The reigning NL Champ Philadelphia Phillies are tied with the San Francisco Giants for the first NL Wild Card spot, both teams are three games up on Chicago and Cincinnati, who are also tied. The Phillies have fought their way back from being on the outside looking in at the All-Star break. What a relief it is to see consistent baseball to stay over .500, it is hard to believe only a handful of years ago Maikel Franco and Tommy Joseph were headlining this team.
Between Taijuan Walker’s 13 wins (he is the first in MLB to get 12 this season) and Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm heating up, the Phillies look like the juggernaut they are supposed to be despite Brandon Marsh’s knee contusion.
Johan Rojas has been a really key piece for this Phillies team down the stretch. His above average speed and glove make him irreplaceable in center field and his bat is starting to come around at the Major League level.
As a whole, the Phillies look really good coming off a series win at home against Kansas City. Despite not being able to sweep, the series win still gets the job done. The more they can keep winning series, the closer they get to clinching.
Currently, the Phillies have an 80.5 percent chance to clinch a wild card berth, and an 80.8% chance of making the playoffs in general. And, as everyone around baseball knows, there really is no chance the Phillies win the NL East this year with the Braves playing really good baseball.
For the Fightin’ Phil’s the playoffs are there for the taking. Continued series wins will spell good fortune on their October hopes, especially if Trea Turner really is back to his ways.
Continued reading on the stars of the 2023 Phillies:
A look at Craig Kimbrel's 2023 season and why he's the Phillies' MVP
Which Phillies players may no longer be in the ballclub's plans for 2024?
3 Biggest Swings and Misses The Phillies Made at the Deadline