The Philadelphia Phillies started their season this past week and have been nothing but unimpressive. In their first six contests, the Phillies sit at a perfectly average 3-3, dropping their opening series to the Texas Rangers before barely scraping together two wins out of three against the Washington Nationals. While a 3-3 record may not seem too concerning on the surface, it becomes a lot more frustrating when you take a closer look at how those games actually played out. In their three wins, the Phillies have managed a combined run differential of just four runs, yet in their three losses, they have been outscored by a staggering 17 runs. That kind of gap shows a team that is not just losing, but getting completely outplayed when things go wrong, which is never a good sign this early in the season.
The opening series against Texas set the tone in the worst way possible. After starting things off with a solid 5-3 win, it looked like the Phillies might be able to build some early momentum. That quickly disappeared, as they followed it up with a 4-5 loss and then a rough 3-8 defeat to drop the series. It was a mix of inconsistent pitching and an offense that simply could not keep up when the pressure started to build.
Things did not get much better to start the next series either, as the Phillies were embarrassed in a 13-2 loss to Washington. That game alone felt like a wake up call, exposing just how quickly things can spiral when both the pitching staff and lineup struggle at the same time. To their credit, the Phillies did respond, bouncing back with a 3-2 win followed by a 6-5 victory to secure the series. It was far from convincing, but at the very least, it showed that this team can grind out close games when needed.
Individually, there have been a few bright spots that have kept this start from looking even worse. Justin Crawford has been one of the biggest surprises, hitting .412 with seven hits and a .915 OPS. Brandon Marsh has also been strong at the plate, batting .350 with seven hits of his own, while Adolis Garcia has added another consistent presence with a .318 average and a .879 OPS. On the mound, Andrew Painter had a great debut dealing out eight strikeouts and only allowing one run, and Christopher Sanchez picked up right where he left off last season as one of the best pitchers in the whole league.
At the same time, some of the team’s biggest names have struggled to find any rhythm. Bryce Harper has gotten off to a brutal start, hitting just .120 with three hits and a .425 OPS. Alec Bohm has been even colder, batting .095, while Trea Turner has yet to make the kind of impact the Phillies expect from him. Kyle Schwarber has provided some power with two home runs and four RBIs, but his .182 average is the perfect example of the inconsistency that has plagued the lineup as a whole.
Looking ahead, the Phillies will take on the Colorado Rockies in their next series, with games scheduled for April 3, 4 and 5. This upcoming stretch feels like an early opportunity for the Phillies to figure things out before the season starts to get away from them. If the offense can find some consistency and the pitching staff can limit the damage in losses, this team still has plenty of time to turn things around. If not, this average 3-3 start could quickly turn into something much more concerning.
Andrew Cappello is a second year Secondary Education major AC1033580@wcupa.edu