The Philadelphia Phillies' offense was supposed to be built for October. The Phillies convinced the fan base for six-plus months that this was the group they believed could get it done in the postseason. When it mattered most, when the lights were the brightest, the offense folded in disappointing fashion.
Where the blame lies most after losing in their second straight NLDS is with the top three hitters in the lineup. It was the highest-paid players, Trea Turner ($300 million), Kyle Schwarber ($79 million) and Bryce Harper ($330 million) that really crippled them. They needed to be leaders. The Phillies needed to trust their stars to carry them through the month of October, but they instead stand out as the main fault of another early end to a Phillies' hopeful season.
Phillies' pattern impossible to ignore after another postseason collapse thanks to Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper
Turner, Schwarber and Harper are/were signed for $709 million. The team paid them for series like this against one of the best teams in baseball in the Los Angeles Dodgers. Games 1 and 2 of the NLDS saw the Phillies do exactly the opposite of fulfilling that prophecy.
The big bats had countless moments to come through, especially with runners in scoring position, but the Phillies were only able to scratch across six runs in two games at home. The top three went a combined 2-for-21 with 11 strikeouts.
Game 3 now sits as the outlier, as they went 7-for-13, with Schwarber hitting two home runs in an 8-2 rout. It seemed like the offense was turning it around just in time, but the magic quickly ran out with another 1-for-14 performance in Game 4 in which they only scored a single run in a generational heartbreaker.
It was another year of this core staying together, another year of serious money being funneled into this lineup, and again they have nothing to show for it. During the regular season, Turner won the NL batting title. Schwarber won the home run and RBI title. When healthy, Harper is always a threat for the MVP award.
These three had a track record of greatness in the postseason, but for some reason, it's been too much for them since Game 6 of the 2023 NLCS. The Phillies as a team have dropped eight of their last 10 postseason games, including going 1-5 at home.
Now 2025 is over. It's time to reassess before free agency begins following the World Series, and unfortunately that includes Schwarber as well. The Phillies won't be better without him, but they have a lot to figure out as a collective before they try to bring the band back together. They don't necessarily have to blow up the lineup, including the top three, but something has to change.