The Phillies ending their postseason drought would be especially meaningful for Jean Segura.
The Philadelphia Phillies franchise will not be the only ones hopefully celebrating a decade-plus-long postseason drought finally coming to an end. Eleven years and more than 1,300 games later, Phillies second baseman Jean Segura is on the verge of snapping his personal playoff drought — which is the longest among active players.
With the Phillies defeating the Washington Nationals on Sunday — coupled with the Milwaukee Brewers falling in extra innings to the Miami Marlins — any singular Phillies win or Brewers loss in the next three games will officially mark the long-awaited return of “Red October.”
Segura made his MLB debut in July 2012 — a short nine months since the Phillies were heartbreakingly eliminated by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2011 National League Division Series. Coincidentally, interim manager Rob Thomson’s squad is lined up to oppose the same team in the three-game Wild Card Series, slated to get underway on Friday.
A two-out, two-strike hit by Jean Segura put the Phils up two over the Nats. pic.twitter.com/XBIaVQ3VGU
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) September 30, 2022
Segura came to the Phils via trade after the 2018 season from the Seattle Mariners — who recently ended their 21-year, MLB-long postseason drought. Now, the Phillies’ drought is the longest in baseball — but hopefully, that infamous title will be transferred to another team in the coming hours or days.
Former Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager played his entire 11-season career for the American League West club. In 1,480 games, Seager never played postseason baseball. Had Corey Seager’s brother stuck it out for one more year, he likewise would have ended both his personal and overall team’s droughts this season.
Hall of Fame infielder Ernie Banks — who played 2,528 games for the Chicago Cubs from 1953 to 1971 — holds the all-time record for most career games without a postseason appearance.
As the Philadelphia Inquirer notes, Segura waived his no-trade clause to come to Philadelphia because he believed the organization was in a position to win. Now, it appears the 32-year-old will finally get that chance.