The Philadelphia Phillies clinched a first-round bye with an 11-1 bashing of the Miami Marlins on Wednesday. The convincing win secured the No. 2 seed and home field advantage in the NLDS, while the Milwaukee Brewers still hold onto the top seed in the National League. Even with the No. 1 seed still technically in play, the focus for the Phillies should shift to their health in preparing for the postseason.
With the win, the Phillies are at 93-65 on the season. They sit 2.5 games behind the Brewers, with one additional game needed due to the Brewers winning the season series for the tiebreaker. It's still within reach, but is highly unlikely with only four games remaining. What the Phillies really require is rest as much as possible before the start of the NLDS.
Phillies’ biggest advantage in postseason will be health of their starters
Say what you will about building momentum in the Wild Card round, every team in baseball would rather have a break to rest, reassess and prepare for a five-game series in their home ballpark. The grind of 162 can be exhausting and mentally taxing. A break from the marathon gives a club like the Phillies chance to reset and build a game plan around whatever team could be stepping into Citizens Bank Park come Oct. 4.
The Phillies have been one of the healthiest teams in MLB since their championship window opened in 2022. This season has arguably been the most adversity-filled year they've had during this run. They lost ace Zack Wheeler for the year in August, went without Bryce Harper for a month and Aaron Nola for three, and most recently lost Trea Turner (subscription required). Luckily for the Phillies, Turner is expected to return to the lineup just before playoff time.
The postseason is a different animal, and the first-round bye will present another important opportunity for the Phillies. The October sprint is a war of attrition, and the Phillies have exactly what they want in front of them to avoid breaking down physically and mentally. They will need as many players at their disposal when configuring the postseason roster, and that certainly means the expected starters that have put in the work to get them to this point.
A bye doesn't guarantee anything besides the first round, so the Phillies will look to make the most of their time while they wait. They'll be anxiously waiting to play in front of the rowdy Citizens Bank Park in Red October, so it's absolutely vital that the players get their bodies right before battling for the World Series.