The pitching looks great, the offense looks better despite the Phillies missing both Trea Turner and Alex Bohm this week, and the bullpen has found its rhythm. They have found different ways to win games, not just relying on the offense or pitching. Some nights, the pitching staff looks incredible when the offense doesn’t, and vice versa. This team looks like a team built to win in the postseason, and the Phillies are just 12 games away from starting another attempt at a World Series run. The Phillies head out west for six games before returning home for a six-game home stand to close out the season.

    The Phillies currently sit as the two seed in the National League but are only two games behind the Milwaukee Brewers (91-59) as the one seed. If the Phillies could clinch home-field advantage throughout the entire playoffs, that would make me feel much better entering the postseason.

    Bader Leading Off

    Once the Phillies announced that Trea Turner was going on the IL, I was unsure who the Phillies would bat leadoff. In last week’s article, I discussed the potential for Stott or Bader to step into that role. In the first game, Rob Thomson went with Bryce Harper in the leadoff spot, which was questionable and rightfully so. In the next game, Rob put Bader at the leadoff spot, and it clicked. In his first game batting leadoff, Bader went 3/5 with a home run against his former team, the New York Mets. Thomson kept Bader in the leadoff spot for the remainder of the week, and boy, did it work. Bader had a great week and has had an even better start to his Phillies career. Bader has a .349 BA with a .940 OPS in 38 games played for the Phillies. Not only has he delivered offensively, but defensively, he’s been great as well. Bader has made some really impressive grabs in the outfield, and for the first time in a while, it feels like the Phillies have found their centerfielder.

    Dave Dombrowski did an incredible job this trade deadline, not only acquiring Harrison Bader but also Jhoan Duran, who has continued to pitch great for us as the closer. The Phillies added a legit CF and closer and now look like a team primed to make some noise in the postseason.

    Two Weeks Remain

    The Phillies kick off their final road trip of the season tonight, as they open up a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers (84-65), a team that’s fighting to clinch the NL West. This series could also be a potential playoff matchup. The Dodgers have had a down year compared to where everyone expected them to be. Injuries have hit them hard, and the pitching isn’t what they had hoped. The Phillies always seem to play well at Dodger Stadium, so wins in 2/3 games seem likely. They have an off day on Thursday before they play a three-game weekend series against the Arizona Diamondbacks (75-75).

    The Phillies need just one more win on the season to clinch the NL East, and I like their odds to do it tonight at 10:10 EST with Ranger Suarez on the mound.

    Weekly Predictions

    Not only do the Phillies win the NL East this week, but they also overtake the Milwaukee Brewers for the one seed in the National League.

    Tags: Aaron Nola Alec Bohm Brandon Marsh Bryce Harper Bryson Stott Harrison Bader J.T. Realmuto JT Realmuto Kyle Schwarber MLB New York Mets Nick Castellanos Philadelphia Philadelphia Phillies Phillies Ranger Suarez Trea Turner Zach Wheeler

    Categorized:Phillies

    Matt Saglembeni

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  • The New York Mets Come to Town in September Division Showdown for Phillies – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Credit: John Jones/Imagn Images

    The Phillies took 2/3 from the Milwaukee Brewers and Miami Marlins last week, helping them maintain a seven-game lead in the NL East.

    The New York Mets (76-67) come to town for a four-game series that can make or break their season.

    The Phillies have an opportunity to make up for what happened in New York just a few weeks ago and bury the Mets.

    The Final Sprint

    The Phillies enter Monday night with their magic number sitting at 13 and the Mets coming to town for a four-game series. To say this series is the most important so far this season is an understatement, especially after the Phillies were swept in New York just two weeks ago. Luckily, the Phillies won’t have to deal with the horrors or parabolic microphones that Citi Field brings. They will have to deal with being without their top hitter, Trea Turner, as he is currently undergoing MRI scans on his right hamstring after he left the game early Sunday. They are unsure how serious the strain is, but it’s not ideal for the Phillies to be without their leadoff hitter for the next few games and possibly even weeks.

    If Trea does end up on the IL, I am curious who Rob Thomson will end up batting leadoff. With the year Kyle Schwarber has had, I feel like you have to keep him at the second spot in the order. I wouldn’t mind seeing Bader or even Stott bat leadoff if Trea misses an extended amount of time.

    Revenge Time

    PHOTO: John Jones/Imagn Images

    As the Phillies enter this series against the Mets, I am feeling confident this team will win at least 2/4, if not 3/4, over the Mets at home. After getting swept on the road a few weeks ago, I would like to think this team has the firepower to get there get back in some way. This is a series where the Phillies need Bryce Harper to tap into some of that postseason energy and deliver some big hits. If Turner is out for this entire series, which is likely, the Phillies will need their big bats in Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper to show up. Schwarber was in the midst of a 0-17 stretch the last time he played the Mets, so I’m hopeful that won’t be happening again this series.

    I’m also looking for Alec Bohm and Harrison Bader to stay consistent as well. Bader has been a great addition to this team as he has made some great plays in centerfield while also coming up with some clutch hits.

    The Phillies will also need a better pitching performance from Aaron Nolan in game one compared to the last time he pitched. Nola has been shaky since returning from the IL, and without Zach Wheeler for the rest of the season, the Phillies desperately need Nola to get back on track. If Nola can have a solid start tonight, that would give both him and the Phillies a much-needed confidence boost heading down the stretch.

    Upcoming Week

    After the Phillies complete their four-game series against the Mets, they jump right into a weekend series matchup against the Kansas City Royals (73-70), a team that is also fighting for a playoff spot. This team is targeting a playoff spot in the American League.

    As of Monday, the Royals are two games back of the final wild card spot in the American League. The Phillies have a big week ahead with a chance to not only bury the Mets but take full control of the NL East with 19 games remaining.

    Weekly Prediction: Bryce Harper has one of those signature series where he crushes the ball and powers the Phillies to a series win against both the Mets and Royals.

