No doubt you’ve spoken with your positive Phillies friend who will remind you that the Fightins maintain a 7.5-game division lead despite losing 15 of 22 since the All-Star break.

How is that possible? It’s possible because only one team in the division has been better than .500 in that time frame.

Since July 19th:

  1. Phillies: 7-15 (.318), one series win, six-game losing streak including home sweep to Yankees
  2. Braves: 8-14 (.363), two series wins, two six-game losing streaks and just lost 2 of 3 to the Rockies
  3. Mets: 12-11 (.523), started to gain ground, then got annihilated in Seattle and have lost 7 of 11
  4. Nationals: 10-12 (.455), swept by Padres and D Backs, lost 8 of 10 to end July
  5. Marlins: 11-12 (.478), four of their 11 wins against other NL East teams, lost three straight extra-innings games

It’s really been horrendous. Combined, the entire NL East is 48-64, good for a .429 winning percentage, which includes wins and losses against each other. The Phillies have not played any divisional rivals since the break, so maybe panacea comes in the form of nine in a row against Miami, Washington, and Atlanta.

The Mets were the team playing the best baseball in early July and through the break. They clawed their way up to 2nd place, swept a two-game Subway Series against the Yanks, and took two of three in Colorado to get to 61-54. Then their recent 10-game road swing ended with a three-game sweep in Seattle where they were outscored 22-1.


The schedule has been tougher for the Phils and Mets, with both teams going on long trips, but Atlanta has been arguably worse. 8-14 since the break, they split with Miami at home, then got waxed by the Brewers to make it five-straight losses at Truist Park. They got out on the road over the weekend and scored 24 runs, yet lost two of three to Colorado.

So when you’re thinking about the Phillies maintaining a sizeable division lead, note that it’s mostly because everyone else has been terrible.