It has finally happened. The Philadelphia Phillies are finally being recognized as the steamroller they are. After rising to No. 2 in MLB.com's Power Rankings last week, the 34-14 Phillies take over the No.1 spot this week.
It's about time.
Say what you will about the schedule, this squad is doing exactly what it should be doing against weaker teams. The Phillies are tied for the best record in franchise history through the first 48 games of the season. They're the first team this year to 30 wins and the first team to go over the .500 mark by 20 games.
Phillies finally take their rightful spot in MLB.com's Power Rankings
The team with the best record in baseball just keeps winning, in all sorts of ways. The Phillies secured their sixth series sweep of the season after taking take of business against the Washington Nationals on Sunday with a convincing 11-5 win.
The starting rotation is the best in MLB. The starters' 6.9 fWAR is first overall (the Royals are second at 5.5) and is a result of their MLB-leading 288 innings pitched and MLB-best 2.63 ERA. The bullpen has had its ups and downs, as most bullpens do, but has amassed the second-best fWAR at 2.4.
On the offensive side of the ball, they've been powered by a wide range of players. Trea Turner was driving the top of the lineup before his injury. Alec Bohm has been their most valuable hitter and one of the best in the league. Bryson Stott has heated up in Turner's absence after a slow start. Even Kody Clemens has been getting in on the act.
KODY CLUTCH#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/8BYbtadUEB
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 19, 2024
Oh, and they have some guy named Bryce Harper who has quietly gone about putting together a team-leading 10 home runs and is up to an .890 OPS. Plus, there's Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto doing their things. The list of contributors goes on and on.
Here's how the rest of the Top 5 field looks this week:
No. 1: Phillies
No. 2: Dodgers
No. 3: Yankees
No. 4: Orioles
No. 5: Braves
The Atlanta Braves are, fittingly, in the No. 5 spot. They sit 5.0 games back of the Phillies in the NL East. It's a position the Braves aren't used to — neither are their fans, apparently.
Despite the lead, we can still expect a fight for the division in the coming months. It's going to be a battle to get back to the World Series, but as MLB.com's Will Leitch writes, the Phillies "may never have a better opportunity than they do right now."