The Philadelphia Phillies currently sit at 55-41 overall and lead a competitive National League East division by half a game. The core of this roster is in the twilight of its prime and has brought considerable success to the franchise, highlighted by the pennant win in 2022.
That reality means that the Phillies are squarely in title-or-bust territory; however, Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer is skeptical about Philadelphia’s ability to replicate past October success. The MLB lead writer broke down in detail why he doesn’t buy the Phillies as World Series contenders, noting the concerns at both the plate and on the mound.
“It's a star-studded lineup on paper, yet it's barely north of average in scoring (4.56 runs per game) and it's below average with 102 home runs,” Rymer notes. “It's a wildly mixed bag apart from Kyle Schwarber, and it will remain as much if Bryce Harper's wrist continues to bother him. As for the bullpen, the technical term to describe it is ‘yeesh.’ Phillies relievers have a 4.38 ERA and have generally done more harm than good to the team's win probability.
Granted, it's hard to completely turn one's back on the Phillies just because of their rotation. Zack Wheeler is a machine, and the unit as a whole leads the majors with a 3.22 ERA. Surely, this alone could sustain them in October, right? Eh, we're not so sure, actually. Even if Dombrowski is able to fix up the bullpen, that won't make it any easier to bank on a lineup that feels old and past its prime.”
Despite the trepidation about the Phillies’ title odds, this group has outperformed expectations before in the postseason. Specifically, Bryce Harper, who has had a few seasons that have been largely injury-riddled, and followed them up with phenomenal playoff runs.
Overall, this is still a team, with its experience and elite starting pitching, that can beat anyone in October. But it all has to come together, and some of the veterans will need to regain their past form when the stakes are at their highest.
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