Ranking the Phillies most and least clutch players during the 2023 season

There are specific moments in sports that everyone remembers. When the game is near the end, it’s a tight game, and there’s a chance to win it, that’s when the best of the best comes out of certain players. Or it could go the opposite way, the player flounders and underperforms in the game's biggest moments. These moments are when the game is decided and having the players who excel in those situations bode well for deep playoff runs.

The 2023 Phillies have a number of players that rise to the occasion and capitalize on these clutch moments evidenced by the number of comeback wins they have. The Phillies rank third in the league with 35 come-from-behind wins in 2023 and, even more impressive, eight ninth inning comeback wins which ranks first in the league. This is a vast difference from last year where they had 37 comeback wins during the entirety of the season and just five ninth inning comebacks.

Let’s take a look at who on this Phillies team performs the best under pressure in high leverage situations and who falters more often than not. To analyze, we will look at the statistics in high leverage scenarios and “Clutch” numbers from Baseball-Reference.

Most clutch players:

1.     Bryce Harper

It should come as no surprise that Bryce Harper is the most clutch Phillie this year. Time after time again, he has stepped up to the plate at a big moment and has delivered. The numbers back the eye test on this one. In “Late & Close” game situations which is categorized by being in the 7th inning or later and the team being within one run or with the tying run at least on deck, he is slashing an unbelievable .397/.480/1.067. That’s mind boggling. He gets on base almost half the time in a clutch situation. With runners in scoring position and two outs he has 14 RBI which is 30% of his entire RBI total. Harper thrives in moments where he is needed the most. In games where the margin is greater than four runs, the 30-year-old hits .177/.263/469 obviously taking his foot off the pedal when the moment doesn’t call for it. Harper is the emotional leader of this team, and he surely backs up his role with his performances in the biggest of moments.

2.     Alec Bohm

You would think that the team leader in RBI would land on the most clutch list. Bohm has specifically excelled in situations with two outs and runners in scoring position. Leading the team with 27 RBI in that situation with a slash line of .323/.371/.848. RBI totals are sometimes a factor of where you hit in the lineup and who gets on in front of you, but there’s no denying that hitting with runners on and two outs is an important aspect of the game that Bohm has surely delivered in. In Late & Close situations, he is batting about his average on the season, hitting .288 and getting on base at a .329 clip. His power dips in these situations, hitting just one homerun to the tune of a .704 OPS. Overall, Bohm is the type of player, which shows through his numbers, that stays level no matter the situation. His average doesn’t dip below .264 and doesn’t go higher than .324 when looking at plate appearances by margin of the game. He has done a great job all season at getting the bat on the ball and driving the runners in.

3.     Bryson Stott

It is uncommon for a 25-year-old, second year pro to be as patience and calm at the plate as Bryson Stott displays. His keen eye and bat-to-ball skills translate terrifically to high leverage and clutch situations. Batting .246 in two out and RISP and .264 in Late & Close game situations is not something to write home about but it’s the on base percentage that sticks out. Getting on base at a .318 clip in two out and RISP and .361 in Late & Close game situations is a vital skill and has contributed to many comeback wins. Pairing those stats with Bohm, who has hit behind Stott, has been a lethal combo for the Phillies and explains a lot of their late game success. Stott is also batting .291/.344/.762 in high leverage spots, adding to his lore of a clutch player. He is still young and relatively inexperienced with the major league game and these numbers will just keep improving.