MLB analyst cites Philadelphia Phillies as possible playoff dark horses: "By far the scariest playoff team right now"
Last year, the Philadelphia Phillies surprised just about everybody. Despite sneaking into the postseason as the last-seeded Wild Card spot, the Phillies overcame some veritable titans in an underdog performance of the century.
Led by outfielder Bryce Harper, who hit over .300 with 6 home runs and 13 RBIs, the Phillies made it all the way to the World Series, their first since 2008. Although they eventually lost against the Houston Astros, fans in Philly were excited to finally have a winning team again.
After their loss in the 2022 Fall Classic, Harper announced that he would need to undergo Tommy John surgery. Despite originally being slated to be out until Summer, Harper returned to the Philadelphia Phillies in May, completing the fastest-ever recovery from the procedure in MLB history.
After going 18-8 in the month of June, the Phillies appeared to be back. In addition to Harper, their $300 million shortstop Trea Turner found his bat. Other hitters such as Nick Castellanos, Alec Bohm, and Kyle Schwarber all recorded at least 20 home runs.
After finishing the year with a record of 90-72, the 2023 Philadelphia Phillies captured the first NL Wild Card spot. As such, they will face off against the Miami Marlins, a staunch divisional rival, in the best-of-three AL Wild Card Series.
"Can someone tell MLB Network that Ranger Suarez and Cristopher Sanchez are above Taijuan Walker on the depth chart?" - Phillies Tailgate
As with any series, pitching will play a big factor for the Phillies in the NL Wild Card Series. With an ERA of 4.02, the Phillies have been very average when it comes to piching this season. Zack Wheeler, who headlines the rotation, has posted a 3.61 ERA in 32 starts this year, his highest earned-run figure since 2019.
Regardless, one former pitching great thinks that the team may have the goods to go the distance. In a recent appearance on Flippin' Bats, a podcast hosted by Ben Verlander, the brother of Justin Verlander, legendary pitcher John Smoltz shared his thoughts on the Phillies. Smoltz, who won the 1996 NL Cy Young Award, said:
"Philadelphia Phillies are by far the scariest playoff team right now that is not a number one or number two seed"
Smoltz seems to think that playing in the shadow of the Atlanta Braves has caused observers to ingnore the Phillies. In addition to winning an MLB-best 103 games, the Braves have also seen historic accomplishments from hitters like Matt Olson and Ronald Acuna Jr.
Philadelphia Phillies have the experience to get there
It may be true that going into the postseason, the Phillies have far from top odds. However, it is also true that the team came virtually out of nowhere to come within two games of beating the Houston Astros last season. All year, the Phillies have hit excellently and pitched decently. Now, we will have to wait and see whether the residual fire of their 2022 campaign is still there.