The Philadelphia Phillies continue their excellent play during the first half of May. Their 30 wins are the most in the majors, and their .697 win percentage is also the first in baseball. They are simply taking care of business by consistently winning series.
Unlike in previous years, the Phillies have either won the majority of or swept all of the games in a series aside from the first week of the 2024 regular season. They have not played down to the competition nor have they lost a series they should have won during the last month.
Examples include winning all three contests against the struggling Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox in April. More recently, the Phillies also won all four games against the San Francisco Giants and won two of three versus the Miami Marlins.
Phillies taking over all the MLB power rankings lists
Philly is the best club or near the top of the latest power ranking lists. They are No. 1 in CBS Sports, Fox Sports, and SportsGrid's lists. MLB.com, Bleacher Report, and ESPN have the Phillies as the second-best team in baseball. USA Today has them ranked the lowest as the fourth-best club in the majors despite their top record.
Phillies' power rankings as of May 13:
MLB.com: 2nd
CBS Sports: 1st
Bleacher Report: 2nd
Fox Sports: 1st
USA Today: 4th
ESPN: 2nd
SportsGrid: 1st
Matt Snyder of CBS Sports writes that the Phillies' winning 20 of 25 games is impressive. ESPN notes that Philadelphia's record with Bryce Harper in their last 18 contests (17-1) has led to their success. USA Today's Gabe Lacques writes that Ranger Suárez's amazing 1.50 ERA may have him as a favorite for the NL Cy Young Award.
Coolest man alive. pic.twitter.com/WsidrrXbdb
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 11, 2024
Suárez is off to a historic start entering his scheduled start on May 15 versus the New York Mets. The left-hander has a 7-0 record with a 1.50 ERA in eight starts. Alec Bohm has exceeded expectations with an excellent slash line of .333/.400/.526 with a .926 OPS in 42 contests. He totaled 31 doubles last year and already has 16 in 2024. He leads Philadelphia with 35 RBI.
Despite losing Trea Turner for multiple weeks with a hamstring injury earlier in May, the Phillies have maintained their success. Reserves Edmundo Sosa and Whit Merrifield have received more playing time in light of the injury.
After a slow start in April, Bryson Stott has improved so far this month. He finished April with a .200/.290/.350 line in 80 at-bats. In his 32 at-bats so far during May, he has a slash line of .438/.556/.688. His 12 RBI are already tied with his total from April.
Philly has done well so far in a season that the club is aiming to win a World Series. Their strong play overall so far is a good sign they will fulfill the high expectations they have come October. If they are playing this strong in the fall, they have a good chance at winning their first championship since 2008.