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Time For Another Phillies Vibe Check (Surprisingly Very Good)
By Matt Schultz
Published:
It’s late August. The Phillies just finished up a three-game sweep of the Twins, which included a very cool victory in the Field of Dreams Game on Thursday. Now feels like the right time for a vibe check. Here we go.
Some Overall Numbers
Over the last two weeks, the Phillies have gone 8-5 in 13 games. During this stretch, they’ve outscored their opponents 68-55. Since the All-Star break (a month ago now), the Phils have gone 13-14 , but despite the sub-.500 record, they’ve outscored their opponents 133-111. The offense is the story here. It’s been very good.
The Bats
Over the last two weeks, the Phillies offense ranks 4th in runs scored (68), 7th in batting average (.257), and 10th in OPS (.763). Since the All-Star break, they rank 10th in runs scored (133), 8th in batting average (.254), and 8th in OPS (.755) —
Through the last two-week stretch, the team’s hottest everyday hitters have been Bryson Stott (.370 AVG, 1.022 OPS) and — believe it or not — Alec Bohm (.386 AVG, 1.008 OPS), with Kyle Schwarber chipping in 4 home runs and a .963 OPS. The Bohm one was the shocker for me. I’m so used to hating this guy that I guess his recent play had become a blind spot, but his numbers have been sick, and it’s not a small sample size, either. He’s been hitting .340 with an .885 OPS over the last month, and he threw in his first 5-hit game on Sunday to help his case:
The Pitching
The pitching has been solid. Since the All-Star break, the starting rotation has combined for a 3.78 ERA and 1.26 WHIP over 28 starts, led by Cristopher Sanchez (2.22 ERA, 4-0) and Jesus Luzardo (2.48 ERA, 0.95 WHIP in 6 games). Aaron Nola has been looking vintage in his last three starts, too, posting a 3.38 ERA and 1.50 WHIP, and Andrew Painter has pitched like a real rotation piece since rejoining the team on July 31st with a 4.43 ERA in four starts. He also showed some real fight after getting banged up early on Sunday:
Zack Wheeler has had two rough starts in a row (0-2 with a 6.97 ERA and 1.84 WHIP in 10.1 innings, allowing 8 earned runs on 13 hits and 6 walks), which cannot last. This is a flash in the pan that means nothing. We don’t need to talk about this. We’ll be fine.
Miscellaneous Vibe Stuff
There’s been a ton to like. Lot of good buzz online. Lot of videos of the guys having fun. Here are a few highlights:
Conclusion
When I started writing this blog, I was lukewarm on the Phillies. But after digging through the numbers and reviewing a bunch of vibe-specific content, I’ve come all the way around. The vibes might actually be great. The guys are playing well. They’re having fun. The bats are going. Bohm is somehow good now, which is slightly infuriating, but I will take it. Nola’s back. Painter’s doing his thing. I haven’t even mentioned Bryce. He’s been awesome (.240/.408/.479 with an .887 OPS, 5 home runs since the All-Star break). Luis Arraez is back to form after that mini-slump last week (over his last four games he’s hitting .353/6-for-17 with 3 RBIs). There’s really not a ton to complain about.
In summation, the vibes are surprisingly very good. And now’s a good time for that. September is coming. Let’s keep it going.
Matt Schultz is a comedy and sports writer from Philadelphia. He’s written extensively for ClickHole, The Onion, and Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco. His work has been featured in Vulture, Deadspin, The A.V. Club, Paste Magazine, and other publications. Much of his sports journalism can be found on college basketball websites that don’t exist anymore (PhilaHoops Heads rise up…) email: M.Schultz@sportradar.com