Expectations for 2018 Phillies need to be kept in check
By John Town
Phillies fans understandably got caught up in the excitement of the team’s early success this year. However, they are showing why expectations weren’t high.
Before this season started, expectations for the Phillies were fairly mild. They had a new manager and lots of young players expected to fill roles. They were projected to stay under .500 and sit right in the middle of the division. Maybe if everything broke in their favor they would be able to snag a wild-card.
After a rough start to the season, the team started racking up wins, at one point having a .667 win percentage. They scuffled for a week at the end of April and then went right back to their winning ways in May.
At their peak, Philadelphia was nine games over .500 and held first place in the National League East. It was their best start to the season in seven years in the days of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels. With a great start to the season, everyone’s eyes got big seeing the potential for a division-contending team again.
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Since that peak May 26, things have not gone well. They have just three wins in their last 12 games. The team hasn’t won a series May 21-23 against the Braves.
These losses have come against some of the better teams in the National League. The Dodgers have shaken off their early-season woes and have climbed back to a tie for second place in the West.
The Phils were swept in embarrasinf fashion by the Giants, who the Dodgers are tied with for second. They could have had a series win against the Cubs, but a late-game implosion by the bullpen and the offense failing to convert led to two losses in three games.
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Since returning home, things have not gone any better. Philadelphia has been dominated in two games against the Central-leading Brewers, giving up 12 runs in both games. Even if they can salvage the series finale, it has become apparent that they cannot hang with some of the better teams in the league.
Ultimately, this shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. The Phils simply weren’t expected to contend with some of the best in the league this year. To go from 66 wins last year to the top of the division this year would be extremely difficult to achieve. Even a wild-card spot this season was considered a best-case scenario.
Of course, it is frustrating to see this team shoot themselves in the foot when we have seen them succeed this season. However, we have to remember that this is still one of the youngest teams in the league trying to round out the rebuilding process. There is going to be inconsistency and struggling, but also plenty of fun and exciting moments.
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In the end, keeping a broader perspective on this team is the key. They are trying to build towards success deep into the 2020s, even if it means growing pains in 2018.