The Philadelphia Phillies are close to locking down a postseason berth, but that doesn’t mean the worries stop there. The bigger issue may be what happens once October arrives, and ESPN’s Bardford Doolittle pointed to a problem that could end up carrying real weight in a short series: the offense has slipped badly.
Doolittle noted that even with Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper still producing, the Phillies have gone from a strong lineup to one that has dropped well behind where it was a year ago. As he wrote, "Despite lineup anchors Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper continuing to shine, the Phillies' offense has been not only mediocre but also markedly worse than 2025. The team's OBP rank has plummeted from fourth to 24th, and the slugging has slipped from fourth to 17th."
That decline shows up all over the lineup. Harper remains elite, and Schwarber is still in position to potentially lead all of MLB in home runs, but the rest of the group has not held up.
Among the Phillies’ regular starters, only Harper and Schwarber are sitting above a league-average 100 OPS+. Bryan De La Cruz has a 124 OPS+ and Derek Hill is at 113, but both are platoon outfielders who do not get everyday run. The rest of the lineup has been stuck below that line: Bryson Stott at 92, Brandon Marsh at 91, Alec Bohm at 86, Trea Turner at 80, and Luis Arraez at 79.
The numbers keep going in the wrong direction from there. Justin Crawford checks in at 79, Edmundo Sosa at 78, and J.T. Realmuto at 75.
That kind of production is not built for a deep postseason push. The Phillies need more from several spots if they want to be dangerous in October, especially Marsh, who has to get back to his first-half level, Stott, who needs to find another gear, and the infield trio of Arraez, Bohm, and Turner, who all have to start sorting things out.
What makes the situation even more frustrating is that this group has shown better offensive ability before. The upside is there. The problem is getting enough of it at the same time.
If a few of those bats can climb back toward league average, the Phillies would give themselves a real shot at making noise in the postseason. Right now, though, the offense is the concern that hangs over everything.
In Other News...
Phillies Just Lost A Depth Piece To A Rival For Nothing
The Phillies roster churn this week reached a familiar kind of crossroads, with infielder Christian Cairo moving on after spending the season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Cairo never got into a big-league game for Philadelphia, but he was part of the organizations infield depth picture, the kind of player teams like to keep nearby in case the major-league roster needs a quick patch.
Instead, Cairo is headed to a division rival after being claimed off waivers by the Mets, who had an open spot on their 40-man roster following the designation of reliever Chris Devenski. For the Phillies, it is a small move on paper but a reminder that even depth pieces can disappear quickly when another club has room to grab them. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies May Have Found An Expensive Answer To Their Outfield Problem
The Phillies have spent enough time looking for a long-term fix in the corner outfield that even an expensive option starts to make sense if it solves the problem cleanly. Seiya Suzuki fits that conversation because his recent work suggests a player who can handle right field and bring impact at the plate, which is exactly the kind of profile Philadelphia has been hunting as it tries to stabilize the edges of its lineup.
Suzukis appeal comes with the usual catch for a player in that tier: he is no bargain, and the age-and-contract side of the equation matters as much as the bat and glove. Still, the fit is easy to see for a Phillies club that wants more certainty in the outfield, and the question is less about whether Suzuki checks boxes than whether Philadelphia is willing to pay the kind of price a true answer at the position would require. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Are Already Second Guessing One Bullpen Deadline Decision
The Phillies went into the deadline looking for relief help and came away with Brooks Raley, a move that made sense at the time for a club trying to tighten up the back end of games. Since then, though, the fit has looked shakier. Raley has stumbled in recent appearances, and the kinds of late-inning spots Philadelphia wanted to stabilize have instead turned into fresh anxiety.
Relief markets are always part performance, part timing, and the Phillies are already facing the sort of hindsight that comes with every bullpen deal. Erik Miller, Luke Weaver and Tyler Wells all drew attention as alternatives because they were available and pitching well this season, which only sharpens the questions around Philadelphias choice. The season is still unfolding, but the early returns have made this one deadline call look far less certain than it did on paper. [Read more 🡒]