    Tags: Aaron Nola Alec Bohm Bryce Harper Bryson Stott Harrison Bader J.T. Realmuto JT Realmuto Kansas City Royals Kyle Schwarber Mets MLB New York Mets Nick Castellanos NL NL East Philadelphia Philadelphia Phillies Phillies Ranger Suarez Rob Thomson Royals Trea Turner Zach Wheeler

    Categorized:News Phillies

    Matt Saglembeni

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  • Phillies Weekly Recap: Phillies Maintain Six Game Lead Despite Being Swept By Mets – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    The Phillies got swept by the New York Mets to start the week, shrinking their division lead to four games. After the weekend, the Phillies had taken 3/4 from the Atlanta Braves while the Mets lost 3/4 to the Miami Marlins. With that, the Phillies’ lead went back to six games as we enter the final month of the season.

    September Starts Now

    As the calendar turns over to September, the Phillies lead the NL East by six games, which is something they would’ve loved if they heard that in April. However, the last series at Citi Field proved that playing the Mets on the road is the worst thing that could happen to the Phillies come October. The Phillies have lost 10 straight games at Citi Field, and this past series was no different. The Phillies got absolutely dominated. To put it frankly, the Phillies showed absolutely no fight against the Mets. Something that I will touch on later. However, that debacle of a series went down the drain after they returned home and took 3/4 from the Atlanta Braves. Starting the series off with a four-homer game from Kyle Schwarber, the fourth in franchise history. Thanks to our friends down in Miami, the Marlins took 3/4 from the Mets, bringing the lead back to six games.

    That brings us to today. A six-game lead with 25 games to play in the season. Four of those 25 are against the New York Mets, but this time at home. If the Phillies can take 3/4 from the Mets during that series while maintaining this current lead, they could bury the Mets that series. If that’s the case, this team is going to have to put up way more of a fight than last time.

    Lack of Urgency

    This is something I have avoided all year because I don’t want to doubt Rob Thomson, but with the season coming down the stretch, my biggest concerns are the offense disappearing and Rob Thomson. Last Tuesday, while the Phillies were getting mopped up by the Mets, the umpiring was questionable (as it was the whole series). I was waiting and waiting for Rob Thomson to explode and give his team some kind of juice. Instead, he just sat in the dugout. The night before, he put Jordan Romano in a close game, then immediately gave up four runs. No spark, no flare, not much of anything. A series against a division rival, and the team looked flat. It reminded me of the days of Charlie Manuel. I’m watching, thinking Charlie would’ve lost his mind by now. I’m not even in the dugout, and I can tell this team is flat. Isn’t it part of a manager’s job to motivate their guys when needed?

    Ever since Rob Thomson put Craig Kimbrel back into that Diamondbacks series two seasons ago, I have questioned his bullpen decisions in big-time games over and over again. A clear example of this is putting Orion Kerkering in (a guy who has struggled inheriting runners on base) in a BASES LOADED jam against the Mets. What do you think happened? He gave up runs. For someone who claims to be so analytical, I truly question Thomson’s managerial feel for a game. Yes, baseball is a numbers game, but you also have to go with your instinctive feeling. The fact that we kept trotting out Jordan Romano and his 8 ERA is beyond me. Then, for the organization to cut Joe Ross and not Romano is questionable to me as well. If Romano is on the postseason roster, that tells me everything I need to know about this team. Time and time again, it feels like Rob presses the wrong button, and one wrong push might cost him his job this offseason.

    Now, yes, they turned the page and beat the Atlanta Braves, but is that something we really should be happy about? Beating down on a team that is 62-75. They did what they should have done. I’m not calling for Thomson’s job, but if this team loses in a fashion in which the offense disappears and Thomson mismanages the bullpen (again), I think the conversations are going to get really loud about whether Rob is the guy. This core is not getting any younger, and at some point, you have to explore other options. He’s a player’s manager, but sometimes this city needs a little tough love. I’ve yet to see any spark from any player this year outside of Turner and Schwarber.

    Even Harper has been inconsistent lately. Oh, and can we please cut it out with this “Rivalry” series equipment? Here we are entering the final stretch of the season, and our superstar is worried about his batting gloves and cleats matching the color of our division rivals. Guess what, the Phillies are 0-2 in those games. It doesn’t work.

    New Addition

    Hopefully, that spark is coming soon since the Phillies announced yesterday the signing of Walker Buehler, a right-handed pitcher who was let go from the Red Sox last week. Buehler is a former World Champion with the Los Angeles Dodgers and provides the attitude this Phillies team desperately needs. Buehler offers playoff experience along with a guy you can trust in a big game in big moments. I think this signing is going to be a very beneficial one for the Phillies come playoff time. With Zach Wheeler done for the year, the only righties we have are Aaron Nola and Taijuan Walker. Buehler provides depth at that right-handed pitcher position and can start games but also come out of the bullpen.

    Upcoming Week

    The Phillies have a big week ahead, starting with a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers (85-53). They play Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday in Milwaukee with an off day mixed in on Tuesday. A huge three-game series with the top two teams in the NL based on record. The Phillies are currently 5.5 games back of the Brewers for the top spot in the NL. After the Brewers, the Phillies head to Miami to take on the Marlins (65-72) in a three-game series.

    It would be massive if the Phillies could win 5/6 on the week. Especially if they can take at least 2/3 from the Brewers, a team that swept them at home earlier this season.

    Weekly Predictions

    The Phillies’ offense gets back into a consistent groove after a week of inconsistency.

    Tags: Aaron Nola Alec Bohm Brandon Marsh Bryce Harper Harrison Bader Jordan Romano Kyle Schwarber MLB Philadelphia Philadelphia Phillies Phillies Playoffs Rob Thompson Trea Turner Zach Wheeler

    Categorized:Phillies

    Matt Saglembeni

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  • Phillies Weekly Recap: Zach Wheeler Out 6-8 Months, Phillies Prepare For NL East Showdown – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    May 23, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) throws a pitch in the second inning against the Boston Red Sox at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

    On Saturday, the Phillies announced that Zach Wheeler would be missing the remainder of the season with venous thoracic outlet syndrome, an injury that requires surgery and has a timetable of 6-8 months for a full recovery. The good news, Wheeler had the blood clot successfully removed. The bad news, the Phillies need to find a way to replace their Cy Young caliber ace for the final stretch of the season and into the playoffs.

