The Philadelphia Phillies are rolling and show no signs of slowing down. We are only at the one-quarter mark of the season, but they have the best record in baseball and are off to their best start through 48 games since 1993.
Ranger Suarez
Let’s start with starting pitcher Ranger Suarez. He is 9-0, making him the only eight-game winner in the majors. Suarez’s 1.36 ERA is second in the league. He has been impressive with the location of his pitches, a key aspect of his game. Teammates and coaches have also noticed that his new fitness regimen and throwing program have also helped him.
Ranger Suárez 🔥🔥🔥
♦️ only MLB pitcher in 111 years to go undefeated with a 1.50 ERA or lower and 65+ Ks over his first 10 starts of a season
— Jeff Skversky (@JeffSkversky) May 22, 2024
Other Starters
While Suarez has been the best starter so far, other starters have contributed, too. Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler have each won five games. Taijuan Walker appears to have found his form once again, winning three games. This starting staff currently leads the NL in complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and ERA. Furthermore, batters are hitting just .218 against the rotation.
Key Players on Offense
The offense has been contributing as well. Trea Turner, who just went on the injured list with a hamstring injury, is hitting .343. Alec Bohm leads MLB with 43 RBI and 18 doubles. He is also third in hits and total bases. Bryce Harper is tied with several players for fifth in MLB in home runs. Kyle Schwarber is first in the NL in walks.
Other Positive Statistics
The Phillies have a positive run differential of 74, which ranks second in baseball. They have 10 wins and four losses in one-run games. They have 12 come-from-behind wins and the best road record. The team leads the NL in triples and ranks fourth overall in baseball in stolen bases. That speed has been an important component to this impressive offensive team.
The Phillies are 21 games over .500 for the first time in 13 years
Ranger Suarez is now 9-0 with the lowest ERA through 10 starts to begin a season since 1916
The team has now won 27 of its last 33 games
They are so much fun right now pic.twitter.com/sNeHTtqOIb
— Life of a Philly Fan (@PhillyFanLife) May 22, 2024
The Phillies’ One Concern
There is one concern, however. Since their first three games against the Atlanta Braves, the Phillies have not faced anyone with a record above .500. This includes wins against the three worst teams in MLB, the Chicago White Sox, the Colorado Rockies, and the Miami Marlins. In fact, the Phillies have won the season series over five of the six divisional last-place teams. While the concern is that they’ve mainly played teams with worse records, it’s still fair to argue that every contender must beat the teams below them in the standings.
Phillies 2024 Outlook
The Philadelphia Phillies are rolling, but after the last two seasons of deep postseason runs falling short, they want to win the World Series. In 2022, they took the Houston Astros to six games in the World Series. Last season, they had a 3-2 lead in the NLCS before dropping Games 6 and 7 at home to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The team still has its weak spots, such as an erratic and inconsistent bullpen. Keeping Harper healthy is another issue—he has missed 99 games in the last two seasons. The Phillies need to overcome the Trea Turner injury as well.
The Phillies have a proven, championship-caliber veteran roster. Look for them to be busy at the trade deadline. If the starting pitching continues performing as they have and if the offense can avoid a multi-game hitting slump, this team has the talent and performance to make it to the postseason again this year.
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