Fans Of The Philadelphia Phillies Should Not Forget Last Year’s Comeback

The new Major League Baseball season is in the earliest stages. Less than a month of games have been played. Five months of games remain.

However, if the Philadelphia Phillies were an ocean liner, one might say the ship is slowly taking on water. But, baseball analysts maintain the team will soon be afloat without issues.

For now, however, they are playing without star offensive performers Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins.

Harper is on schedule to return in the first half of the season. Hoskins is likely out for the year after having surgery for a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament in his left knee.

They are without starting lefty Ranger Suarez, which is putting stress on their rotation. Suarez has an elbow strain, and he’s been sidelined since March.

The pitching has been mediocre, at best. Dreadful, at its worst.

Yet, the future is promising.

The Phillies are loaded with stars. Stars have a tendency to shine in a long season.

The past is prologue to what could be a very solid season in Philadelphia.

Through their first 19 games, the 8-11 Phillies find themselves looking up at the Miami Marlins, the New York Mets, and the Atlanta Braves in the National League East standings.

One must be mindful that through May last season, the Phillies had a record of 21-29. It was not until June 11, 2022 that the Phillies posted a winning record, at 30-29.

Panic is not necessary.

The Phillies went on to represent the National League in the World Series, finishing their season with a record of 87-75.

The same script could be written this year. And it may be an even better than last year.

This year, the Phillies have All Star Trea Turner playing shortstop. Turner signed a massive, 11-year, $300 million free agent contract to move to Philadelphia from the Los Angeles Dodgers. Few players in baseball have the power/speed/defensive prowess of Turner.

Left-handed hitting Bryson Stott and right-handed hitting Alex Bohm have established themselves as consequential hitters in a Phillies lineup that will only get stronger with the return of Harper.

Early Starting Pitching Woes:

The Phillies pitching staff struggled early and often during the first few weeks of the season.

But overall, the pitching is getting better.

Through his first four starts, Phillies ace right-hander, Aaron Nola, 29, has a record of 1-2. He improved in his most recent start against the Cincinnati Reds April 16. He threw 6 innings, and yielded three runs, with two earned. He got his first win of the season, and it left him with a 5.91 Earned Run Average and a 1.45 WHIP (walks and hits per inning). Clearly, it appears Nola is now back on the right track. Opponents are hitting .294 against Nola.

Through his first four starts, right-handed starter Zack Wheeler, 32, has a record of 1-1, with an ERA of 4.79 and a 1.45 WHIP. Wheeler is a much better pitcher than those numbers indicate. Opponents have a .277 batting average against Wheeler.

Left-handed starter Bailey Falter, 25, has pitched to a record of 0-3 in four starts. He has an ERA of 4.50 and a 1.18 WHIP. The opposition is hitting .262 against Falter.

Righty Taijuan Walker, 30, has made four starts, including throwing 6.1 innings April 19. He threw very well against the Chicago White Sox, inducing nine ground ball outs. Walker is now 2-1 on the year, with a 3.80 ERA and 1.31 WHIP. He is yielding an opposition batting average of just .208.

Perhaps the best starting pitching performances to date have been turned in by lefty Matt Strahm, 31. Strahm is filling in for the injured Ranger Suarez.

Strahm has started four games, and his record is 1-1. He has pitched to a 2.13 ERA and sparkling 0.94 WHIP. The opposition is hitting only .156 against Strahm.

The bullpen hasn’t helped much.

For example, right-handed reliever Seranthony Dominguez, once considered a credible closer, has a current ERA of 10.80, having yielded 10 hits in 6.2 innings.

Others in the pen are scuffling, but the season remains early.

There have been occasions so far when the Phillies pitching was so taxed, infielder Josh Harrison pitched in relief. He has made two appearances, and has an ERA of 27.00. He has yielded eight hits in 1.2 innings.

Hitting Shines:

Hitting doesn’t seem to be an issue. And of course, as noted, the team is playing without impact hitters Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins.

As a team, the Phillies are hitting .284, third best in all of MLB.

Through their first 19 games, the Phillies are getting excellent production from many of their most relied upon hitters.

Trea Turner hit his first homer of the season against the White Sox April 19. He is now hitting .321 and has six RBIs in 88 plate appearances. He has four stolen bases.

Bryson Stott, 25, is now hitting .365 in 86 plate appearances.

Outfielder Brandon Marsh, 25, has stepped up, hitting .368 in 62 plate appearances. He has three doubles, three homers, and 11 RBIs.

Corner infielder Alec Bohm, 26, is hitting .324 with three homers and 16 RBIs in 80 plate appearances.

Left-handed slugger Kyle Schwarber, 30, has four home runs.

Conclusions:

Philadelphia Phillies fans should not panic about the slow start for their favorite team.

Last year, the Phillies were slow to get things rolling, not showing a winning record until June 11.

This year, the team’s pitching has been slow to get going. As of April 20, the club’s team pitching ERA is 5.10, which ranks 22nd in MLB. Opponents are hitting .258 against Phillies pitching.

The hitting has not been a problem, and the team will probably even improve in that area.

For this writer, it seems clear the team will rebound from a slow start and climb to contention in the National League East, just as they did last season. Patience and some warmer weather are required.