The Phillies Were Neglected In MLB’s Power Rankings And I Couldn’t Be Happier

Each week, the MLB posts a power ranking of the top 10 teams in the league on their social media. I have no idea who specifically comes up with the list, I just know that every week multiple fan bases are pissed off. This week, it was our turn.

 

 

I’ll get into why these power rankings make little sense in a minute. For now, though, I’m going to explain myself. You clicked on this because you saw that I amĀ happy about the Phillies being absent from this list.

 

It’s not because I enjoy Philly teams not being properly represented. It’s not because I think this team is fool’s gold either. I’m happy because it’s wonderful to even be in the position to complain, and actually have justifiable reasons to be considered a top ten team.

 

When Joe Girardi was fired and the Phillies were seven games below .500, I thought the season was over with. Then the Phils got hot and went on a winning streak as they had an other-worldly month of June. Then, of course, Bryce Harper was hit in the thumb by an errant fastball from Blake Snell. I was sure the season was over then, because it just felt all-too-typical for a Philly team to be playing well and then have the carpet ripped from underneath them.

 

Yet, this cast of characters has not only steadied the ship, they’ve only gotten better. The Phils are 21-13 since Harper’s injury, and they now sit at 60-48 in sole possession of the second wild card spot. To make a long story short, I’m so happy that I can legitimately complain about the Phillies not being regarded as a top 10 team in baseball.

 

The Phils Deserve More Respect

 

The Phillies haven’t found themselves on MLB’s top ten power rankings all year long. For the previous four months, that’s probably justified. This week, though, I won’t stand for it. The Phillies have a winning percentage of of .556. That is better than or equal toĀ five teams on this list, none of which have won 10 of 11 games like the Phillies have. Let’s take a look at the three national league teams I have a particular issue with being on this list and the Phillies being left off.

 

The Padres, the fifth-ranked team, have lost five games in a row despite all of their trade deadline additions. On paper, they definitely look like a top five team in the league. They just haven’t put it together quite yet. So, why are they being rewarded with the 5th slot on these rankings? (*whispers* Juan Soto and Josh Bell haven’t done anything noteworthy yet, some may even say they’ve struggled since being traded). Despite being fifth, the Phillies have a better winning percentage than San Diego AND hold the season-series tiebreaker against them.

 

The seventh-ranked team, the St. Louis Cardinals, have been hot lately. They have the exact same record as the Phillies, 60-48, and have taken over the top spot in the NL Central. The Cardinals at seven is fair, but if they’re the seventh best team, the Phillies should be right there with them. For what it’s worth, the Phils own the season series against the Cardinals this season, which could be a factor down the line, much like the case with the Padres. They are both 9-1 in their last ten games, so what gives?

 

THE BREWERS at #10??? Not only are they two games worse than the Phillies right now, they’ve been terrible the last week and a half. While the Phillies have won 10 of 11, the Brewers have gone just 4-6 in their last ten games. In a power ranking system where it’s all based on who’s been hot lately while also factoring in the entirety of the season, how can Milwaukee be on this list and the Phillies be left off when the Phils have been hotter recently AND have a better record? The Brewers are frauds and will be the odd-man out come playoff time, believe that.

 

My final nail in the coffin: none of the teams I just listed are on this list.

 

 

I rest my case, your honor.

 

Shoutout To Everyone

 

It has been well-documented how good the Phillies have been since Girardi was fired. The Phils are 38-19 since Rob Thomson took over as interim manager. We have now reached the point where it would be a major shock if Thomson isn’t the full-time manager heading into next season. It may also be time to start talking about this.

 

 

Thomson seemingly can do no wrong. Similarly, Dave Dombrowski has had a hell of a tenure as the Phillies President of Baseball Operations. He made trades last week that not only made this team better, but made them deeper. He also made moves that saved the sanity of the fan base when he got rid of Jeurys Familia, Odubel Herrera, and Didi Gregorius.

 

Teamwise, the Phils are getting major contributions from a different guy every day. All the while, guys like J.T. Realmuto and Nick Castellanos are heating up and starting to resemble the nine-figure guys that their contracts represent. Rhys Hoskins, who has killed this team in the past with his streakiness, has found a way to minimize the cold streaks while still having hot streaks like he’s in right now where he looks like Jesus Christ himself in the box.

 

 

Alec Bohm was the best hitter (average wise) in the month of July, is now in the three hole in the lineup, and is playing much improved defense. How many of those things would you believe had I typed that in April? Kyle Schwarber is still hitting tanks despite not getting on base as often as he did in June. Darick Hall has been the exact left-handed power bat the Phils needed in the lineup when Harper went down. Bryson Stott has only gotten better the more comfortable he gets in the batter’s box (hey haters, his average is over .200).

 

Truth be told, the biggest difference between this squad compared to the Phils of the last few years has been the pitching. Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola have been superb. Kyle Gibson has had a couple rough starts, but lately he’s been fantastic. He even took a no-hitter into the seventh inning on Friday night! Ranger Suarez has been lights out since the all-star break. Noah Syndergaard wasn’t great in his first start with the club, but I expect him to be better than Bailey Falter, which is all the Phils need.

 

Then, of course, the bullpen has been superb. Prior to this season, the Phillies having even anĀ average bullpenĀ was considered a war crime to the baseball Gods. Seranthony Dominguez has been lights out all year. David Robertson will prove to be a huge pickup down the stretch. Jose Alvarado and Brad Hand have had great rebound years after abysmal seasons in 2021. Guys like Andrew Bellatti, Connor Brogdon, and Nick Nelson have gone under-the-radar, but they’ve been just as steady.

 

Even more important than all those guys performing is how well Thomson has managed the bullpen. Something that may seem easy has been a novel concept to every manager that came between Charlie Manuel and Thomson.

 

All this to say, I keep waiting for the collapse. I keep waiting for the Phils to show me that they’re fools gold and this will be the 11th straight season of no playoff baseball in the city of Brotherly Love. But it’s not coming. This team is DIFFERENT. For the first time since 2011, it feels like the Phillies are finally clicking on all cylinders, from the front office to the manager to the players in the clubhouse.

 

With Bryce Harper coming back soon and the schedule continuing to be light through mid-September, we have every reason to believe the success will continue. A Red October is coming, I can feel it. Get me to 7:05. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can shake my confidence in this team right now.

 

 

Fuck.

By Matt Szczypiorski | August 9, 2022
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