    Win It For Wheeler

    No MLB team ever wants to lose its ace, especially a team that has World Series aspirations. For the Phillies, this situation is a new one. Since Wheeler signed with the Phillies, he has been a staple of the rotation, especially in the playoffs. Over the last three years, Wheeler has been great in the playoffs and was the best thing we had to ensure a win in a series. You knew if Wheeler was taking the mound, the Phillies had a decent chance to win the game. Now, with Wheeler gone for the season, it’s going to be extremely hard to replace an arm like his. Luckily for the Phillies, they have three arms I would trust in a playoff series, which is more than a lot of other teams have.

    With Wheeler being gone, I could see the Phillies rolling out a staff of Christopher Sanchez, Ranger Suarez, and Aaron Nola for a playoff series. Getting a first-round bye is massive for this team, as the National League gets the extra day off in between games this year (the leagues alternate each year). With that extra day, the Phillies will only need three arms for the NLDS. Game one starter is easily Christopher Sanchez, with game two belonging to either Ranger Suarez or Aaron Nola. If Rob wants back-to-back lefties, he will go with Ranger. If he wants to mix a righty in there, he will go with Nola. Despite his injuries and inconsistency, I trust Nola to show up and perform in the postseason. Like Wheeler, he has pitched well in the playoffs, and let’s not forget he was our ace at one point. My stance may change by season’s end, but I wouldn’t mind if Nola got the ball in a game two scenario.

    Ranger Suarez is cool, calm, and collected every time he steps on the mound, no matter the game. Having him pitch in a game two or three is not a terrible situation to be in. The Phillies are very fortunate this year to have a plethora of starting pitching, and if the offense can pick up the pitching, this team can still make noise in the postseason. If Suarez can close out an NLCS to send us to the World Series circa 2023, I would absolutely trust him starting a playoff game for us. He has found his groove in his last two starts, striking out 10+ in both. If that’s the Ranger, the Phillies get in the postseason, I will feel extremely confident this team could win a series even without Zach Wheeler.

    Offense Steps Up

    Losing your ace means you’re going to need more contributions from key players on offense. JT Realmuto has been on fire since June, leading all catchers in batting average since then. Bryce Harper has been swinging a hot bat, and Bryson Stott has been thriving in the nine hole. Rob Thompson moved Stott to 9th in the order a few weeks ago, and I have loved it ever since. Not only is Stott hitting more, but Trea Turner has been great since having Stott before the order turns around to him. Turner is hitting .300 and is the current NL leader in hits with 160. On top of Turner playing great defense this year, he is having his best season as a Phillie so far.

    Kyle Schwarber had a down weekend against the Nationals, but still has 45 homers and 109 RBI. He is second in home runs in baseball and leads the majors in RBI. Schwarber has been elite this year, and the Phillies will need his offense to remain consistent as we head down the stretch.

    Upcoming Week

    The Phillies have a massive week coming up, starting tonight against the divisional rival New York Mets (69-61). The Phillies are currently 7 games up on the Mets as we enter play this evening. The Phillies have an opportunity to bury the Mets this week if they can take 2/3 or even sweep them. It’s the biggest series of the season for this team, right off the heels of the Zach Wheeler news. I would like to think this Phillies team has the toughness and resilience to take at least 2/3 from the team that ended their season last year. It’s also ironic that it’s against Wheeler’s former team. After a three-game series against the Mets, the Phillies head back home for a four-game series against the Atlanta Braves (59-71). Another division rival that will be gunning for the Phillies despite being 10 games out of a playoff spot. The Braves would love to play spoiler and take some games from the Phillies.

    This Philadelphia Phillies team enters the biggest week of the season without its ace. It’s time to see what this team is made of and how battle-tested this team truly is. If the Phillies could take 5/7 games overall, it would be an extremely successful week.

    Prediction of the week: Who else picks up this team other than Bryce Harper? Harper and Schwarber power the Phillies this week, both clubbing 3 home runs apiece. A big week means I get to predict big.

    Tags: Aaron Nola Alec Bohm Bryce Harper Bryson Stott Jhoan Duran JT Realmuto Kyle Schwarber Max Kepler MLB New York Mets Nick Castellanos NL East Philadelphia Phillies Phillies Ranger Suarez Trea Turner Zach Wheeler

    Categorized:Phillies

    Matt Saglembeni

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  • J.T. Realmuto is scorching hot, giving Phils long-awaited cleanup hitter

    If they only had a legit cleanup hitter, imagine what the Phillies could do?

    That was basically the biggest question about the Phillies’ offense for much of the season, as a lineup that routinely started with Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper – each with on base percentages above .350 – labored through long stretches of being ineffectual, often lending little support to a pitching rotation that ranks among MLB’s best.

    The scariest thought was the Phillies in the postseason and Harper routinely drawing intentional walks as pitchers worked around the top three to face the struggling back six.

    But the Phillies appear to have finally found the right man to protect Harper from the four hole, as J.T. Realmuto’s hot streak that actually started in June has really picked up into July and August.

    At this point, he’s scorching, and not surprisingly, the Phillies’ offense has been among MLB’s best since the All-Star break. The Phillies have scored MLB’s fourth-most runs since the break going into Saturday’s action, second-most in the National League. 

    Realmuto, who clubbed his third homer in the past four games Friday in a 5-4 loss to the Nationals, is showcasing his rediscovered power stoke at an ideal time, as Bryson Stott has also heated up this month (.365 batting average in August) and as Brandon Marsh continues to rebound from his disastrous April in his platoon role.

    “I would say this year, this is definitely the best I’ve felt seeing the ball for sure,” Realmuto told reporters after Friday’s game, when his go-ahead homer in the seventh inning was spoiled by Jhoan Duran’s first blown save as a Phillie. “I just feel like I’m getting my good swing off more often than not.”

    How hot has Realmuto been?

