The MLB is in full swing, and there is a team that is playing at a very high level right now: the Philadelphia Phillies.
Fans and bettors are asking themselves how far the team can go and whether or not baseball aficionados in Pennsylvania should dream. Philadelphia is the town where the American football world champions live; it wouldn’t be bad to bring another trophy to the city of brotherly love.
The Phillies have shown flashes of brilliance this season, reigniting hopes of a deep playoff run. With a strong lineup and solid pitching rotation, fans are openly beginning to wonder: can they dream of going all the way? For those tracking the team’s postseason chances and the latest betting markets, OddsChecker offers a comprehensive look at the current MLB odds across top sportsbooks.
Visit the website to check how the team fares among the bookmakers.
Contenders or Pretenders?
While we write this, the Phillies seem like a lock to compete in the postseason. They are first in the National League East, their division, with the same number of wins of their direct rival, the New York Mets, which lost a game more and are in second position.
Their score of .570 is just behind the .600 of the surprising Milwaukee Brewers (that are probably reaping more than they sowed at the moment), the .590 of the Chicago Cubs, and the .584 of the LA Dodgers. These last two teams are among the favourites to play in the World Series and the absolute favourites to play in the NL finals.
So what are the Phillies?
Are they really that good or are simply pretending to be?
According to the top MLB analysts, Philadelphia is in a World Series or bust mentality right now, and the window is open to win it all. So they are certainly contenders. They want to win, and they need to win, in order to justify an expensive project that didn’t bring in the expected results so far.
The trio of Kyle Schwarber, Ranger Suarez, and J.T. Realmuto has been integral to the team’s success. The presence of this big three has been the main reason for success in 2022, when Philadelphia won its conference. They will all be free agents after this season. The chances of retaining all three of them are quite low. How many of them will come back remains to be seen and depends heavily on how well Philly will perform in October. As we already wrote, here’s hoping that at least Schwarber resigns. A forecast on the team’s future will become possible after July 31st, the trade deadline in the league. Should Philadelphia add someone who can play under pressure, the experts’ preview will gain some strength.
What to Expect in the Second Half of the Season
The goal of winning a World Series is very difficult to achieve. A team must have all the pieces, avoid severe injuries, and strike a deal with Lady Luck, but what makes sports so interesting is the fact that everything can really happen. The Phillies have the star power in players like Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, and Zach Wheeler. They are over 30, still in their prime, but won’t be there for very long. It’s important not to waste their best years. Philadelphia’s payroll is the fourth highest in baseball (at 279.4 million of dollars), which means that the team hopes to accomplish something good and to make it sooner rather than later. But how can they win?
There are two ways. The first is being big buyers at the trade deadline. The Phillies can use some bodies. A couple of relievers and a right-handed outfielder would be pretty useful. In order to get them, Philadelphia may need to trade away at least an asset. The second key is the play of Bryce Harper.
The right fielder and first baseman spent most of June on the injured list because of an inflammation in his right wrist. His first half numbers are far from what he expects from himself. Should he return to form in the second half, however, the Phillies’ offense has an opportunity to take off, especially if Turner and Schwarber continue to produce as they did in the first half. The bullpen has struggled sometimes, and reinforcements could be coming. What the Phillies have offensively, though, is probably what they’re going to have the rest of the way.
For this reason, having MVP Harper back would be huge for their chances to win meaningful games.
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