The best and worst Phillies performances in June

Which Philadelphia Phillies players had the best and worst performances in June?

The 2022 season is flying by faster than a Jose Alvarado pitch.

In the blink of an eye, we’ve gone from Opening Day to July. The Philadelphia Phillies are 40-37 and with 19 wins in June, are coming off the strongest month of any season since September 2010.

However, June was anything but easy for the Phillies. They fired manager Joe Girardi and replaced him with coach Rob Thomson, and found out that they’d be without Jean Segura and Bryce Harper for well over a month, two devastating blows.

On the whole, though, the Phillies had a great month, and more players deserve to be called out for improving rather than struggling. Before the Phillies kick off July, let’s recap the best and worst June performances…

Best: Kyle Schwarber

June Schwarber is an absolute monster at the plate. Over 27 games, he hit .272/.385/.680 with a 1.065 OPS, over 300 points higher than his OPS in May or April. He also doubled his doubles total for the season, hitting six two-baggers.

And then, of course, there were the 12 home runs. Almost as many as the entire Detroit Tigers team combined (13) this month. It’s not as many as last June when he homered 16 times in an 18-game span, but it’s still an astounding home-run rate.

Worst: Bryce Harper and Jean Segura

Jean Segura and Bryce Harper are each on the Injured List with fractured fingers that required surgery. The Phillies are hopeful that Harper could return in August, but Segura looks more like September, if at this year. Losing them from the lineup hurts immensely, but losing their defensive skills hurts even more.

Best: Matt Vierling

Matt Viering had an absolutely stellar June and proved that he’s worthy of more playing time.

Over 17 games, he hit .313/.365/.542 with a .907 OPS, two doubles, and three home runs. After only 10 total bases between April and May, he had 26 in June.

Worst: Odúbel Herrera

Speaking of outfielders, as Vierling heated up, Odúbel Herrera cooled off.

Over 20 games in June, he hit .183/.246/.283 with a .530 OPS, all considerably lower marks than the previous two months of the season. While he did walk more and strike out less than he did in May, he also only went 11-for-60 with no extra-base hits except a pair of home runs.

If the Phillies can find a trade partner for him, they should.

Best: Aaron Nola

After a rocky game on June 1, Aaron Nola rebounded and continued his excellent, Cy Young-caliber season in June, lowering his ERA to 3.13 over 103 2/3 innings. His 16 starts are tied for the most in MLB, and his 0.916 WHIP, 1.215 BB/9, and 8.357 SO/W lead the NL. Among NL pitchers, he ranks second in innings pitched and strikeouts, third in pitcher WAR, and fourth in FIP.

Over his six starts in June, Nola posted a 2.51 ERA and 2.39 FIP, and struck out 43 batters over 43 innings. After struggling to go deep into games in 2021, it’s been encouraging to see him consistently do just that; he went 6+ innings in all six starts, and 7+ in all but his first start of the month.

Worst: Corey Knebel

‘Worst’ is a bit harsh, but Corey Knebel got demoted from the closer role this month in favor of the closer-by-committee stratagem.

Knebel improved in June, lowering his ERA from 5.40 over 11 2/3 innings in May to 3.60 over 10 innings in June. He earned three saves, but he falls under ‘Worst’ category because the Phillies can’t trust him to close.