After 13 long and frustrating years, the Philadelphia Phillies have finally secured another National League East Division title. Following a 6-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs, the Fightins celebrated like there was no tomorrow, but how did they get there after well over a decade?
The stars of the show
When discussing this era of Phillies baseball, the conversation often starts with two-time former MVP Bryce Harper. Despite a bit of a slump after the All-Star break, Harper has still managed his highest RBI total since his first season in Philadelphia, and there are still a handful of games left in the season. Baseball, however, is not a game where one man can carry a team. Thankfully for Philadelphia, Harper is not on an island in terms of producing out of the lineup.
2022 free agent additions Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos did their part to carry the team throughout various parts of the season. Schwarber is nearing 40 home runs for the third straight season and set a record for the most leadoff home runs in the history of Major League Baseball. Castellanos admittedly took a step back from an incredible 2023 season but played a key role in keeping the team afloat in the dog days of summer and has once again collected over 20 home runs and 80 RBIs.
Trea Turner‘s season has been a mixed bag, missing roughly 40 games due to injury, but was an All-Star for the first time in his Phillies career. He’s also still managed to hit nearly .300 and is just one home run away from another 20-home-run season.
Finally, the youngest of Philadelphia’s premier bats, Alec Bohm, has replicated the success he found last season, sitting just short of 100 RBIs once again. While each star went through their own cold streak, and several cold streaks overlapped throughout various points of the season, it’s a long season. Understanding that, Philadelphia’s stars showed resilience, working towards a shared goal of bringing this team all the way this season.
It takes a village
Philadelphia’s stars have performed well this season, but none have performed at or near the level of Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, or even José Ramírez. What Philadelphia has in place of that is a deep roster full of opportunistic underdogs.
Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh have begun to lose that moniker as the years go on and expectations increase, but Johan Rojas, who throughout the season dealt with the uncertainty of his standing at the Major League level, has firmly established himself with key plays on both ends, especially in the outfield.
Reserves Edmundo Sosa, Kody Clemens, Weston Wilson, and even Cal Stevenson have all played crucial roles in limited opportunities over the course of the season. While none are exactly Gregg Dobbs at the plate, they’ve all gone above expectations to help Philadelphia reach this accomplishment.
The Phillies’ success in recent years has largely been due to the help of some of the team’s younger and less experienced players, who sometimes carry more than their fair load. That once again proved true in 2024.
The return of a dominant rotation
Philadelphia’s rotation, on the surface, looked unchanged from last season. Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola remained the top two in the rotation; Ranger Suárez once again played a pivotal role, and Taijuan Walker and Cristopher Sánchez once again rounded out the starting pitching group.
What was different from last year was the performance of this group, who looked far more formidable— for the most part, throughout the season. Even with the inclusion of the turnstile that has been the first spot in the rotation, the Phillies have posted the second-lowest ERA by their starters since 2011—ahead of their Tuesday night matchup.
A truly dominant season by Zack Wheeler, who is pitching to the tune of a near 2.50 ERA and over 200 strikeouts, has led the way for Philadelphia. An unforgettable first half by Ranger Suárez contributed, as did the rise of Cristopher Sánchez and another solid season by Aaron Nola.
While it’s not truly five deep as the 2011 rotation was, this Phillies’ rotation is far more comparative to its 13-year-old counterpart—considered one of the greatest rotations in the history of baseball, mind you—than many expected at the beginning of this year.
Trust the process
Finally, as all in Philadelphia must from time to time, the Phillies trusted the process and were rewarded for their faith.
Despite callings at various points over the past few years, the Phillies stood by key players such as Aaron Nola, Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, Alec Bohm, and more instead of impatiently moving on from these talents. For a team that is as tuned into the thoughts and emotions of their fanbase as the Phillies are, mind you, that is a good thing; it’s commendable that the team showed such a level of faith in players who have, at times, been controversial among portions of the fanbase.
The Phillies have climbed from the outside of the playoff picture into a consistent face in the playoffs and have now reached the next step in the evolution of being a contender, winning their division. All that’s left for Philadelphia is to secure a top-2 season in the National League, earning a week of rest and home-field advantage throughout a portion of the postseason.
