Phillies

Oh No! The Phillies Suck Again

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Jun 9th, 2025 · 9:48 AM EDT

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The Phillies have lost nine of 10 and were swept by the Pirates this past weekend. From our Sportradar data we take a look at the ugly, the hideous, and the abominable going back to May 29th and the Atlanta doubleheader:

• 3.18 runs scored per game (23rd)
• 5.82 runs allowed per game (4th most)
• .292 opponent batting average (3rd highest)
• opponent 3.78 walks per 9 (7th highest)
• .201 batting averaged (worst in MLB)
• .264 on-base percentage (tied for worst)
• .331 slugging percentage (27th)
• .237 BABIP (worst in MLB)
• 72 hits (17th)
• 22.3 strikeout percentage (15th)
• 6.9 walk percentage (26th)

For what it’s worth, the defense has been good enough during this stretch. They’ve committed only three errors and have a .992 fielding percentage, which is 7th. But the bullpen is still bad, with a 4.57 ERA and three blown saves. Opponents are hitting .276 off Phillies relievers (6th highest number) and getting on base at a .357 rate. Going back to May 29th, they have allowed eight of the 15 inherited runners to score, which is third-worst in Major League Baseball.

And then you go back to public enemy #1, which is chase rate. It’s been better overall this year, but in the time frame we’re working with, it’s 32.5%, which is behind only the Rockies and Red Sox. They’ve chased 247 times over this run of games and they’ve made contact on 58.3% of those swings while whiffing the other 41.7% of the time. A little bit of math and that’s 103 times they’ve swung at something out of the zone and missed.

Right, so as you know, we at Crossing Broad don’t get too high or too low on any of the teams. Sometimes they play well and deserve praise and sometimes they play like dog dirt and deserve criticism. Like Slim Shady, you ask yourself if the real Philadelphia Phillies will please stand up. Is the real Phillies team the one that took two of three from the Dodgers, then won five series in a row against the Cubs, Nats, Diamondbacks, Rays, and Guardians? Or is this recent display of slop their true identity? Some are asking!

The schedule doesn’t get any easier from here on out, as much as going back to the halcyon days of Rockies and A’s games would be nice. They have the Cubs, Jays, Marlins, Mets, Astros, Braves, and then Padres to see out the month. Five of those seven teams have winning records as of publication.

At the same time, louder become the anti-Dave Dombrowski voices, fans and media who think the Phillies President didn’t do enough to reinforce the squad in the offseason. So far he’s maintained a playoff team while not parting with any of the high-value prospects in the system. That’s nice, but the timelines don’t really sync up, do they? By the time guys like Andrew Painter, Aidan Miller, Justin Crawford, and Mick Abel are full-time contributors, you’re still going to be paying Trea Turner, Bryce Harper, and Aaron Nola more than $20 million each, and they’ll be in their mid-thirties. Maybe Kyle Schwarber, too, if he’s extended. So don’t you have to kind of go for it now? Or does Dombrowski just go dumpster diving at the deadline, grab some journeyman to throw in the bullpen, and then say “we’re done here.”?

We’ll see!