The Phillies’ lineup problems are no longer just a bad stretch. The numbers are ugly enough to make the whole offense look broken.
Entering play Tuesday night, Philadelphia’s position players had combined for just 4.4 Baseball-Reference WAR. That’s not a typo, and it’s nowhere near the standard this club has set in recent seasons. In fact, it’s roughly 20 points below what the Phillies have produced in each of the last four years, a brutal drop-off for a team trying to keep pace in a crowded race.
The comparison gets even harsher when you look at the pitching staff. Zack Wheeler’s individual WAR was 4.6, and Cristopher Sánchez was sitting at 5.5, which led all NL pitchers. In other words, Wheeler and Sánchez each meant more to the Phillies on their own than the entire position-player group had managed together.
That level of production helps explain why the offense has been so hard to trust lately. The Phillies entered Tuesday at 3-7 in their first 10 games after the All-Star break, and half of those losses came with the team scoring one run or fewer. The stretch ended Monday night in Miami, where Philadelphia coughed up a two-run lead in the ninth and lost on Griffin Conine’s walk-off single.
That defeat also snapped a pair of impressive season-long streaks. It was the Phillies’ first loss of the year when taking a lead into the ninth, after they had been 49-0 in that situation. They also dropped to 45-19 when scoring first.
The broader standings picture hasn’t gotten any kinder. Philadelphia entered Tuesday 5.5 games behind the Braves in the NL East and still sitting second in a crowded Wild Card chase.
Pittsburgh, Arizona, Washington, St. Louis, San Diego and Miami are all close enough to keep the pressure on, which makes every quiet night from the lineup feel heavier.
Don Mattingly tried to shake things up against former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara on Tuesday. Kyle Schwarber got the day off, Bryson Stott moved up to hit second behind Turner, Edmundo Sosa started at third, Alec Bohm shifted to first and Bryce Harper moved into the designated hitter spot.
Bryan De La Cruz also stayed in the lineup after becoming the first Phillie since Trea Turner to get a hit in his first four games with the team. He debuted on July 22. Garrett Stubbs, back from the injured list after inflammation in his left wrist, started behind the plate to give JT Realmuto a break.
Even with those adjustments, the larger issue remains the same. Outside of Schwarber, Harper and Brandon Marsh, the offense has been too inconsistent to carry much weight. The Phillies aren’t in full-blown panic mode yet, but the recent results and the numbers behind them point toward a team headed in the wrong direction unless something changes fast.
With the trade deadline less than a week away, that urgency could push Philadelphia toward adding more bats.
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Dave Dombrowskis track record suggests he is rarely content to stand pat in a spot like this, and Philadelphias weak farm system only adds intrigue to how aggressive he might be. The front office has to weigh urgency against cost, but with the postseason picture still in reach, the Phillies appear headed toward a deadline defined by upgrades rather than caution. [Read more 🡒]