On Wednesday, May 29, the Phillies split a doubleheader with the Braves to move to 36-20, taking a firm multi-game lead for first place in the NL East.
A week and a half later, that team is nearly unrecognizable.
Since that date at Citizens Bank Park, the Phils have gone 1-8. They’ve fallen well off pace behind the Mets in the division and have sent Bryce Harper to the injured list. In the aforementioned eight losses, they’ve scored 19 runs (2.3 per game) and have allowed 48 (six per game).
It may only be June, but the season feels like it’s got potential to head due south from here.
With the first-place Cubs next on the schedule, the immediate outlook for this team is bad. But with some mediocre competition ahead afterwards in the Blue Jays and Marlins, the Phillies have a chance to right the ship quickly.
But they might need a little shakeup to help them do so.
Before we dive into the five remedies we recommend for this baseball team, it needs to be made clear that we’re only suggesting relatively minor changes, things the team is somewhat likely to do in the immediate and short term. These suggestions are in contrast to making a blockbuster, earth-shaking kind of move.
A few things we aren’t going to include on this list:
• Making a splashy trade for a superstar (at least until July)
• Blowing up the team by selling the older players
• Playing Trea Turner anywhere but shortstop (for now)
• Calling up Andrew Painter before July (the team was quite clear that was not being considered)
Here are some things they realistically can and should do:
End the Bryson Stott leadoff experiment
Yes, he sees a lot of pitches, and yes, he has very good speed. But he doesn’t get on base nearly enough to remain the leadoff man. Stott is slashing .239/.303/.338 overall, and he’s been even worse hitting first in the lineup, with a .280 on-base percentage.
That simply won’t cut it.
The other Phillies leadoff hitters are faring much better this season. Trea Turner is on base with a.353 clip, and Kyle Schwarber is leading the team at .378. These should be the platooners to lead things off for the remainder of the season.
Call on Justin Crawford for left field
Phillies left fielders are hitting .202 this season and it doesn’t seem to matter who is there defensively – when they’re at the plate, they are not contributing much. The Phillies as a team have a -2.7 WAR (via baseball reference) from their outfielders, fourth worst in the majors. A lot of this lies with the underachieving Max Kepler, who hasn’t done very much with the bat besides hit six home runs.
Their current left-field hitting stats:
| Player | PA | Slash |
| Max Kepler | 192 | .218/.307/.388 |
| Weston Wilson | 30 | .083/.267/.083 |
| Kyle Schwarber | 20 | .235/.350/.412 |
| Brandon Marsh | 14 | .231/.375/.538 |
Is it time to make a move? While the trade market may be less than enticing, the Phillies could have the answer in-house. Justin Crawford, their 2022 first-round pick, is mashing the ball in Triple-A. In 212 at-bats, he is hitting .349. And while his power stroke continues to be a work in progress, he’s got MLB speed and contact, and at 21, could be the infusion of youth and energy this team desperately needs.
Fire the hitting coach
There’s another way to give the offense a jolt, and perhaps that’s letting go of their longtime hitting coach Kevin Long, an instructor who worked with a few Phillies players when he was with the Nationals prior to becoming Philly’s hitting guru in 2022.
It would be hard to put the hitting woes of an entire offense on a coach, but the inconsistency and perhaps a flawed approach are starting to become undeniable.
Philly’s offense hit .265 in the month of May, among the best averages in baseball. In June so far they’re hitting .181. They also have just 68 home runs this season, playing in hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park, the 15th most of 30 MLB teams.
In clutch situations, the offense is anemic. They have hit .208 with two outs and runners in scoring position, the seventh-worst average in MLB. Perhaps a move at this important position could provide a spark.
Convert (another) starter to the pen
The Phillies have an abundance of starting talent right now and a dreadful bullpen. They also have no clear path for the rotation once Aaron Nola returns from his stint on the injured list. Cristopher Sánchez, Ranger Suárez and Zack Wheeler are pitching like aces and are solidly atop the rotation. Mick Abel also appears to be heading in that direction after his first two solid starts.
Adding Nola back to the rotation and expanding it to six men would only make things harder for an already thin bullpen, which would have to sacrifice an arm.
That leaves Jesús Luzardo, who has had historically bad outings in each of his last two, as a new potential odd man out, especially when Andrew Painter jumps to the majors in a month or so.
The lefty can dial up his fastball to the high 90s, and started his career in the Athletics’ bullpen. Could a move to a late-innings reliever be a possible lift for the relief corps?
Get Bryce Harper healthy
None of these moves matter if the Phillies can’t get their MVP and the heart and soul of the offense back healthy. After missing a handful of games after being beaned in the elbow, Harper returned to the lineup without an IL stint. Shockingly, he was taken off the board last week due to a different ailment, wrist issues, which have been bothering him all year.
“It’s been long enough to where it’s gotten to the point where I can’t really function on a baseball field or hit a baseball or anything like that,” Harper said, via MLB.com. “So, it’s just a good time for me to take some time and get it right.”
The Phillies need a healthy Harper. He’s known as a grinder, and a player who will — and has — played hurt. But the team really needs to focus on staying in the playoff picture until he’s able to return and play every day without pain or health issues dampening his power production. There is no need to rush him back. A. true contending team should have the luxury of being patient with a superstar.
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