    Entering Saturday’s game against the Nationals, Realmuto is on a six-game hitting streak with 10 hits in that stretch. He’s raised his batting average 10 points in the span, up to .279. Only Trea Turner and Alec Bohm have a higher season-long batting average among Phillies hitters.

    In the past seven days, Realmuto has the second-highest batting average, second-highest on-base percentage, best slugging percentage, most homers, and fourth-most RBIs in the team’s batting order. His slugging percentage is a ridiculous 1.000, with 19 total bases in 19 at-bats.

    Here’s how Realmuto compares to other Phillies batters over the past seven days:

    PLAYER BA OBP SLG HR RBI
    J.T. Realmuto .474 .525 1.000 3 5
    Kyle Schwarber .280 .367 .560 2 8
    Bryce Harper .333 .414 .583 2 7
    Trea Turner .552 .581 .793 1 8
    Nick Castellanos .412 .444 .706 1 1
    Max Kepler .313 .313 .564 1 2

    Realmuto, of course, is in the last year of the five-year, $115.5 million deal he signed in 2021 after the Phillies let him first test the free-agent waters. It’s not uncommon to see players have breakout seasons in contract years, but Realmuto’s surge comes after he played just 99 games last season thanks to a midseason knee surgery and slashed just .266/.322/.429, causing concerns that he was no longer one of the game’s top dual-threat catchers as an offensive weapon and defensive stalwart.

    Realmuto really struggled to start 2025, batting just .237 in March/April, followed by .205 in May. On the last day of May, Realmuto was slashing just .222/.293/361 and had just four homers and 21 RBIs.

    Now, he’s up to .279/.333/.415 with 10 homers and 44 RBIs – maybe not the kind of prototypical cleanup hitters stats, but perfectly fine given the production the Phils are getting from the first three batters in their order, and helped by some recent surges from Max Kepler, Marsh and Stott.

    Arguably the most important part of Realmuto’s second-half emergence is that he’s giving the Phils protection for Harper as a right-handed batter that they weren’t getting from Bohm or Nick Castellanos, and he’s been one of their best hitters against right-handed pitching, which will be critical in the postseason.

    Here’s a look at Realmuto in the cleanup spot compared to Castellanos and Bohm:

    PLAYER SLASH LINE HR RBI
    J.T. Realmuto .299/.365/.481 3 7
    Alec Bohm .197/.266/.324 3 9
    Nick Castellanos .237/.279/.381 5 27

    Castellanos has more RBI but also has 194 at-bats from the four hole, while Realmuto and Bohm each have fewer than 80.

    Here’s how they compare against right-handed pitching:

    PLAYER SLASH LINE HR RBI
    J.T. Realmuto .304/.362/.444 8 35
    Alec Bohm .283/.328/.380 11 40
    Nick Castellanos .259/.293/.413 5 31

    Again, Castellanos has more at-bats than Realmuto and Bohm, but Realmuto’s slash line is far superior, and exactly what the Phillies need now and gong into the postseason.

    The only question is: Can he keep this up?

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    Geoff Mosher

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  • Phillies Weekly Recap: Phillies Maintain NL East Lead, Zach Wheeler Placed On IL – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    The Phillies went 6-4 over their longest road trip of the season, maintaining a 5-game lead in the NL East. As Aaron Nola returned from the IL, Zach Wheeler went on the IL, with an upper extremity blood clot in his right shoulder. Wheeler currently has no timetable for a return.

    Happy To Be Home

    Despite having a winning record on the road trip, the Phillies’ offense struggled at times, and the pitching rotation took a massive hit with Zach Wheeler heading to the IL. The Phillies started this road trip last weekend in Texas against the Rangers, taking 2/3 in Texas. They lost 2/3 in Cincinnati to the Reds, a team fighting for the final Wild Card spot. They closed out their longest road trip of the season with four games in Washington, splitting the series 2/2 with the Nationals. While they head back home with a winning record on the trip, nothing can make up for the loss of Zach Wheeler.

    It was announced Saturday night that the Phillies would be placing Zach Wheeler on the IL with an upper extremity blood clot in his right shoulder. The Phillies have no timetable for his return at the moment, as he will be getting more testing done on his shoulder throughout the week. The Phillies losing their ace down the stretch is brutal, and with no timetable for his return, who knows if he will even pitch again this season. Blood clots are a serious issue, and I can see the Phillies being over-cautious with Wheeler. My best-case scenario is that he comes back with a week or two left in the season to get a start or two under his belt before the playoffs. The worst case is we don’t see him till next spring training. It’s going to be a very interesting next few days as more news is expected to come on Zach Wheeler’s health.

    Closing Out August

    As we enter the final two weeks of August, the race to the postseason is heating up. The Phillies currently hold a 5-game lead over the New York Mets for the top spot in the division. To close out August, the Phillies have a three-game series against the Mariners this upcoming week and then three series in a row against NL East competition. The Nationals come to town this weekend before the Phillies close the month out with a three-game series against the Mets and a four-game series against the Atlanta Braves. These next two weeks will be crucial for the Phillies as they try to set themselves up for back-to-back NL East titles. They have a chance to bury the Mets and take away any last hope the Braves have of making the postseason.

    The offense needs to get it going, and following an 11-run outburst in the final game of the Nationals series, I would hope the offense is starting to find its groove again. Getting Alec Bohm in the lineup is huge, and he showed that Sunday with a homer in his first game back. If the offense can put up 5-7 runs a game down the stretch, the Phillies should be able to use their top-tier bullpen to close out games.

    Speaking of the bullpen, reliever Jose Alvarado is expected to return from suspension this week, which will give the Phillies another hard-throwing lefty out of the bullpen. The Phillies also avoided disaster after newly acquired closer Jhoan Duran took a line drive off the foot Friday night. He was carted off the field as the city of Philadelphia held its breath. They were able to exhale on Sunday after Duran came in and earned a save against the Nationals.

    Upcoming Week

    The Phillies welcome the Seattle Mariners (68-57) to town for a three-game series against a team that’s also fighting for a division. The Mariners are 1.5 games back of the Houston Astros for first place in the NL West. The Phillies have an off day on Thursday, followed by a three-game series against the Nationals in Philadelphia. If the Phillies can finish the week winning 4/6 games, I will be happy.

