The Philadelphia Phillies Are The Team To Beat

The Philadelphia Phillies are the hottest team in baseball. Unlike the last two seasons, Philadelphia is off to a fast start. Led by Bryce Harper, Alec Bohm, Ranger Suarez, Zack Wheeler, and others; this team is ranked near the top in many major hitting and pitching statistics. It’s no wonder that they currently have the best record in all of baseball. The only thing that’s eluding them up to this point is a championship. I believe the Phillies are the team to beat in the National League.

A Bitter Collapse In The NLCS Last Year

Greg Schulte calls the final out of the 2023 NLCS as the Arizona Diamondbacks win their second pennant in franchise history and advance to the World Series for the first time since 2001.#EmbraceTheChaos pic.twitter.com/8LeGg43LiT

— Gershon Rabinowitz (@GershOnline) October 25, 2023

Last season, the Phillies had a great opportunity to get back to the World Series again. Many people thought that Philadelphia would be able to avenge their World Series loss from the previous season. However, they shockingly lost games six and seven in the NLCS at home to the upstart Arizona Diamondbacks. This left a bitter taste in Phillies fans’ mouths. However, the team is seemingly using it as a driving force.

Off To A Red Hot Start

So far this season, the Philadelphia Phillies have been the most dominant team in baseball. Unlike the past two seasons, the Fightin Phils’ have gotten off to a hot start. Philadelphia is currently in first place in the NL East by six games over the Atlanta Braves. The Braves have owned the division for the past six seasons and with ace Spencer Strider out for the season; Philadelphia looks poised to end their reign.

An Explosive Offense

Philadelphia’s offense has been one of the most explosive offenses in baseball for years. Led by Bryce Harper, Alec Bohm, and Kyle Schwarber, the Phillies are averaging a National League-best 5.44 runs per game. The next closest team is the Los Angeles Dodgers at 5.04 runs per game. The team also leads the National League in batting average and RBI. Philadelphia is also ranked near the top in many other major offensive categories. The Phillies have also been able to get positive contributions from Kody Clemens and Edmundo Sosa. Philadelphia’s offense can never be counted out either. They’ve had an MLB-high 15 comeback wins so far this season including three in the ninth inning.

A Dominant Pitching Staff

While the talk has been all about Philadelphia’s offense, the pitching staff has been very dominant as well. As a staff, the Phillies have a National League-best ERA of 3.14. Philadelphia also leads the NL in strikeouts at 382. The Phillies are also ranked inside the top five in many other major pitching categories as well. Starters Ranger Suarez and Zack Wheeler look like bonified Cy Young candidates. A pleasant surprise this season is the effectiveness they’ve received from former Tigers first-round pick Spencer Turnbull. Turnbull’s success has made the Phillies starting rotation much deeper.

To win a championship, a strong bullpen is almost required. This is something that GM Dave Dombrowski will likely focus on when the trade deadline hits. However, Philadelphia’s bullpen does have some dependable relievers in it. Matt Strahm and Jeff Hoffman currently have a combined ERA of 1.11. Orion Kerkering is looking like someone the Phillies will be able to depend on out of the bullpen. Jose Alvarado looks comfortable as a first-time closer. He’s converted all nine of his save opportunities.

This Team Is Hungry

The Philadelphia Phillies have everything a team could ever want. They have an explosive offense as well as a dominant pitching staff. With those two ingredients dominant at the same time, Philadelphia has another great opportunity to win a championship. This team is also hungrier than ever to avenge last season’s NLCS collapse and win their first World Series championship since 2008. Given all the pieces that are in place, this team has the potential to make a parade down Broad Street happen.

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