Bob checking in:

For some added context on that BABIP (batting average on balls in play) nugget, the Phillies are hitting .371 there. The second-best BABIP team in MLB is Atlanta, at .338.

Beyond that, they’re hitting .261 with runners in scoring position, which actually is 10th in MLB, but they’re third overall with 188 plate appearances with RISP, so those total run numbers need to align better. As frequently as they put guys on second and third, they should be knocking more of them in, so it’s not surprising to see them fourth-worst in MLB with 126 guys left on base. Plus, they’ve had a couple of offensive outbursts that skew these numbers a bit. They have wins of 14-3 and 15-3, which certainly look to be outliers. When you score 0 runs on Saturday and 14 on Sunday, you’re doing the feast or famine routine to kick off a long season.

The pitching has been the backbreaker through 16 games, obviously, with the Phils logging a fourth-worst 5.48 team ERA. It’s better for starting pitcher ERA, at 4.46, which has them at 16th, right in the middle of the pack, but the bullpen is once again dragging the pitching down into the muck, after looking like a strength on paper.

It’s early days still, and the Phils are sorting through some injuries. Hard not to be disappointed/confused/baffled, but it feels like the offense will even out at some point here.