    Weekly Prediction

    Alec Bohm hits a pair of homers during this homestand, and Christopher Sanchez shines in his first start since the Zach Wheeler news.

    Tags: Aaron Nola Alec Bohm Bryce Harper Bryson Stott Christopher Sanchez Harrison Bader Jhoan Duran Jose Alvarado Kyle Schwarber Matt Strahm Nick Castellanos Philadelphia Philadelphia Phillies Phillies Trea Turner Zach Wheeler

    Categorized:Phillies

    Matt Saglembeni

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  • Has Alec Bohm Played His Last Game in Philadelphia? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Has Alec Bohm Played His Last Game in Philadelphia? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    PHOTO: Wendell Cruz/Imagn Images

    As the leaves begin to fade and then fall with autumn’s passing, so do the feelings begin to subside. For a few weeks, it was too much to even think about the Philadelphia Phillies and, much less write about them.
    The pain of their recent collapse, a 3-1 drubbing from the then-ascendant New York Mets in the NLDS, was blinding.

    Time allows for perspective, however. It lets us look back with a clearer view on what went wrong and what the Phillies, as disturbingly talented a roster they have, might need to adjust moving forward. What failed the Phillies, as it inevitably does with nearly every team that loses in the postseason, was their offense.

    Yes, the bullpen’s atrocious 11.37 ERA allowed the Mets to pile on in later innings, effectively putting games out of reach. But it was their offense, the same lineup that had powered them to a 114-win place on June 8, that let them down this October.

    In four games against the Mets, the offense mustered just 12 runs.

    The team posted a horrific .186 batting average with a .597 OPS, striking out 38 times while walking just 16. They flailed at pitches out of the zone just as often as belt-high fastballs dominated them. In the deciding Game 4 loss, Mets’ starter Jose Quintana threw 90 pitches over five innings while allowing only one unearned run and striking out six. Only 48 of those 90 pitches–approximately 53%–were thrown for strikes. There remain many questions surrounding the offense.

    How do they avoid the postseason collapse like they did in the last two years? Is there a personnel change that needs to be made, or should there be just a difference in approach?

    One of the biggest question marks leading out of the NLDS is the future of Phillies third-baseman Alec Bohm. The former number three overall pick, Bohm, was an All-Star in 2024, yet struggled mightily in the second half, posting a meager .299 OBP. Things worsened after suffering a left-hand strain on August 29–he hit just .150 after the injury and went just three for his final 40 at-bats, including a 1-for-13 performance in the NLDS, which saw him get benched for Edmundo Sosa in Game 2.

    While Bohm (like much of the rest of the lineup) hit abysmally in the NLDS, his postseason performance is not the reason why he remains a question mark. It’s who he is as a player. At 28, Bohm is entering the second to last year of his contract — but he may have already played his last game as a Phillie. The Phillies’ holes in their roster are clear: they need to fill left and center field with strong, everyday players. Alec Bohm may be the piece that gets them there.

    The issue with Bohm is not one of offensive productivity. At this point, his game is likely his game: a contact-centric RBI machine (he’s driven in 97 in each of the last two years) who sprays the ball all over the field and displays true gap-to-gap power. Last season, he hit a career-high 44 doubles. He has not–and perhaps never will–become the 25-30 home run threat that his 6’5 frame projects him to be. He is, however, an incredible offensive asset, especially when not relied upon to be one of the top three power threats in the lineup.

    The issue with Bohm is that he may not have a home in Philadelphia when he hits free agency following the 2026 season. 

    Oct 9, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman (3) and third baseman Alec Bohm (28) during game four of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
    Oct 9, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman (3) and third baseman Alec Bohm (28) during game four of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images PHOTO: Wendell Cruz/Imagn Images

    While Bohm is an incredible asset to the offense and a homegrown talent, there have been concerns about his long-term viability at third base. At 6’5, Bohm is an outlier, and not in a good way–while lanky, there have been few players of that height who have stuck around the long-term at the hot corner. His height and a history of poor defensive performance make him a natural fit at first base. The only thing is that superstar Bryce Harper–a gold glove candidate at the position in his first year–will likely call first home for the rest of his tenure in Philadelphia.

    To his credit, Bohm has made vast improvements at third base. In 2024, he was ranked eighth on Baseball Savant’s Fielding Run-Value leaderboard and posted 3 Outs Above Average–an improvement from just an OAA of just 1 in 2023 and a far cry from 2022’s -9. So, while Bohm will likely never win a Gold Glove, he has crafted himself into a league-average defender.

    So why is Bohm a question mark? Well, there are a couple of things to be considered. The first is, do the Phillies want to make Bohm their permanent long-term third baseman after 2026?

    Is he worth the $100-plus million contract he will likely receive?

    I’m not so sure, and based on how the Phillies have treated him during his tenure, I’m not sure they are either.

    The second and perhaps most glaring is Bohm’s management of his mental state throughout the season. He is, to put it lightly, hot-headed. There is no one in the clubhouse who reacts as poorly to a strikeout or an error as Bohm. More significantly, his frustrations bleed into his on-field performance. Amid his worst stretch as a Phillie, he constantly had semi-public meltdowns in the dugout. In Game 4 of the NLDS, he made multiple defensive miscues amidst blow-up after blow-up. In 2022, his defensive struggles were largely mental, as he made error after error on routine plays. Again, talent has never been the question for Bohm. But his ability to harness it and manage his emotions throughout the six-month grind of the regular season is.

    The last piece of the puzzle has less to do with Bohm as a fit and more to do with his potential trade value. While the Phillies haven’t soured on Bohm, his benching in Game 2 and consistent poor body language in the midst of his struggles bring concern over his status in the organization. Playing in Philadelphia, heck, being the number three overall pick, comes with a unique type of pressure, one that we’ve seen Bohm struggle with throughout his career. He’s risen above it and sunk below that pressure–and he likely will again and again. It’s just how he’s wired. He’s a selfless teammate but also his biggest critic, visibly battling his inner demons throughout each year. Bohm, for long stretches, does not appear to be happy.

