Three Phillies storylines to watch in second half

This story was excerpted from Todd Zolecki’s Phillies Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

The Phillies opened the second half of their season on Friday night in Pittsburgh.

A few storylines to watch:

1. Zack and Ranger
The Phillies' starting rotation finished the first half with an MLB-best 3.22 ERA and an 11.6 WAR, according to FanGraphs. Philadelphia wants to maintain that dominance through the second half and into the postseason.

So, keep an eye on Zack Wheeler and Ranger Suárez. Wheeler is the rotation’s ace, and he is pushing for his first NL Cy Young Award after finishing second in voting behind Corbin Burnes in 2021. In 19 starts, Wheeler is 10-4 with a 2.70 ERA, which is tied with Atlanta's Chris Sale for the second-lowest mark in the league. But he missed his final start of the first half on Sunday because of back spasms, which he said have bothered him in his last few starts. Meanwhile, Suárez skipped his first All-Star Game on Tuesday because of back issues.

That’s two back issues to two of the NL’s best pitchers.

Nobody seems to think that either problem is serious, but the Phillies are giving Wheeler and Suárez extra rest to make sure. They are scheduled to pitch the first two games of next week’s series in Minnesota.

They could put a lot of minds at ease by coming out healthy and effective.

2. The Trade Deadline
There are 10 days before the July 30 Trade Deadline, and everybody is wondering what the Phillies will do.

They will do something. It will be stunning if they do not.

The Phillies could use a right-handed-hitting outfielder and another late-inning weapon in the bullpen. But those needs aren’t so massive that they should feel pressured to empty the farm system to make it happen. Dave Dombrowski, Sam Fuld and the rest of the Phillies’ front office should be able to find upgrades at a more reasonable cost (i.e. without including players such as No. 1 and No. 2 prospects Andrew Painter and Aidan Miller). But anything can happen in the hours before the Trade Deadline. We know Dombrowski isn’t afraid to make a deal if the opportunity presents itself.

3. Realmuto and Stott
The Phillies' offense opened the second half tied for second in MLB in runs per game (4.97); third in batting average (.259) and on-base percentage (.331); tied for third in OPS (.755); and sixth in home runs (118) and slugging percentage (.424).

The offense could be even better in the second half once J.T. Realmuto rejoins the lineup, and if Bryson Stott returns to form. Realmuto is expected to be activated from the 10-day injured list early next week in Minnesota. He was off to a solid start offensively (.720 OPS in 51 games) before his right knee started to bother him and required surgery. Realmuto could slot behind Alec Bohm in the five-hole when he is back, providing the Phillies another potent right-handed bat.

Stott batted .238 with six homers, 42 RBIs and a .676 OPS in the first half. His batting average is down 42 points from last season. His slugging percentage (.350) is down 69 points. If Stott bounces back, it could turn the Phillies’ lineup into a real meat grinder for opposing pitchers.