With the 2018 season over, which Phillies deserve the team’s end-of-year awards as the best or worst players on the team?
To many, this season was a disappointment for the Phillies. While they made a 14-win improvement compared to 2017, their 17-34 end to the season kept them out of the playoffs for the first time since 2011. They finished 2018 with an 80-82 record, finishing third in the National League. That poor finish led to the team’s sixth-straight losing season after leading the division and being 15 games above .500 on Aug. 5.
Philadelphia got the full spectrum of player performances. There were surprises, disappointments, successes, and failures. Some started hot before floundering in the second half; others fell flat on their face out of the gate before recovering by season’s end. The combination of all these led to a team with pedestrian offensive numbers but a good pitching staff. They showed promise looking towards next year, but they are going to need more, especially down the stretch, to make the postseason in 2019.
Only one Phillie is considered in the hunt for one of this year’s major awards, but that won’t stop me from handing out team-specific awards. These will be the Most & Least Valuable Players, the Cy Young & Yuk, and the Rookie of the Year. All of these should be self-explanatory, so let’s dive on into them.