    This isn’t an indictment on Bohm as a person or a player. It’s an observation from a true fan of his, from a writer who has watched every single game of his Major League career.

    It’s why when you love something, sometimes you have to let it go. Alec Bohm is an incredible talent, deserving of his high draft slot and a rare achievement of the Phillies amateur scouting system.
    He is also a player who may benefit from a change in scenery, may not have a long-term future with the current structure of the team, and could command the type of piece the Phillies need this off-season. 

    PHOTO: Wendell Cruz/Imagn Images

    Dylan Campbell

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  • Phillies quick hits: Zack Wheeler dominates, but poor offense leads to series loss vs. Brewers

    Phillies quick hits: Zack Wheeler dominates, but poor offense leads to series loss vs. Brewers

    After a thrilling series victory over the New York Mets that included two comeback victories and plenty of unsung heroes, the Phillies headed to Milwaukee for a critical three-game set against the first-place Brewers in hopes of nearing a division crown and solidifying their chances of earning a first-round bye in October.

    In the series opener on Monday, some shaky Phillies pitching combined with scarce offensive production resulted in a 6-2 loss, but they rebounded with a decisive 5-1 victory on Tuesday before falling in Wednesday’s series finale, 2-1, after a brutal offensive showing led to a Brewers walk-off hit.

    Here is what stood out from this series between two teams preparing for October baseball:

    Ranger Suárez shows slight progress and avoids injury scare, but Phillies drop series opener

    Monday’s start was a major one for Suárez, who since returning from his second injured list stint of the season had yet to pair sharp stuff and his typical velocity with precise command. Suárez dazzled early, but eventually ran into some trouble, allowing a trio of runs over five innings of work.

    In Suárez’s first 15 starts of the season, he looked like as strong of a contender for the NL Cy Young Award as any other pitcher. He posted a 1.75 ERA across 92.1 innings pitched during that span. In 10 starts since, Suárez’s ERA is 5.61 with opposing hitters batting .305 against the Phillies’ southpaw.

    On the bright side, Suárez was able to shake off a brief injury scare on a play when he stumbled off the pitcher’s mound in the fourth inning and landed on his wrist and then notch an inning-ending strikeout, before coming out and throwing another clean inning to wrap up his day. He also topped 100 pitches for the first time since May.

    Suárez was not bad against the Brewers, but with only two starts left for him to make before October, it is hard to imagine the Phillies having the same level of trust in him that they have in the last two postseasons, in which he has been excellent as both a starter and reliever. At this point, he seems destined for a fourth starter role in October with a decent chance of sporadic relief opportunities.

    Zack Wheeler dominates with fastball in victory Tuesday night

    Wheeler, on the other hand, has earned more trust than any starting pitcher in baseball. What he does every fifth day is entirely predictable, yet oftentimes jaw-dropping. Wheeler made his 30th start of 2024 on Tuesday night, and for the 25th time this season, he allowed two or fewer earned runs. His line — seven innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts, while only allowing four hits and not walking a single batter — was impressive. But how he did it was even more terrifying for opposing hitters: power, power and more power.

    Of Wheeler’s 99 pitches, 76 were either four-seam fastballs or sinkers, according to Baseball Savant. To take complete ownership of a first-place club’s lineup to the degree he did with just heaters is a massive testament to the ride and accuracy he has on those pitches.

    What makes this so ominous for the lineups that will face Wheeler moving forward is that his secondary pitches are also elite. Wheeler already had an excellent cutter, sweeper and cutter, then began throwing an extremely effective splitter this season just to show hitters another look.

    In a day and age where pitchers are often encouraged to dial up their best stuff in shorter starts, Wheeler is able to pitch deep into games on a consistent basis thanks to nights like Tuesday. He can go through an entire order throwing just one pitch, then show all of the hitters new looks as the game goes on.

    Exactly 193 batters have faced Wheeler three times exactly over the course of a game; those hitters are slashing a combined .184/.259/.339 in their third plate appearances against Wheeler. That level of success late in games is preposterous.

    Wheeler has a 2.56 ERA over 186.2 innings pitched in 2024, and he just keeps on getting better. There is no pitcher in the sport the Phillies would rather have on the mound for their first ballgame in October, and they should feel that way. The pitcher Wheeler has become since arriving in Philadelphia is nothing short of phenomenal.

    At the plate, the most noteworthy swing came from Bryce Harper, who thought he had hit a routine fly ball before watching the ball sail over the wall in left-center field for a go-ahead, two-run shot in the sixth inning.

    Harper just might be finding his peak form right before October, a delightful development for the Phillies.

    Aaron Nola settles back in, but Phillies offense fails to do enough in loss Wednesday

    Nola was on the mound for the Phillies in Wednesday’s series finale, and he took the ball very much in need of a quality outing after a pair of disastrous starts. Nola failed to escape the fifth inning in either of his last two appearances, allowing 10 earned runs and 15 hits across starts against the Marlins and Mets.

    In a big start, Nola was terrific. He tossed seven innings, only allowing one run on three hits. He struck out nine batters and only walked one, throwing 97 pitches (61 strikes), lowering his season-long ERA to 3.54 in the process.

    The Phillies got on the board first in this one thanks to Alec Bohm’s first home run since returning to the active roster on Sunday. Bohm went down to get a slider and smoked it to deep left-center for a solo shot in the second inning:

    If Bohm can put together a string of quality performances and Nick Castellanos continues to struggle, Phillies manager Rob Thomson could consider moving Bohm back up to the clean-up spot with Castellanos sliding down to the five-hole. Thomson said that Bohm was hitting fifth upon returning because he wanted to keep Castellanos in a spot where he was swinging the bat well, but Castellanos has been slumping for just about the entirety of his time batting fourth.

    The only run Nola did surrender, though, came on a solo homer from old friend Rhys Hoskins. Across six games between the Phillies and Brewers this season, Milwaukee hit two home runs: one from Hoskins against Wheeler in his first game back in Philadelphia, and his blast against Nola on Wednesday night.

