In a Slump
During a 162-game season there are so many ups and downs, and the Phillies experienced both in less than a two-week span recently. On May 29 after a 5-4 win in the first game of a doubleheader against Atlanta, the Phillies improved to 36-19, which was best record in baseball.
Then the slump game.
Following Sunday’s 2-1 loss at Pittsburgh, the Phillies had lost nine of their past 10 and fell to 37-28.
On a large scale, 10 games is a relatively small sample size, but still enough to be concerned about the Phillies.
During those 10 games, the Phillies batted .189 with 80 strikeouts and 23 walks.
While the starting pitching has been their best asset, and the bullpen has been inconsistent, the offense continues to be the No. 1 concern.
The offense’s struggles are more concerning because many of the players have been with the Phillies since they began their recent postseason participation that started with the 2022 run to the World Series.
Bryce Harper was put on the injured list over the weekend with a wrist injury, and this season the Phillies are 1-7 in games Harper doesn’t play.
Still, they weren’t exactly crushing the ball with Harper in the lineup and neither was he. Harper is batting .258 with nine home runs and 34 RBI in 253 plate appearances. He said the wrist has been bothering him for a while and it’s really hard to hit with a sore wrist. It appears likely we haven’t seen a truly healthy Harper this season.
So, the Phillies have to hope that the time off will help, but there is no guarantee. One thing is for sure–when Harper is out, the Phillies look even flatter offensively.
Here are veterans who simply have to step up:
Bryson Stott. This is Stott’s fourth full season and at 27, this is the time where he should be entering his prime. After being swept by Pittsburgh, Stott was hitting .239. While batting average isn’t everything, it does measure a level of effectiveness. Stott batted .234 his rookie season, followed by .280. He then went backwards, hitting .245 last year and now .239 (through Sunday). He is playing the majority of his time against righthanders, and there has been major regression the last two seasons, including this one.
J.T. Realmuto. Through Sunday he was having his worst offensive season, batting .223 with an 80 OPS+. He still brings a lot defensively, but last season he was struggling, and then came out of it, but this year he has looked lost at the plate. This season he has batted cleanup twice and fifth 16 times. Right now, that is too high in the order.
Max Kepler. The Phillies signed him to a one-year $10 million free agent deal and so far he has failed to produce. There was a question whether he could hit lefthanded pitching. This year (through Sunday) he was hitting .205 vs. lefthanded pitching, but just .209 against righthanded pitching.
Brandon Marsh. He was injured earlier this season and got off to a rough start, but Marsh still hasn’t shown that he is even an effective platoon player. Through Sunday, he was batting .216 in 111 at-bats. He is solid defensively, but the outfield’s lack of offense continues to be a concern.
There are others who are not starters who also haven’t produced, but the players who are out there most of the time have to come though.
Among other starters, Trea Turner, Alec Bohm and Nick Castellanos have been solid, but all three have room for improvement. Kyle Schwarber is the lone starter who has been playing up to expectations, or even exceeding them. Through Sunday he had a .928 OPS with 20 home runs and 46 RBI. He was also batting .252 with a team-high, 73 strikeouts. So, nobody is perfect, in this lineup that must have the veterans come through.
Photo: Phillies JT Realmuto / Marc Narducci
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Author: Marc Narducci
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