With 2019 MLB season about a quarter of the way done, the Phillies are looking like the team to beat in the National League East.
With 39 games played, the Phillies and the rest of MLB are about a quarter of the way through the 2019 season. Teams are starting to sort into their tiers for the season, but there is still plenty of baseball left to decide it.
As the season approaches the end of its second full month, where does Philadelphia stand among the rest of the teams in the league?
Here are where Philadelphia ranks in various power rankings across the industry and where it compares to last week:
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"CBS Sports: 7 (+2)MLB.com: 11 (-2)Sporting News: 6 (+1)Yahoo! Sports: 8 (+2)USA Today: (+1)Bleacher Report: 6 (–)ESPN: 10 (–)"
Philadelphia is coming off a good week, winning two straight series against the Cardinals and Royals. They have picked up steam in the previous two weeks, winning seven of their last ten games.
A common thread written in each of these rankings is the offense’s success even without Bryce Harper at his best. Joe Rivera of the Sporting News that Harper’s 20.0 at-bats per home run rate is the lowest since 2016. Also, Harper’s 14.9% home run per fly ball rate is also his lowest since 2016.
Instead, it has been Rhys Hoskins driving the team’s offense so far this year. He has 11 home runs, 35 runs batted in, and a 1.015 OPS, all of which rank among the best hitters in the league. Not only has he been the team’s best All-Star candidate, but he is also a dark horse MVP candidate.
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The rotation deserves some credit along with the offense. Zach Eflin pitched his second complete game and first shutout of the year Saturday, making him the only pitcher this year with two complete games at this point. He is the team’s next best All-Star candidate after Hoskins.
Cole Irvin had a spectacular major-league debut in place of Vince Velasquez, giving up just one run in seven innings. Jerad Eickhoff has a minuscule 1.50 ERA in five outings since coming back up from Triple-A.
Aaron Nola was abysmal to start the year but has turned things around in his last three starts with a 1.47 ERA.
He starts again Monday night against the Brewers, giving him the chance to build on his recent success.
Philadelphia has taken advantage of a weak NL East to start the year, holding a three-game lead as of Monday. They still have room for improvement, which is exciting considering they’re already on pace for 95 wins.