    With the Phillies’ offense struggling and Nola dominating, Hoskins’ solo shot was enough to keep the game tied, 1-1, headed into bottom of the ninth inning. Phillies closer Carlos Estévez entered the game, and the first batter he faced was the phenomenal 20-year-old rookie Jackson Chourio, who laced a triple to the right field corner. A few batters later, Brewers designated hitter Jake Bauers smoked a walk-off hit to give Milwaukee a series victory.

    Up next: The Phillies will now head to New York for four pivotal contests against the Mets, with the ability to clinch a first-place finish in National League East for the first time since 2011 if they win two games in Queens. The Mets have plenty to play for, too, as they look to outlast the Atlanta Braves for a Wild Card spot.

    Taijuan Walker will return to the starting rotation for Thursday’s series opener, and he will be followed by Cristopher Sánchez on Friday, with Suárez and Wheeler set to start over the weekend.

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • The Panic Button is Becoming a Reality for the Phillies – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    The Panic Button is Becoming a Reality for the Phillies – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    The Philadelphia Phillies have the second-best record in baseball behind the Cleveland Guardians, but it could almost be time to press the panic button.

    The Phillies have been one of the top teams all season and held the best record in the MLB for quite some time. Rob Thomson’s team hasn’t been playing good baseball recently.

    The Phillies have lost five straight series going back to before the All-Star break. They’ve lost 11 of their last 15 games.

    Fans are Getting Ready to Press the Panic Button

    The Phillies are losing a lot of games. They’re not just losing games; they’re losing games in sloppy and underperforming ways.

    The big-money players have not been producing in this 15-game stretch. Bryce Harper is batting .153 with four home runs, Trea Turner is batting .203 with four home runs, J.T. Realmuto is batting .231 with no home runs or RBI, and Kyle Schwarber is batting .220 with three home runs. Nick Castellanos is the only one playing well right now, with a .276 batting average, three home runs, and 14 RBI. All-Star Alec Bohm, who was at the top of the league in RBI, only has three in this stretch of games. He now ranks No. 9 in the MLB and No. 3 in the National League in that category.

    Not only are the players not producing at the plate, but the pitching has been inconsistent as of late. The Phillies had five pitchers selected for the 2024 All-Star game because of how dominant the group was leading up to it. Prior to the All-Star break, their team ERA was 3.41, which ranked No. 2 in the MLB, only behind the Atlanta Braves, which had a 3.40 ERA. The team ERA has sat at 4.68 since the break, ranking No. 23 in the MLB in that span.

    The Phillies have 54 games left in the 2024 season. They sit 6.5 games ahead of the Braves in the NL East. The Phillies are in a good position and have a really good team. The players need to step up and get back to playing clean, winning baseball.

    If this losing trend continues, it’ll be hard not to press the panic button heading into the playoffs.

    PHOTO: —

    Mike Hennelly

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  • Is Kody Clemens Here to Stay for the Phillies? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Is Kody Clemens Here to Stay for the Phillies? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    If you haven’t heard, Roger Clemens’ son has been playing a key role for the Phillies since Trea Turner was placed on the Injured List.
    The son of the 11-time All-Star and 7-time Cy Young award winner is on a pretty nice heater right now and is making a name for himself independently of his father.

    In 10 games this season with the Phillies, Kody Clemens is batting over .300, slugging .826, and has an OPS of 1.159, all while providing some flexibility all over the infield. Clemens’ highlight of the season and perhaps his career came last night when he hit a game-tying home run against the Nationals with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Phillies would go on to win the game in the 10th on a sacrifice fly by Bryce Harper, something that would’ve never happened if Clemens didn’t bat in the ninth.

    The 28-year-old utility man came over in the Gregory Soto deal going into 2023 and has floated between Triple-A and the majors with the Tigers and now with the Phillies. Clemens came very close to making the Opening Day roster this year after a hot spring training but ultimately was sent down late in the Spring.

    Clemens seems like he could be a nice spark off the bench if a situation presents itself late in games.

    After Saturday night’s heroics, he is almost certainly gaining popularity among the fan base, but Turner is not going to be out forever.

    Clemens has a spot on the team right now because Edmundo Sosa has gotten the bulk of the time at shortstop after Turner went on the IL.

    The lefty is basically filling the utility infield spot that was Sosa’s.

    It’s going to be interesting to see what the Phillies decide to do when Turner returns, but what Clemens is doing should absolutely not be overlooked.

    PHOTO: —

    Evan Carroll

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  • By the numbers: Alec Bohm is hitting like the best in baseball

    By the numbers: Alec Bohm is hitting like the best in baseball

    Alec Bohm went for 1-for-2 with an early run driven in on a bases-loaded hit by pitch in Saturday night’s rain-soaked blowout of the visiting San Francisco Giants. 

    He was pulled in the third for Whit Merrifield out of an injury precaution that neither he nor the Phillies seemed all too concerned about afterward, but nevertheless, the homegrown third baseman’s scorching start to the season continued on. 

    On a club that isn’t left wanting for star power between Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber, and Trea Turner (though Turner will be out for a bit now), it’s been Bohm who has not only been the Phillies’ best bat, but flat out one of the best in baseball in the early part of the season. 

    And numbers racked up so far put together quite an impressive picture. Here’s a quick rundown of them…

    17

    With his second-inning single into left Saturday night, Bohm extended his hit streak to 17 games, matching the one that second baseman Bryson Stott jumped out to from the start of last season. 

    Bohm’s complete line during his streak, which started on April 16: a .477 batting average with a 1.283 OPS, 3 home runs, 10 doubles, 22 RBIs, 5 walks, and only 8 strikeouts and 2 double plays grounded into across 72 plate appearances. Moreover…

    9

    The number of multi-hit games Bohm has had during his hitting streak, which included a 4-for-4 night in a 7-4 loss at Cincinnati on April 24 and his two-homer, six-RBI game in a 7-0 thrashing of the White Sox at home on April 19. 

