6 players Phillies fans should thank for scorching hot May

The Philadelphia Phillies, entering June, had a 36-22 record, tied for first place in the National League East division. The team ended the month of May with a NL-best 19-9 record in 28 games played.

In the month, the Phillies had numerous players step up and help the team recover after a slow start to April. These six players are the ones to thank the most for a hot month of baseball and for getting the team where it needs to be.

Which Phillies players helped carry the team to a 19-9 record in May?

Kyle Schwarber, DH

Starting with the offense, slugger Kyle Schwarber finished the month with 10 home runs, driving in 20 runs, by far the most on the team, keeping the middle of the lineup productive. He added 19 walks for an OBP of .403.

Since moving spots in the lineup from leadoff to the middle of the lineup, Schwarber has not missed a beat, especially after a very productive month of May that now has him fourth in baseball in home runs with 19 total, along with being top 10 in driving runs with 45 sitting ninth in all of MLB.

Trea Turner, SS

Trea Turner is the next on the list. After a slow start to the season, the Phillies asked him to change his approach to worry about contact and getting on base more, and he has answered the call to perfection. In the month of May, he finished with a slash line of .317/.352/.483 after having a total of 38 hits in 28 games, scoring 21 runs after stealing eight bases. Turner added four home runs and drove in 14 runs as he continues to hit in the leadoff spot or second in the order.

After a tremendous month of May, he has 74 hits which sits him fourth in the MLB and first overall in the National League. Turner continues to be the spark plug at the top of the lineup and has the offense improving throughout the course of the season, helping the Phillies heat up heading into the summer days. 

Alec Bohm, 3B

After a bad opening month for the Phillies' third baseman, Bohm turned his season around with a scorching hot month of baseball. In the month of April, Bohm finished with a slash line of .213/.242/.266 before jumping to a .324/.364/.510 in his 27 games played in May. Bohm added five home runs compared to zero in April and drove in 13.

Bohm saw himself drop to eighth in the lineup after his struggles, which seemed to have helped spark and figure out his swing with less pressure down in the order. This was a smart move by manager Rob Thomson, helping Bohm get right and get his confidence back, as this team will need him driving in runs again in the middle of the order, where he has started to find himself again. 

Zack Wheeler, RHP

The Phillies' pitching staff was led by Zack Wheeler with a 4-1 record, throwing 32 innings in five starts made. In those starts, four of those five were quality starts as he posted a 2.25 ERA in the month while striking out 37 batters. His four wins tied him for the most in baseball for the month, along with teammate Ranger Suárez.

The pitchers needed to step up after Aaron Nola was sent to the IL. Wheeler was the first to do so after pitching his way back into the Cy Young race after a down month of April for Wheeler. 

Ranger Suárez, LHP

Ranger Suárez wasted no time making an immediate impact for the Phillies, jumping back into a strong rotation. He put together a strong month after a tough first outing off the injured list, where he allowed seven earned runs.

He responded with three scoreless outings over his last four with four consecutive quality starts. He posted a perfect 4-0 record, striking out 31 in 30 1/3 innings of work. He posted a 2.97 ERA. Suárez has only gotten stronger in each start and continues to improve back to his form. 

Orion Kerkering, RHP

Orion Kerkering turned in a phenomenal month of May for the Phillies' bullpen. After the crushing news of José Alvarado’s suspension, Kerkering has fully answered the call to step up. He was perfect in his hold opportunities with six in May, with a 1-0 record. He pitched in 12 games, only allowing one earned run while striking out eight.

He has been better coming in with runners on base in high-leverage situations and helping the Phillies escape jams. Kerkering has been a major step in the right direction for the Phillies in adjusting to the in-season adversity, which not only is a big step this season but also for his young career.

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