Phillies fired up for second-half baseball
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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 won a franchise-record 62 games before the All-Star break.
They sent a franchise-record eight players to the All-Star Game.
Bryce Harper is a National League MVP candidate. Trea Turner could win the Phillies’ first NL batting title since 1958, when Richie Ashburn took the title. Both lead one of baseball’s best offenses, which is tied for second in MLB in runs per game (4.97); is third in batting average (.259), on-base percentage (.331) and OPS (.755); and is sixth in home runs (118) and slugging percentage (.424).
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Zack Wheeler is pushing for NL Cy Young in a rotation that had three All-Stars, but could have had four. It has an MLB-best 3.22 ERA and 11.4 WAR, according to FanGraphs. The bullpen ranked third with a 3.32 ERA, until the A’s roughed up a shorthanded 'pen on Sunday (catcher Garrett Stubbs allowed five runs in the ninth) to drop it to 13th (3.79 ERA).
The defense is eighth with 11 Outs Above Average.
The Phillies hope the second half of the season is just as good as the first.
They hope the postseason ends with a parade down Broad Street.
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Second-half goal
Win the World Series.
Philadelphia will open the second half with an 8 1/2 game lead over the Braves in the NL East, and a 6 1/2 game lead over the Dodgers for the best record in the NL. The Phillies are the best team in baseball, but they know it means nothing without winning it all. They are motivated. They lost in six games to Houston in the 2022 World Series, and the Phillies lost in seven games to Arizona in the 2023 NLCS. So they are playing with an edge.
Anything less than a championship will be a disappointment. So, everything in the second half will be geared toward that, which means keeping everybody healthy and fresh for the postseason.
Likely Trade Deadline strategy
The Phillies have no massive holes on the roster, but they have areas they can improve before July 30. They probably will. It starts with a right-handed-hitting outfielder who can play left or center field. The Phillies will see how Weston Wilson fares in left field against left-handed pitching in the next couple weeks. But even if he plays well, Philly will look for a bat. The Phillies could use another late-inning reliever, too.
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Key player
J.T. Realmuto has not played since June 9 because of right knee surgery, but Rob Thomson said he could be activated from the injured list before next Monday’s game in Minnesota. Garrett Stubbs and Rafael Marchán picked up the slack while Realmuto has been out, but there is no question the Phillies will be thrilled to get him back behind the plate and in the lineup. He could hit fifth behind cleanup hitter Alec Bohm.
Prospect to watch
All of them. How so? Well, the Phillies don’t have a Top 30 prospect who is likely to make a significant impact on the 26-man roster in the second half, but they could dip into their prospect pool to make upgrades before the July 30 Trade Deadline. It’s anyone’s guess how far Dave Dombrowski will go, but the best bet is that he holds onto top prospects Andrew Painter (No. 1) and Aidan Miller (No. 2). Justin Crawford (No. 3) would be difficult to move, too. Then again, this team is trying to win a World Series and everybody has a price.