5 Phillies that need to step up for the ballclub to stand a chance in 2023

Despite some struggles along the way, the Philadelphia Phillies have actually done well enough to stay afloat in the NL playoff race so far in 2023. Currently, they hold a 61-51 record and sit tied with the San Francisco Giants for the first Wild Card spot, while giving themselves a little breathing room from those that are trying to chase them down in the Miami Marlins, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks.

Along the way, the Phillies have had some unsung heroes such as Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, Brandon Marsh, Jeff Hoffman and Cristopher Sánchez. Together, they have helped give the ballclub that extra boost with impressive seasons to date. But at the same time, there have been those that have struggled somewhat throughout the year that were expected to contribute to a higher degree based on their previous track records. The fact that they haven’t heated up yet while the Phillies are comfortably in a playoff spot bodes well for the team, as down the stretch, if they do end up turning it around, the Phillies could become an unstoppable force in the playoffs.

Here, we take a look at five Phillies players that will need to step it up for the ballclub for them to comfortably nail down a playoff spot, along with having a fighting chance to win it all in the postseason this year as a result. Without them, it could potentially be more of a grind and struggle to the finish for the ballclub without a guarantee that they would even make it either.