The Phillies are close to punching their ticket to October, but the way their lineup has looked in September is setting off alarm bells.
Wednesday night’s loss to the Brewers put the spotlight right where it hurts most. Aaron Nola’s slight regression played a part, but the bigger problem is the offense, which has gone cold at the wrong time.
This isn’t a case of one bat dragging the group down. It’s been the whole operation.
As John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia noted, the slump has spread through the heart of the order. "Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Bryce Harper are hitting a combined .220 in September," Clark shared.
"JT Realmuto is 0 for his last 26. Brandon Marsh .159 in September."
The numbers back up the eye test. In September, the Phillies have 658 at-bats and a .229 batting average, along with a .668 OPS. That OPS mark is the second-worst month of their season, trailing only May, when they posted a .667 OPS and Rob Thomson was fired.
That’s a brutal place to be this late in the year, especially after the club had found better rhythm earlier in the season. The Phillies put up a .763 OPS in August and a .778 OPS in June, but September has dragged them back down.
The individual lineups lines tell the same story. Schwarber is hitting .153 with a .694 OPS in September.
Harper is at .267 with a .701 OPS. Turner sits at .238 with a .702 OPS.
Realmuto has stumbled to .119 with a .399 OPS. Marsh is batting .159 with a .451 OPS.
There have been a few bright spots, though not nearly enough to offset the broader slump. Luis Arraez has a 2.84 average and a .693 OPS; Bryson Stott has a .190 average with a .558 OPS, and Justin Crawford has a .250 average with a .686 OPS.
Alec Bohm has been one of the best hitters on the roster this month, posting a .333 average with an .898 OPS. Derek Hill has also stood out with a .250 average and a .950 OPS.
But the headline remains the same: the Phillies’ stars are not carrying the offense, and that’s a major concern heading toward the postseason.
There are other questions hovering around the roster, too. The Jesus Luzardo injury situation and a bullpen that has looked shaky outside of Jhoan Duran and Alex McFarlane only add to the uncertainty.
The Phillies still have not officially locked up a postseason berth, though they do appear likely to get there. The bigger issue is what they’ll bring with them once October arrives, because after a September like this, the offensive questions are impossible to ignore.
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The bigger issue is that the Phillies keep running into the same old trouble spots. Injuries have left their mark, the offense has gone quiet at times, and the bullpen remains the area that can turn a strong team into an anxious one in a hurry. They are close to locking down a playoff spot, but the same question hovers over them as the postseason approaches: do they have enough certainty, especially on the pitching side, to push beyond being just another dangerous October club? [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Suddenly Have A Real Outfield Question They Cant Ignore
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Hill has made the most of his limited chances, turning in strong offensive numbers and showing the kind of defensive versatility that can keep him in the conversation. Even so, he still has not locked down a regular starting job, which leaves Philadelphia with a real question about how long it can keep waiting for the outfield production to stabilize. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Got The Exact Offensive Sign They Needed Right Now
The Phillies got a timely lift at the plate in their win over the Brewers, and it came from two players who have spent plenty of time trying to settle into their roles. Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh were at the center of the offense, with Marsh getting the scoring started early on a two-run homer before both players came through again in the eighth inning to help close out the game.
For a club still locked in a tight race for the top seed in the National League Wild Card standings, nights like this matter beyond the final score. Philadelphia does not need every win to look identical, but it does need signs that key bats can deliver when the game tightens, and the combination of Marsh's early punch and the late support from both hitters offered exactly that kind of evidence. [Read more 🡒]