On May 30, 2018, something named Mitch Walding manned the hot corner for the Phillies during an 8-2 drubbing against the Los Angeles Dodgers. For you Mitch-heads out there, he went 0-4 with four strikeouts. The day before, the immortal Pedro Florimon played third. Odubel Herrera led the team with a .320 average (and a sterling .384 OBP) and the big free-agent coup, Carlos Santana, was stroking a smooth .221 that would only improve by eight points when the year was over.

Despite all this, despite the Waldings, and the Florimons, despite the “power outfield platoon” of Nick Williams (a fringe bench player this year) and Aaron Altherr (now on his second team this season after getting cut), the Phillies were somehow 30-23 on May 30, just two back of the Nationals for first place.

It wouldn’t last.

They were like a 1993 Honda Civic tricked out with a $3,000 body kit. Sure they had a cool spoiler, some badass ground effects, and flame decals on the side, but the motor was still that of a 1993 rusted out shitbox. You knew it would break down at some point, and when it did you weren’t going to dump the entire thing.


One year later and Florimon is long gone. Walding has only had two at-bats all year (two more strikeouts to bring his career total up to 14 in 21 at bats, get with it Walding). Herrera is out of here and you won’t be hearing from him no more.

On May 30, 2019, the Phillies trotted out one of the deepest lineups in the entire National League, upgrading the outfield very slightly with Bryce Harper and Andrew McCutchen. The Phillies are 33-22, second best record in the entire National League, with a plus-45 run differential.

The Honda Civic has been scrapped. Gabe Kapler traded it in for an Audi R8 V10 and he’s driving it into the best summer we’ve had in Philadelphia since 2011.

And thank Christ we finally have a summer to enjoy in Philadelphia. Last year was all smoke and mirrors, a team held together with twigs, crazy glue, and duct tape until it all inevitably came apart at the seams in spectacular fashion in the August humidity.

This year? This year feels different. You have a deep, deep lineup that can work a pitcher to death at the top of the order with McCutchen and Segura and then mash them into submission with the Harper, Rhys Hoskins, J.T. Realmuto stretch of death. Add in a resurgent Caesar Hernandez, a feisty Scott Kingery and… Maikel Franco I guess (though Franco batting 8th is infinitely better than him batting third) …and this is the best lineup this franchise has had in seasons.

Sure, they still need starting pitching, their bullpen is already in shambles, and I don’t trust Hector Neris to close to a pressure-filled game further than I can throw back the 550-foot home run he’ll inevitably give up to blow a key save in July, but this offense will keep them in far more games than it did last year.

In 55 games this year they’ve scored 278 runs. In 55 games last year they scored 238. They’ve mashed 66 home runs already this year. After a dismal start, Harper dragged his average up to .252 and over the last week he’s hitting .391 with six doubles, nine RBI, and a home run. He can carry a team when the offense swoons and you’re not relying on the Carlos Santanas of the world to get you through the tough times or Vince Velasquez to get through 5 innings with less than 120 pitches thrown.

The Phillies have the pedigree this year; the summer should be great. They have the engine. Drive the city into October and let’s see what happens.