In heartbreak fashion, the Phillies officially packed their locker room up on October 9th.
Wrapping up the season with the 6th best record in franchise history (96-66), there were high expectations for this roster heading into the playoffs.
The team that was hot by June and projected to have the tied 3rd most wins all time at 114, cooled off, going .500 since that point.
However, after a long September battle with the New York Mets for the division, the Phils landed themselves a 2nd seed in the playoffs.
A season led by Short Stop Trea Turner, who batted .304 with 15 home runs and 69 RBIs, and Second Baseman Alec Bohm, who batted .287, Bryce Harper, who batted .261 with 27 home runs and 75 RBIs, and Kyle Schwarber, who only hit .240, but also had 52 home runs (2nd in MLB) and 132 RBIs that lead the MLB.
The Phillies enter the playoffs, and right away are given the biggest challenge of their season right out of the gate—an NLDS game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Projected to win the Series according to MLB, the Phillies fans were expecting greatness.
“I expected (the Phillies) to win,” stated Alex Gambol, a member of the baseball team here at Neumann. “We were doing pretty good.”
“I thought it was going to be probably a good series, but I thought the Phillies were going to win,” agreed Jake Hommer, another member of the baseball team at Neumann.
However, disaster struck as the Phillies dropped two games early in LA, losing 5-3 and 4-3, but they bounced back in game three as their offense exploded for eight runs back in Philadelphia.
Philly, not only with their season on the line, now had momentum from the previous game and some hope to turn this series around and complete the comeback.
The baseball Gods had other plans for the Phils, though, because with 2 outs and bases loaded, a ground ball back to 24-year-old Orion Kerkering, and that was all she wrote.
The season was over after a bobble, panic, and overthrow to home plate, scoring Hyeseong Kim as the Dodgers went on to win the game and the NLDS.
“I started havoc,” said Gambol clearly, being frustrated with the outcome of the game.
“It’s an unfortunate ending,” stated Hommer. “You can’t blame it all on him, right?” “That shouldn’t have decided the series.”
The Phillies have a number of crucial offseason decisions ahead of them. Big names such as J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber, Ranger Suarez, Harrison Bader, and others will enter next season without contract agreements.
Gambol and Hommer both believe that Nick Castellanos’s time in Philly is over, as the Phils should get rid of him somehow. Castellanos, this season, batted .250 with 72 RBIs, but had a -1 WAR (Wins Above Replacement).
“He’s not a good baseball player,” commented Hommer.
They also agreed on the Phillies to slightly boost their bullpen. “The bullpen was better than it has been. Not good, but better than it has been,” explains Hommer.
The starting pitching wasn’t much of an issue for the Phillies, as their starters this year had a combined ERA of 3.74.
The Phillies are expected to have Zack Wheeler back next season, as he recovers from Thoracic Outlet Decompression Surgery, which should enhance their starting rotation even more.
Some other resignings or players that should be kept, according to Gambol and Hommer believe should happen are: J.T. Realmuto, Harrison Bader, and Bryson Scott.
All in all, I feel that most of Philadelphia can agree with Gambol on how the season was: “Disappointing, that’s it.”
