Phillies’ pros and cons for a potential 50-game 2020 season
Could Phillies baseball take place this summer? Chances appear to be improving.
Over the past 48 hours, both the MLBPA and MLB issued counterproposals, representing a step closer to an agreement of having a 2020 season. The latter, reported Monday evening by ESPN’s Jeff Passan, has MLB proposing a shorter season while fulfilling the players’ desire to have full prorated salaries.
The potential season Major League Baseball envisions would run somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 regular-season games, sources told ESPN. The exact number is being considered, but the aim would be to return in July. It would be less than half of players’ proposed season length.
MLB believes their agreement in late March allows it to set the schedule. “For the longest time, really since the end of March, when their agreement was put into place, players have been asking for their full pro rata salary,” Passan said live on ESPN. “A 50-something game season, Major League Baseball would be willing to do to get them there.”
So, say the 2020 season is indeed 50 games. How does that benefit or hurt the Phillies? Here are a few pros and cons:
Early-season success
The Phillies may have not qualified for the postseason in nearly a decade, but often, they have began their recent seasons on a strong note before utimately struggling down the stretch.
Last year, for example, the Phillies were 31-22 after 53 games and let the division by 1 1/2 games, notes CBS Sports’ Danny Vietti. Then, they had the third-best record in the National League and would have played the NLDS opposite the Chicago Cubs, while the Los Angeles Dodgers took on the Wild Card winner.
#MLB standings if the season ended after 50 games last season:
• Eventual World Series champion Nationals had the 3rd-worst record in the NL • Phillies led the NL East • Cubs leds the NL Central • Cardinals were out of the playoff picture pic.twitter.com/E4qeMUzFK4
One would think having less games would be a bad thing for a Phillies starting rotation that has a lot of question marks outside of their Nos. 1 and 2 arms, Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler.
But not necessarily.
Having just 50 games could mean MLB spacing the schedule out, more or so like what the NBA season has been in recent years with less back-to-back games.
With each game meaning that much more, the Phillies could use Nola and Wheeler on short rest. Even then, it might not be the CC Sabathia-type of short rest that we saw in the Milwaukee Brewers’ 2008 postseason run.
Nola and Wheeler could be used on just one day fewer rest, just because the schedule would be that much more spaced out. Surely, the Phillies will need Jake Arrieta to contribute in his final contract year, as well as Zach Eflin and others to step up.
Less Chance for Injury
Having fewer games, as mentioned above, would likely mean a more spaced out season. There would not be a daily grind on players’ bodies as does a normal 162-game slate.
Jay Bruce, who put up All-Star numbers when we first joined the Phillies, simply tired out before landing on the injured list with an oblique strain and a flexor strain.
David Robertson, who in February said he was aiming for a mid-season return from Tommy John surgery, may in fact be ready come Opening Day. And, you know Joe Girardi would like using his former right-handed pitcher on the 2009 Yankees World Series team a lot.
Hamstring issues affected the Phillies a lot last season, including Jean Segura. As long as the players are in shape, their bodies should be able to fend off these types of injuries in a shortened, spaced out season.
Philadelphia Phillies (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
New Manager, Not a Lot of Time
It may be easy to forget, but the Phillies hired a new manager with a slew of new coaches to their staff this past offseason.
Girardi is a veteran manager, no doubt, but it can take time to work things out with a new organization, considering the 2009 World Series champion has arguably only been a part of the New York Yankees in recent memory.
J.T. Realmuto #10 of the Philadelphia Phillies (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
Re-signing Realmuto
An ongoing storyline for the Phillies is them needing to re-sign star catcher J.T. Realmuto. Say in the 50-game stretch, Realmuto plays in 40 games (with Andrew Knapp or the backup catcher taking the other reps) and bats well over .300.
In a normal, 162-game season, law of averages usually takes over, and any hot stretch is almost always matched with a considerably cold stretch.
With a small sample size, anything is possible, and a strong showing from Realmuto may make it even more difficult for the Phillies to bring him back after 2020. Also, say Realmuto has a cold stretch and bats closer to .250; I don’t think the Phillies could benefit, because he and his agent would argue that it was not a full season for stats to play themselves out.
It’s a lose-lose situation for the Phillies.
Juan Soto #22 of the Washington Nationals (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
Tough Division
Having only 50 games in a season, just how will the schedule be arranged? Who will the Phillies play? Surely, most of the games will be against National League East opponents. And, they are no pushovers, except for the Marlins, perhaps.
The Washington Nationals are coming off of a World Series championship. While they no longer have Anthony Rendon at the hot corner, their lineup is still stacked with talent, including rising star outfielder Juan Soto.
Also, don’t forget the Nationals’ rotation, as well as the New York Mets’, even with Noah Syndergaard being sidelined. Perennial Cy Young Award candidate Jacob deGrom has had much success against the Phillies. Also, the Mets added Marcus Stroman to the mix this past offseason, complementing Rick Porcello, Michael Wacha, and Steven Matz.
Then, there is the Atlanta Braves, who have appeared to always been a “thorn” for the Phillies ever since their most recent postseason success window came to an end in the early 2010s. Cole Hamels is a part of their rotation on a one-year deal. The Braves seem to have talent everywhere, at every position. Bullpen, outfield, first base, you name it.
Fifty games is not a lot, and the Phillies would have a lot of work to put in. Yet, the games would bring that much more intensity.
