While the Philadelphia Phillies are still in the drivers seat for the worst record in baseball this season, they have been playing as well as anyone since the All-Star Break. Considering they were on pace to lose 110 games this season at the Break and they’re now in a better position to avoid 100 losses, it’s pretty remarkable how quickly things changed.
Indeed, they did unload a nice amount of players at the deadline and those players had played a significant role thus far this season. But of course, they were by far the worst team in baseball while they were there, so maybe that does not mean that much. The losses of Cole Hamels, Jonathan Papelbon, and Ben Revere will affect the team’s talent pool and ultimate performance, but you wouldn’t know that if you look at the team’s performance since the break.
The Phils are 12-3 since the break ended, the best mark in the majors. Those wins came against the Marlins, Rays, Cubs, Blue Jays, and Braves. Sure those aren’t the best five teams in baseball, but three of those five are still fighting for playoff berths. Not only have they been winning, but they have been scoring runs in bunches, which is very uncharacteristic for this ball club. They have scored more than 8 runs in a game four times since the break. As a comparison, they had only done it five times during the entire first half. Until the break, the Phillies had averaged 3.38 runs/game (worst in the majors) and since, they have managed 5.33 runs/game (in yes, a small sample size).
Not only are they scoring runs, but they have been hitting the ball harder and have been a more stalwart offense. The club’s luck is turning around as their BABIP is .338, the second highest mark in the majors behind only the White Sox. Their slugging percentage of .449 is also sixth in the majors. Their strikeout rate is down slightly and their ISO has improved from .117 to .160. As a team, they are hitting .289, third in the majors. All of this is being done by a club that still comfortably has the worst record in baseball and still has a lot of work to do if they want to avoid bringing up the rear when the season is complete.
Individuals obviously have done their part for this transformation to take place. Ryan Howard has shown flashes of his old self, minus the huge power numbers. Indeed, Howard has found ways to contribute with his bat without hitting it out of the park in his usual majestic fashion, which is pretty remarkable. He has knocked in 15 runs, scored 10 runs, and is hitting .327/.407/.577 in the two-plus weeks since the All-Star Break. Hell, he even drew an intentional walk the other night, which has only happened once this season up until that point (he drew a IBB 72 times from 2006-2007). So pitchers are taking notice and are more willing to go after the rest of the lineup than go after the Big Piece.
However, the grass isn’t always greener. Guys like Jeff Francoeur, Odubel Herrera, Cesar Hernandez, Maikel Franco, and even Domonic Brown have all contributed to the last three weeks of success.
Francoeur is one of those guys that may attract some teams before the waiver deadline, but he won’t garnish much in return, so the Phillies may opt to keep the budding fan favorite. He’s a great presence in the locker room and has a lot to offer the younger players. Frenchy has knocked nine homers and knocked in 33 runs in limited action this season and has been a solid addition on the bench. His defense is always welcomed, even though his free-swinging nature hasn’t left him.
Rule 5 pickup Herrera is trying to remind Phillies fans of their last great Rule 5 find, Shane Victorino. He is doing pretty well, hitting a respectable .282/.311/.422 with five homers and nine steals. This weekend, he obliterated a ball against the Braves.
The youth of the Phillies, which his been lambasted by the media and fans alike in Philadelphia, is starting to make a name for itself. Franco is going to be a star in the city for years to come and has forced his way into the NL Rookie of the Year conversation. Asche is still struggling overall, but has shown flashes of breaking out during his time in the majors. With Howard in decline and Utley just beginning rehab in Triple-A, the Phillies will need some veteran leadership moving forward.
Howard and Utley are both in the twilight of their careers, and the Phillies will have plenty of money to spend thanks to the salaries coming off the books next year and the beginning of their mammoth new television contract. However, if teams like the Royals, Rays, Pirates, and even the Twins are any indication, teams don’t need to spend loads of money to win in the current landscape. This isn’t the NBA, and teams have found success nurturing their players and finding the right players even if they aren’t big free agent signings.
Metaphorically speaking, if a team is a bus, they need to find the right players for the bus and furthermore, they need to find the right seat for those players on the bus. When the time and attention is spent doing that instead of just cramming everyone into the bus, oftentimes the bus will take you on the road to October.
The Phillies are starting to see the light at the end of an admittedly long tunnel. If the prospects acquired in the Hamels deal pan out and more of the farm’s yougn talent continues to develop, the Phillies’ road back to relevance might not be as long as once thought.
All that being said, this is still the worst team in baseball, even though they haven’t played like it recently. Talent always triumphs and eventually, they will come back to earth. But if nothing else, the weeks following the All-Star Break should give the Phillies front office and fanbase something on which to hang their hat.
