Phillies finally crack top 10 in MLB.com's Power Rankings

After winning three of their first four August series to this point and having a 6-4 homestand, the Philadelphia Phillies made it into the seventh spot in MLB.com's Power Rankings.

Prior to this week the Phillies held the 11th spot in the rankings. After beating up on the Kansas City Royals and a rebuilding Washington Nationals team which featured Michael Lorenzen's no-hitter, the club was able to move into the top 10.

Despite losing a frustrating series to the Minnesota Twins, the Phillies have been playing much better baseball as of late. They currently sit 11 games over .500 and since the beginning of June, the Phillies are 40-24— which is second in all of baseball behind just the Atlanta Braves. The Phillies have overcome quite a few obstacles over the course of the season to this point such as losing first baseman Rhys Hoskins prior to the start of the year, Trea Turner underperforming for much of the season, and injuries to key players like José Alvarado.

Other players have picked up the slack. Nick Castellanos is having a terrific season as he rebounded from a tough 2022 campaign. Bryce Harper returned from the injured list early and has been a major contributor offensively— despite the lack of power— and he learned to play first base.

Internally developed players like Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott have made great strides and have improved both offensively and defensively. The pitching has the best ERA in baseball since June 1st as both the starting staff and bullpen have combined to keep opposing offenses from scoring many runs.

Perhaps one of the best things to happen to the Phillies is that Turner has begun to heat up at the plate. After receiving a standing ovation on August 4th, the newly acquired shortstop is slashing .436/.463/.744 with two home runs and ten RBI. With Turner now contributing and other players hitting the ball more consistently the club has produced more runs. Per FanGraphs, since August 4th, the Phillies have scored the second most runs in baseball (61) and are tied with Atlanta for the most home runs hit (21).

While Power Rankings do not always mean anything, the Phillies have played well enough over the last week or two to earn their spot in the Power Rankings. They have an important series against the San Francisco Giants— who are right behind them in the NL Wild Card race— looming after a tough series in Toronto and a weekend series in Washington. The club's play over the next week or two will be crucial as they inch their way closer to the final month of the season.