PHILADELPHIA – After years of watching their rivals hoist the division crown, the Philadelphia Phillies finally looked like they were ready to have a ceremony of their own.
When the Atlanta Braves clinched on their home field in South Philly, the club vowed that heading into the 2024 season, the NL East would be theirs. A hot start for the Phillies gave them the headstart they needed toward accomplishing that goal. Now with recent struggles in July and August, the Phillies find themselves just 6.5 games up on the Atlanta Braves and 8 games on the New York Mets.
Can the Fightin’ Phils turn things around and win their first division title since 2011? They control their own destiny with the rest of the schedule ahead of them. But they will have to turn things around if they want to avoid descriptions of “collapse.“
Least of the East
Since 2011, the Phillies have not been able to recapture the top spot in the NL East.
The Washington Nationals (4), Atlanta Braves (7), and New York Mets (1) have sat atop the division in the years prior. Both the Nationals and Braves have won a World Series in that span, with the Mets and the Phillies winning pennants in that time as well.
Atlanta has won in each of the last six seasons, despite some years of season-long competition with the Mets and Phillies. In 2021, a late September collapse by the Phils led to the Braves winning with just an 88-73 record, before heading on an all-time run to a World Series title. In 2022, the New York Mets blew their division lead. New York had a 3 game lead on the Braves heading into the final series of the season. Atlanta swept the Mets, taking the division crown once again.
In 2023, the Braves won the division in Philadelphia, celebrating after a victory over the Phillies on their home field. The Phillies enacted revenge by eliminating Atlanta from the playoffs for the second consecutive season. It means something to the Phillies however to take the next step and win their division. Their work thus far in 2024 has given them a great opportunity to do so. However, their recent struggles have allowed their rivals to rejoin the dance.
The Phillies’ road ahead
After Tuesday’s victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Phillies have now won the season series. Regardless of Wednesday’s outcome, they hold the tiebreaker over LA if the two clubs were to finish with the same record.
A win on Wednesday would be the club’s first series win since sweeping the Dodgers before the All-Star break. They have lost six straight series in between their battles with the West Coast’s top club.
The Atlanta Braves are in the midst of a three-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers. Atlanta suffered a loss on Tuesday night, their third straight. The Brewers are looking to catch the Phillies and Dodgers at the top of the National League. Following this series, the Braves head to Colorado to play the Rockies, one of the worst clubs in Major League Baseball.
For the Mets’, they currently battle that Colorado Rockies franchise. The Rockies won the first game of their three-game series 6-3 on Tuesday night. After their time in Mile High, New York will head to San Francisco to play the Giants.
As aforementioned, the Phillies control their destiny. The Braves and Mets will have an easier schedule than the Phils on paper but the games get played for a reason. If the Philadelphia Phillies want to add the first of many banners to their flagpoles in center field, they will have to finish strong.
The magic number to win the NL East currently sits at 44 games. There will be plenty of important baseball to be played over the next 49 games for the Phillies but taking it day by day will be the best path towards their ultimate goal.
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
