3 Phillies players who appeared to be cursed in 2023
These Phillies players probably wish things went better for them in 2023.
For 2023, many of the Philadelphia Phillies players had great years overall in helping the ballclub to a successful regular season, leading to their truly deserving spot in the MLB postseason. With contributions coming from everywhere, whether it was the offense, defense or pitching, the Phillies got it done.
However, there were a few players who seemed to struggle throughout the season and were never able to find their groove for much of the year. Or, in the case of one unfortunate star, literally ran into a major case of bad luck. As a result, for these players, it sure felt like they were cursed in 2023.
Here, we look at three Phillies players who probably wished 2023 never happened and will be hoping for a nice rebound in the future.
If the Phillies end up winning it all, perhaps no one will remember the bad luck these three players encountered during 2023.
Rhys Hoskins
In the case of Rhys Hoskins, his bad luck came really early in 2023. Set to enter free agency at the end of the season, Hoskins was looking to put up some big numbers. Partly to help the Phillies’ quest to get back into the World Series and deal with some unfinished business and partly to help set up his next big contract.
Unfortunately, Hoskins sustained a torn ACL in his left knee while trying to field a ball in play during a Spring Training game against the Detroit Tigers. His injury would abruptly end his entire 2023 season, as he could only watch from the sidelines as his teammates marched on to the playoffs.
He is currently trying his best to work himself back into form, hoping to be ready perhaps by the World Series if the Phillies do make it. Nevertheless, losing out on over 95% of the season on a routine play certainly hurt Hoskins, both for the present and in his near future. He'll hope to bounce back next season, whether with the Phillies or a new ballclub.
Seranthony Domínguez
Seranthony Domínguez was one of the Phillies’ most reliable relievers last season. Along with José Alvarado and David Robertson, he formed the three-headed monster, closing out games during the 2022 season. Their absolute dominance was relied upon by the Phillies day in and day out as the big three collectively did their part in taking the team right to the World Series.
In 2023, Domínguez was back for another season with the Phillies, looking to repeat or even top his performance from last season. However, 2023 has been somewhat of a disappointment for him.
Last season, Domínguez sported a winning record of 6-5 with a tidy 3.00 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP, giving up only four home runs and amassing 61 strikeouts in just 51 innings pitched. In contrast, in 2023 Domínguez encountered some struggles, posting a 3.78 ERA and a bloated 1.40 WHIP, while having issues with control at times, giving up seven home runs, 22 walks and 48 strikeouts in 50 innings of work.
More significantly, he blew a total of seven games this season, compared to only two all of last year.
He sustained a left oblique strain injury midway through the season, so perhaps that had some effect on his overall performance at times. But his inconsistency persisted throughout the year, so there was possibly more to it than just a minor ailment.
Nevertheless, Domínguez will look to regain his form, hopefully just in time for the current playoff run by the Phillies to break the cursed season once and for all.
So far, so good for the big righty. He has only appeared in one game, pitching a single inning against Atlanta. Despite giving up a pair of hits, he collected three strikeouts and kept the Braves off the board.
Gregory Soto
After being traded from the Detroit Tigers to the Phillies this past offseason, Gregory Soto was looking to become a solid contributor for the ballclub as he was finally pitching for a contending team.
No one doubted his stuff because he had found success even with the underachieving Tigers the past couple of seasons as their closer. In the past two years, Soto maintained an ERA below 3.40 in each of those seasons while converting a total of 48 saves over that stretch.
However, despite utilizing the same two-pitch arsenal that he possessed from before and bringing it into a National League setting, Soto failed to prosper with the Phillies. Perhaps it was due to some bad luck because he was actually ranked in the upper echelon of the league across many advanced statistical categories.
However, in 2023, Soto has compiled a 3-4 record with a gaudy 4.62 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP, giving up 31 earned runs, including six home runs in 60 1/3 innings pitched. At a few points during the season, he even saw his ERA balloon above five.
Similar to Domínguez, Soto will be looking to use the current playoffs to make amends for his regular season play. However, he has been off to a so-so start so far, giving up an earned run on two hits in one inning of work against the Miami Marlins. His struggles occurred despite coming into the game with the Phillies up comfortably 7-0.
Hopefully, he'll find his groove in time to help the team make it all the way back to the World Series.