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6 NL East hitters who will torment Phillies pitchers in 2022

By Gabrielle Starr

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 06: Juan Soto #22 of the Washington Nationals talks with Bryce Harper #34 during the game against the Chicago Cubs at Nationals Park on September 6, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 06: Juan Soto #22 of the Washington Nationals talks with Bryce Harper #34 during the game against the Chicago Cubs at Nationals Park on September 6, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) /
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Which NL East rival hitters will hit Phillies pitchers the hardest in 2022?

Aside from Zack Wheeler and Ranger Suárez, the Philadelphia Phillies pitching staff essentially ranged from mediocre to maddeningly awful in 2021.

And while they added some new arms, like Kent Emanuel, Corey Knebel, and handed out a slew of minor-league pitching contracts, there’s no guarantee their pitching woes won’t repeat next year.

Here are six NL East batters who will almost certainly continue to torment Phillies pitchers in 2022…

4. Juan Soto, Washington Nationals

In 60 career games against the Phillies so far, Juan Soto hit .310/.444/.610 with a 1.054 OPS.

Soto’s 66 hits include 11 doubles, a triple, and a whopping 17 home runs, the most he’s hit against any MLB team. Phillies pitchers have walked him more (53) than they’ve struck him out (50). He’s also 6-for-8 in stolen-base attempts against the Phillies; only the Atlanta Braves have let him steal more bases.

Zack Wheeler, in particular, has struggled against Soto, who has a lifetime .314/.478/.514 line and .993 OPS against him. In 35 at-bats, Wheeler has given up 11 hits and 11 walks to Soto. The Nationals star has doubled once and homered twice against the Phillies ace.

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