The unthinkable happened. The team that finally won the division after close to a decade and a half, riding high as one of the best baseball teams in the league, completely crumbled at the plate and (leaving starters out of this) at the mound.
A lackluster opening game, a magical Game 2, a disappointing Game 3, and a heartbreaking Game 4. And the Philadelphia Phillies are now looking for so many answers on every level of the organization.
Phillies' 2024 collapse different but strikingly similar to other Philly teams
But with this current collapse, it is interesting to look back on how other Philadelphia teams (and even other Phillies seasons) compare to this one. Which ones compare and contrast the best? Which players or coaches are almost exactly alike in the way they performed or made decisions? Here are instances from each team where they are very similar, as well as polar opposites (no that is not a Pete Alonso pun).
The 2023-24 Eagles
If you are a full on Philadelphia fan and not just for the baseball team, the horrid picture is all still clear in the minds of Eagles fans. And honestly, it is strikingly similar to this year's Phillies.
A grand start to the regular season, becoming one of the top teams in the NFL. Although close to every game was a nail biter when it never had to be that way. Led by a coach who many questioned since he arrived, and once the rematch against the 49ers rolled around, had many people further questioning his legitimacy as head coach.
And then ending the regular season on a bad foot, going directly into the playoffs against a team with much more momentum than the Eagles. Playing on the road, they were absolutely thwarted, leaving fans heartbroken. Sounds familiar, right?
The 2018-2019 76ers
Now we're taking it back to when the Phillies were not even considered a playoff team, and the Eagles just won their coveted Super Bowl (which may or may not have cursed the entire city for centuries to come?).
The basketball team hailing from the Wells Fargo Center had their best squad yet after making some offseason acquisitions, especially in the gritty Jimmy Butler. And with the young (dare I say Daycare) duo in Embiid and everyone's favorite Ben Simmons, this looked like the window for the team to make their first NBA Finals in almost two decades.
But once again, how else can you end a season this promising? With Kawhi Leonard hitting one of the greatest buzzer-beaters in NBA history. How else can a team lose their season any more depressingly? Some can say you almost saw it coming.
The 2020 Flyers
Now here is where we reach a point where this team can be more carefully compared to the 2022 Phillies and not this year's Phillies. First off, there was a global pandemic going on and all games were played at a neutral site. But leaving that out of the way, it was how the Broad Street Bullies actually made important changes to their staff and their player rotations. A new coaching staff and key free agent signings that actually made a positive impact on the team.
The team started off shaky, but then the pandemic paused literally everything. And when they came back, they were a brand new team that shocked the hockey airwaves. But then again, we see some similarities. After winning the first round, they meet the New York Islanders for a seven-game series. A couple of games were postponed, and the Flyers had an insane Game 6 that went to two overtimes.
But for the coveted Game 7, you can probably guess what happened. Yes, a 4-0 loss and another incredible collapse for a promising Philadelphia sports team.
The 2011 Phillies
We are taking it there. All the way back to when FanSided was an infant. Some mentions here may feel eerily similar to this year's team, almost like it came straight out of a horror copypasta. The prior season, in 2010, the Phillies ended their season in the NLCS against the San Francisco Giants, and there was a coaching change at first base.
Jayson Werth left, Cliff Lee came back, and we had our four stars in the starting rotation, like Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sánchez and Ranger Suárez. One thing that does not compare to this year's team is the fact this team stayed consistently dominant throughout the entire season. They won over 100 games and clinched the division for a fifth straight year.
Then in the NLDS, they faced the team that would win it all (please do not have the New York Mets follow this same fate), the St. Louis Cardinals. Game 1 went our way and Game 2 did not after a comeback, the complete opposite of this year. The Phillies took a 2-1 lead, and David Freese made sure the series went back to CBP tied at two games apiece (would have been nice for this year).
And the biggest kick to the gut? The Cardinals advanced off of a 1-0 win. The Phillies bats going cold was their ultimate demise. And we do not need to discuss what happened to The Big Piece.
All in all, this city has seen a lot of turmoil, chaos and utterly saddening moments in sports. This Phillies campaign just adds to it. Will it ever change? We can only hope to feel the euphoria that Nick Foles gave us that Sunday night in February, but with a World Series trophy in the hands of Bryce Harper.