There's no way to sugarcoat how awful the Phillies' season has been one month into action. Philadelphia is now miserably in the basement of the NL East standings, which is legitimately mind-blowing, considering that the Mets lost a dozen straight games.
But misery loves company, right? Especially in Philadelphia. Who can we turn to in order to cope with this embarrassing start? Around the league, who has been just as bad as the Phillies to comfort us during this murky time?
How about three Phillies who were on the team last year, but have moved on hoping for greener pastures? Harrison Bader, Nick Castellanos, and Jordan Romano are the former Phils to look at. Their numbers are about as low as Phillies' fans morale.
Harrison Bader, Nick Castellanos, Jordan Romano have not found success since leaving Phillies
To Bader's credit, he didn't necessarily want to leave the Phillies. That part still stings a bit. But, his slow start in San Francisco has us wanting to give the Phillies' front office some kind of justification. Bader's -4 OPS+ through his first 15 games is absurdly disappointing. He had a 124 OPS+ with Philadelphia last year, which had fans eager for his return.
They didn't get what they wanted, but maybe it was for good reason. He's striking out about once every three at-bats.
But then there's Castellanos. His relationship with the Phillies was messy, and it wasn't the organization's fault. It became one of those situations where both sides wanted nothing to do with each other. Castellanos is also in the NL West with Bader, but a few hours south in San Diego.
His numbers are just as bad, registering a .404 OPS and over a 29% strikeout rate. Entering April 25, he hasn't hit a home run in 23 games, which dates back to last season. This year, he is without a homer through 16 contests.
Jordan Romano has been on the struggle bus for three seasons now. Sandwiched in the middle of this epic journey was a one-year stint in Philadelphia in 2025, where he logged an 8.23 ERA, four losses, and three blown saves. Romano allowed 10 runs in his final 10.1 innings pitched as one of the most memorable departing gifts in franchise history.
And yet, he is just as bad with the Angels this season. His 1.773 WHIP is a career worst. He also blew back-to-back appearances against the Yankees, which is the perfect way to get your fanbase to scoff in disgust every time you take the mound.
You never want to root against players too hard, but seeing others perform this poorly should cushion the Phillies fans' pain for some time.
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