Biggest July Storylines for the Phillies

The Phillies’ Schedule

The Phillies began the month wrapping up the Marlins series that began on June 29, and taking two of three games from the San Diego Padres.

On Monday, the Phillies overwhelmed the Chicago Cubs, beating them 13-3 in the first of four games at Wrigley. Their last series of the first half will take place at yet another historic ballpark,  as the Phillies meet the scorchingly-hot Red Sox at Fenway. There’s a chance we could see the return of Nick Pivetta.

From the 11th to the 15th the Phillies are off, but will have some representatives at the All-Star festivities. In the Futures Game, we will see Bryson Stott, who was a first-round pick back in 2019. Zack Wheeler and J.T. Realmuto will both be NL All-Stars.

After the break, the Phillies play the Marlins, Yankees, Braves, and Nationals, before closing out the month against their state rival Pirates.

As with every month, July is going to be a challenge. The series against their division rivals, especially, will be crucial in determining if Dave Dombrowski should buy, sell, or hold at the trade deadline.

The biggest question is, if they play close to .500 baseball, what will happen? Given Dombrowski’s reputation, they might choose to buy, especially if they are still somewhat in the division race. For what it’s worth, that’s what Bryce Harper wants.