Only won NL Wild Card contender has won 70 games. And that contender is the Philadelphia Phillies. Even if their low point was a bit earlier than last year's, this team battled back and became one of the best teams in the NL without having to change much.
I mean, some of the issues that plagued this team in May were just 'well, this is a shitty defensive outfield since we traded away Vierling and Moniak', and 'Bohm can't play third OR first', things like that. We've figured out some ways around this. The Phils have a much better defensive center fielder in Johan Rojas, who's also hitting .289 with 17 RBIs in 31 games. They also at least have Edmundo Sosa doing a fine job at third to balance out Bohm's fielding troubles, despite Bohm still working as a power bat. And the Phils have also gotten some decent defensive numbers from Jake Cave, who was a spring training piece I didn't think would do much with the team. Might be our most fun bench guy, and I'm cool with that.
It's still a bit odd with this outfield not having Bryce Harper in it, but it's not as if Bryce isn't making his presence known at the plate. The two-time MVP is certainly playing like a league great, and is now hitting .301 with 12 homers and 49 RBIs in 95 games. Even in a shortened season with no OF stats, Harper's still one of the most important pieces of this team, and he's not a complete liability, as many people thought he'd end up being midway through his deal with Philly. Also, just want to point out that this is Harper's FIFTH YEAR in Philadelphia, and he's just as beloved and well-liked as I'd hoped he be. If your team signs somebody for 10 or so years, that worry that it's a waste of money is gonna be there, but Harper's everything this city wanted, and his actions during the Little League Classic only confirm that.
Also, Trea Turner is coming into his own as well, with another recent multi-homer game, 23 steals under his belt, and the whole city behind him even during his dry spells. It's clear that this fanbase enjoys Turner even if it's taken him a while to figure out Philly, but I'm definitely thinking he'll improve over time. It's also gotta help being around such great young players like Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh all the time.
The rotation is also very lucky that Michael Lorenzen could swing into the picture right when Ranger Suarez's arm was getting tired. I do have this fear that Lorenzen getting lit up in his last two starts is a side effect of going 9 innings earlier this month, but I also feel like it's just gonna take time to recalibrate and it's not an injury [please don't let it be an injury]. Nola, Walker and Wheeler are awesome enough to rest on at this point, and Cristopher Sanchez has been having some great starts recently. I always knew he'd eventually be a good starter for us, it was just a matter of timing, and I think he's a bit more of a keeper than someone like Bailey Falter.
The Phils are looking very good right now, and have the Cardinals and Angels to contend with before a crucial duel with Brewers, who are very close to them in the overall NL standings. I hope they keep rolling, as it'd be awesome to see a refined version of the 2022 team do some damage in October.
Coming Tomorrow- Another rookie flamethrower in Cleveland.
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