3 massive Phillies concerns even more glaring after getting swept by the Mets
The Philadelphia Phillies against the New York Mets is always a big series. Whether it’s opening a season or not until the end of May like this week’s first meeting, the two National League East rivals often enjoy beating up on each other.
Unfortunately, this was a one-sided bout.
The Phillies lost all three of their games against the Mets. If panic time hadn’t already arrived, it’s here now. These three massive concerns are more present than ever.
1) The Phillies offense showed the worst of itself against the NY Mets
In game one, the Phillies didn’t even get to second base. In game two, it was an Edmundo Sosa to account for their only run of the game. They had an early lead in game three and went silent after the first inning.
This was the worst of the Phillies offense in this series. Prone to fall asleep as regularly as it can explode against an opponent, they napped through this one.
We could do a roll-call of players to blame, but where would it end? The disappointing offense barely put up a fight. The June version of Kyle Schwarber failed to show up early for this series. While the team was able to piece together a few hits here and there, they never could string together enough to get things rolling.
Outscored 10-3, the Phillies somehow managed to have 9 hits in one loss and 6 in the other compared to who had only 5 and 4 respectively in them.
Clutch hitting has been the Achilles heel of this team. Trea Turner is now hitting .180/.281/.280 with runners in scoring position. Bryce Harper is slashing .100/.321/.200.
The Phillies aren’t as scary to face as they should be. Folding up and taking three straight on the chin against the Mets won’t help strike fear into anyone.
2) The Phillies pitching staff lost three duels where they just weren't sharp enough
The Mets didn’t dominate the Phillies in these three games. Contrary to the results, the Phillies were right there throughout even if they were always a couple of swings away. Ranger Suarez showed up in game one but a masterful performance from Kodai Senga has already made us forget all about him. Something similar happened the next night when Aaron Nola was defeated by Carlos Carrasco. Finally, it was Max Scherzer who showed up a little more ready to pitch than Taijuan Walker.
When we look at the Phillies roster, we find a lot of balance. The roster and the results have been far too different.
Most concerning is the Phillies actually put three quality arms on the mound. Suarez, Nola, and Walker shouldn’t lose three straight. With the fifth starter a black hole at the moment, it’s essential to squeeze as many wins out of the legitimate big league starters.
Phillies starting pitchers showed up in this series with, but because of the putrid offense, it meant nothing. The Phillies starters are capable of winning a duel. It’s impossible to come out on top when you aren’t bailed out with much help at all.
The 2023 Phillies are falling further below .500 than what’s acceptable. Now 25-31 and 8 games behind the Atlanta Braves, the Phillies are falling further behind the rest of the division and giving the Mets more to fight for.
3) The biggest Phillies concern is how there is no obvious solution
The Phillies don’t have a big prospect in Triple-A knocking on the door. A bat. An arm. Even a glove. None of it is there. The only realistic solution for the Phillies aside from getting lucky on a waiver claim is for the players to perform better. June isn’t the time when a massive trade can be made. And frankly, after this series against the Mets, the Phillies look much more like a sell-off is coming than an actual summer of buying.
The lineup may look dangerous and the rotation has some really good arms. Even the bullpen, at times this year, has been trustworthy. Philadelphia never seemed to have any sort of a backup plan. There was no true fifth starter from the start of the season. They ignored roster depth. All of their dependence is in big name players performing at a high level. This formula worked in 2022. Not so much in 2023.
It was on June 3, 2023 when the Phillies fired Joe Girardi. They were 22-29 at the time. Firing Rob Thomson isn’t the solution this time. What can they possibly do?
If the Phillies aren’t rattled awake after losing to the Mets, nothing will get them right. The concerns for the Phillies are real. How they respond after will tell us exactly who they are.
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