    .364

    Bohm’s batting average on the year so far, which leads the majors over the Dodgers’ Mookie Betts in second (.360) and Cleveland’s Steven Kwan in third (.353).

    32

    Bohm’s RBI count so far, which is also in the major-league lead in a tie with Atlanta’s Marcell Ozuna as of Sunday afternoon. Now, runs batted in can be a finicky stat, but when it comes to the Phillies specifically, producing with runners on has been a strange weakness for the club at numerous points going back the past several years. So that Bohm can step up and make those situations count in the (still) early going is a good sign for a group that runs heavily through its offense. 

    .457

    Bohm’s batting average with runners in scoring position, a much more telling number, along with…

    1.278

    His OPS with runners in scoring position, the sum of a .535 on-base percentage and a .743 slugging percentage. 

    Situationally…

    1.515

    Bohm’s OPS with runners in scoring position and two outs. In 23 plate appearances under this scenario, he’s slashing .500/.565/.950 with two homers, three doubles, 10 total hits, and 18 runs driven in. 

    21

    Bohm’s strikeouts on the season, which are the third-fewest among the regular Phillies lineup behind Stott (17) and Johan Rojas (15). Bohm struck out only 94 times in 2023, but that was another touchy stat since it could be countered with a less-than-stellar walk rate and debate over his quality of contact.

    He’s kept the Ks to a minimum as his offensive output has spiked though, which leads into…

    15.2%

    Bohm’s strikeout percentage through 2024 so far – currently a career low, and…

    10.9%

    His walk rate through 2024 so far – currently a career high. 

    Last…

    14-3

    The Phillies’ record throughout Bohm’s hit streak, which you can debate the quality of opponents during that stretch, sure. But take the wins however they come over a 162-game schedule. You need every last one you can get when you’re chasing after the division title, and right now it’s all helped the Phils to an, as-of-Sunday, MLB-best 23-11 record. 

    Stat credits: Baseball-Reference, FanGraphs, Baseball Savant

    Archive: The case for five first-time Phillies All-Stars in 2024

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    Nick Tricome

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  • 5 awards from the Phillies’ sweep of the White Sox

    5 awards from the Phillies’ sweep of the White Sox

    If your offense is struggling, a series against the Chicago White Sox is the perfect remedy. Over the weekend in South Philadelphia, the Phillies swept the Sox, improving their record to 14-8 as they’ve won their sixth-straight game. Watching the standings in April is certainly premature, but, hey, the Phillies are currently a Wild Card team in the National League. They’re right where they need to be.

    Here are my five awards from the series, highlighting everything from Alec Bohm to the iconic Phillie Phanatic…

    The “Twice As Nice” Award: Alec Bohm ✌️

    In Friday’s Phillies victory, Alec Bohm smacked a three-run home run in the first inning:

    Two innings later, he hit another three-run homer:

    Bohm showcased some true power there, going opposite field on the first blast and then driving his second home to deep left center. He could be on his way to replicating the 20-homer, 97-RBI campaign he posted in 2023.

    The “Almost No-Hitter” Award: Spencer Turnbull and Zack Wheeler ❌

    How about this Phillies rotation right now? Spencer Turnbull is only getting starts due to other pitching injuries, but he has a 1.23 ERA across four starts so far in 2024. In Friday night’s 7-0 win, Turnbull pitched 6.1 innings before allowing his first hit of the night. He finished out the inning for an evening of seven scoreless frames. Huge. 

    Taijuan Walker is making rehab starts and is on his way back to the majors to re-join the rotation, but can you really take Turnbull and move him to the bullpen with the way he’s pitching? It’s undeserving to either Turnbull or Cristopher Sánchez (2.53 ERA in four starts, 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings). 

    Optics could play a role here. Walker, despite struggles at times in 2023, is in the second year of a contract worth $72 million. Would the Phillies really make him the longman in the bullpen? It feels doubtful. Why not trot out a six-man rotation for a bit and see how that goes? 

    The next day, another Phillies starter flirted with a no-hitter. Cy Young Award candidate Zack Wheeler pitched 7.1 innings of no-hit baseball. He currently leads the majors in strikeouts. Elite stuff.

    Wheeler’s phenomenal performance aired simultaneously as Game 1 of the Sixers’ first round matchup with the Knicks on Saturday night. It conjured up images of 2010 when Roy Halladay tossed a perfect game while the Flyers were playing in the Stanley Cup Finals against Chicago. It was a bit of a double whammy, however, as Wheeler wasn’t able to finish out the no-hitter and, of course, the Sixers lost in crushing fashion. 

    The “Crushing the Vibes” Award: Ricardo Pinto 🤦

    Saturday was a breeze for the Fightins. They threw up a crooked number on Chicago, scoring nine runs. Wheeler took a no-hitter into the eighth inning. In what should’ve been an easy-as-anything ninth inning, things quickly took a turn for the worse.

    In some mop-up action, the Phils turned to Ricardo Pinto for the top of the ninth with a nine-run lead. Pinto proceeded to allow five runs. He exited the game with the tying run coming up to the plate. Again, they began the inning with a nine-run lead. Nine! When it matters most, Pinto won’t be out there on the mound, but it did leave a bitter taste for what should’ve been a complete beatdown. 

    The “They Swept a Little League Team” Award: Phillies 🤣

    This turn of events from the White Sox looks more like a Babe Ruth League team from 7th and Bigler than a major league ball club:

    “Yakety Sax” should be played over that video. The Phils tied the game after that and never looked back in an 8-2 victory.

    The “This Should’ve Been the City Connect Look” Award: Phanatic hats 🧢

    With its atrocious font and clash of colors, the Phillies’ City Connect uniforms have been panned. A look celebrating the greatest mascot in all of sports, the Phanatic, would’ve been much better. Phils fans saw what might have been when the team wore their batting practice Phanatic caps on Sunday in honor of the mascot’s birthday.

    10/10 cap. At the very least, these should replace the current red and blue caps the team wears with their cream uniforms.

    During his birthday festivities, we received an update on the Phanatic’s dating history, too:

    I’d love to hear what the Kelce brothers have to say about that!

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    Shamus Clancy

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