3 silver linings from the Phillies’ 2023 playoff run
The Phillies' season ended abruptly on Tuesday night in a devastating Game 7 loss, but the 2023 playoff run had plenty of bright spots.
The Philadelphia Phillies' season ended sooner than many expected on Tuesday night. The club's first Game 7 appearance in its history did not go according to plan, as they were eliminated and sent home, not reaching their goal of the World Series.
Overall, the Phillies looked good from a pitching and offensive standpoint for much of the postseason, but bullpen issues and untimely slumps eventually led to the club spiraling and losing two home games, which ended the 2023 postseason run.
While fans are still reeling from the shocking Game 6 and 7 losses, it's worth remembering that much of the postseason up until the Arizona road trip was successful. The Phillies swept the Miami Marlins in the Wild Card Series and knocked the division rival Atlanta Braves out of playoff contention for the second consecutive season.
In a roller coaster of a postseason run, who were the bright spots in a disappointingly short postseason?
There are other players, such as Jeff Hoffman and José Alvarado, who deserve honorable mentions. Both relievers pitched well when called upon and will likely be big factors in the 2024 Phillies' bullpen.
Offensive stars such as Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber all had big hits and monster home runs in the 2023 playoffs but were omitted because they faded in the final two games in Philadelphia in the win-or-go-home games.
Zack Wheeler
The Phillies relied heavily on Zack Wheeler in each postseason series. The ace didn't disappoint. In five postseason appearances — four of which were starts — Wheeler dominated his opponents. He posted a 1.95 ERA in 27 2/3 innings, during which he struck out 35 hitters. Opposing batters hit just .170 against him in the playoffs, and Wheeler's WHIP was an astonishing 0.72.
Wheeler has been a workhorse for the Phillies since he was signed prior to the 2020 season. Rob Thomson and the rest of the club knew when the ace took the mound, they would have a shot to win a ballgame. When the Phillies were in a do-or-die Game 7 situation, Wheeler was available out of the bullpen.
Thomson didn't hesitate to use his ace in relief. Wheeler entered Game 7 to stop the Diamondbacks from putting any more runs on the board. He succeeded. Wheeler pitched a scoreless 1 1/3 out of the bullpen. Unfortunately for the Phillies, the offense couldn't capitalize.
Brandon Marsh
Brandon Marsh was one of the only Phillies' offensive players who didn't fade in the final few games of the NLCS. Despite not playing against left-handed pitching in some earlier postseason games, the Phillies' outfielder made his mark when he took the field.
In 38 at-bats, Marsh racked up 13 hits — five of which were for extra bases. Eight of Marsh's 13 hits came in the NLCS when many of the other Phillies' hitters floundered. Marsh went hitless in his first three games this postseason. He rebounded quickly, however. In his next nine games, he recorded at least one hit.
Marsh's postseason OPS was .931. While that may not have been the highest on the team and he may not have provided any of the most memorable hits in the playoffs, he was one of the few offensive players who contributed consistently.
Ranger Suárez
Suárez was once again a postseason hero. In four appearances — all starts — the left-hander posted a 1.93 ERA in 18 2/3 innings. Despite falling off a little bit in Game 7 of the NLCS, Suárez was as calm and reliable as they come over the course of the 2023 postseason. In 14 innings prior to Tuesday night's loss, the left-hander allowed just one earned run.
Suárez kept the Phillies in games throughout the playoffs. He may not have gone as deep as Wheeler in some of his starts, but his outings were equally important. As the No. 3 starter for the club in the playoffs, his job was to get through the opposing lineup two, maybe three, times and limit the opposition from scoring. He did just that.
Suárez's overall postseason numbers are so impressive. Prior to Game 7, he had the best ERA in MLB postseason history and was mentioned with Sandy Koufax due to his low postseason ERA. Despite giving up three runs in Game 7, the left-hander's postseason ERA is still just 1.62 — for reference, Cy Young's was 1.59.
It was a fun postseason until it wasn't. The Phillies faded while the Diamondbacks rose to the occasion. The team received contributions from many players, but these three players were the most consistent.
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