2 reasons Phillies fans should still have optimism following disappointing series in NY
To say the Philadelphia Phillies have been off to a rough start in 2023 would be a bit of an understatement. The defending National League Champions have fallen to a 25-31 record on the season and are only one game ahead of last place in the NL East after getting swept by the New York Mets to close out May and begin June.
However, the Phillies are only eight games behind first place in the NL East with over 100 games remaining in the regular season. We saw in the division just a year ago that no lead is safe Mets held a lead of over ten games at the beginning of June in 2022, yet would eventually finish second in the NL East to the Atlanta Braves. However, neither the Mets nor Braves were able to even capture a playoff series victory, and the third-place Phillies would go on to win the National League pennant.
There are plenty of reasons to believe the Phillies can find success during the month of June
The return of Bryce Harper from elbow surgery, the signing of star shortstop Trea Turner, and the first season of Rob Thomson are all reasons the Phillies came into the season with high hopes. While they all remain, we'll look at why the Phillies may be able to start improving upon their .446 winning percentage following their June first loss.
A combination of the history of the Phillies and their players' performances in the early summer, the emergence of a left-handed reliever in the bullpen, and familiar faces working their way back from injury are giving us some positives to focus on, and some hope that better days are on their way to baseball in the City of Brotherly Love.
Kyle Schwarber's history in June suggests better days for the Phillies' slugger
We'll get an obvious talking point out of the way for the upcoming month. Kyle Schwarber has been among the best power hitters in baseball in June, and history provides us insight as to why Schwarber may be able to find that magic again in 2023.
Schwarber's .268 batting average and .607 slugging percentage are the two highest in any month of his career, according to BaseballReference.com. Following making his MLB debut in June of 2015, Schwarber has 47 home runs and 107 RBIs in the month, which are his highest single-month totals and account for 22 percent of his career home runs and 23 percent of his career RBIs.
The power-hitting lefty was able to carry this success over to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2022 as well. Schwarber hit 12 of his National League-leading 46 home runs in the month of June 2022, his highest of any month total in the season. Schwarber also held a sub-.200 batting average as the Phillies entered June 2022, but he improved drastically in June with a .272 batting average.
The Philadelphia Phillies' schedule also bodes well for the slugger in the games to come. Schwarber bats .311 in his career against the Phillies' next opponent, the Washington Nationals. According to StatMuse.com he also has a batting average of .250 or higher against four of the remaining seven teams the Phillies face in the month following the nationals, with 61 homers in 131 career games against the teams the Phillies face during the month of June.
The emergence of Matt Strahm has given the Phillies a star in the bullpen as summer begins
To begin the 2023 season, Matt Strahm was the fourth or fifth option as a starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. However, Strahm's intended role in Philly was to be a reliever in the bullpen that could cover longer stretches, and players returning from injury have given the 31-year-old to shine in his return to the bullpen.
Strahm has been phenomenal in the first third of the 2023 Regular Season. He holds a record of 4-3, an ERA of 3.13, and a WHIP of 1.018 with 51 strikeouts in 37.1 innings pitched so far this year. This has been a significant step up as the 2012 21st-round pick currently holds a career record of 21-31, an ERA of 3.74, and a WHIP of 1.187.
Following his big league debut with the Kansas City Royals in 2016, the North Dakota native spent time with the San Diego Padres and Boston Red Sox before coming to Philadelphia on a two-year $15 million deal over the offseason. Strahm has utilized his three-pitch arsenal of a fastball, slider, and cutter well, as BaseballSavant.com ranks Strahm in the 84 percentile or higher in whiff percentage, expected batting average, and strike percentage in 2023.
However, Strahm's emergence in the bullpen and as a starter would likely not have been possible if it weren't for injuries giving him chances as a starter, and players coming back from injury can only bode well for the Phillies in June. Left-handed starter Ranger Suárez made his 2023 debut in May and could begin to find his groove coming off a game in Citi Field, where he pitched 6.2 innings and allowed five hits and two runs with four strikeouts. Bullpen arm Josê Alvarado will also be returning sometime during the month, meaning the Philadelphia Phillies' ability to close out games will only improve as time goes on
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