6 Phillies-Marlins differences that explain recent struggles

The bullpen for the Phillies just doesn’t compare to the Marlins. Girardi’s team has three guys with over 100 ERA+ (four if you count Ranger Suarez when he eventually gives up a run). After that, the Phillies bullpen drops.

Brandon Kintzler has not been getting the job done this year and Archie Bradley is still coming back from injury. You would like to see someone better than a 55 ERA+ and a FIP over 5.3. Brogdon has a FIP over 5, and they have tried guys like David Hale, Matt Moore, and Enyel De Los Santos to little success.

The Phillies have the star power the Marlins lack, but yet their division rival is a more complete baseball team that can compete every night.

The Marlins are more motivated and inspired than the Phillies.

The final difference between the teams is motivation and inspiration. When the Marlins were called “bottom feeders,” they became inspired. This motivation lasted the entire 2020 season, as they made the postseason over more talented teams.

The Phillies just don’t seem to have that as much. The most this team looked inspired was when they won nine of 10 during a stretch in 2020. With a record of 19-15 after that and a short season, they finished with a 28-32 record. The Phillies are the example of motivation and how it doesn’t last for a long time. They deserve credit for that stretch, but they lost steam and now we forget about it.

Overall, these things prove why the Marlins and Phillies are just so different. It gives some explanation to why the Phillies have such a hard time against this team. Not everything the Marlins do is perfect, but there are some clear differences between these two teams.