The Philadelphia Phillies played well this past weekend, taking three out of four from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Yes, the D-Backs are a team they should feast upon, but as we’ve seen before, that’s not always the case. In other good news, the Mets are falling apart and alienating their fans while doing so. Why does that make me so happy?
However, a story without conflict is a boring one and my mood – just like the fluctuation of this team’s success – has been known to flip on a dime. Let’s get into some things that annoy me.
Things that annoy me:
- When you forget to pop open the passenger side rearview mirror after you’ve already buckled into the driver’s seat. For a short-armed individual like myself, stretching over the shotgun seat feels particularly humiliating.
- The Atlanta Braves.
- The fact that the Phillies are crumbling around Bryce Harper while he’s in the midst of an MVP-caliber season.
What do we need out of the Phillies this year? It was a question posed by Liz Roscher on the Good Phight podcast ‘Hitting Season’. While Roscher conceded she’d only like for the team to play ‘competent baseball’ for the last month of the season – and not be concerned with making the playoffs – I’m not quite as empathetic. Or realistic. I should probably agree with Roscher’s take, but I just can’t. See, I need – no, WE the city of Philadelphia – need this team to make a playoff push, something that would require the Phillies to go on a hot streak of untold proportions. Although that’s not something this team is remotely built for – especially with the loss of Rhys Hoskins and Zach Eflin, J.T. Realmuto’s struggle with injury, and the continued shakiness of the bullpen – a boy can dream. Because if the Phillies fail to make the postseason yet again, then my dissatisfaction with this team will reach a boiling point from which there will be no return.
Just kidding. Like a toxic ex, I’ll fall for them every time, no matter how much I know it’ll hurt later on. After all, I swore that I wouldn’t watch another 76ers game after their meltdown against the Hawks this past June, yet I’m already scouting out which games I want to attend.
Instead of ruminating on what the Phils need to show us heading into the biggest week of the season, I’d like to talk briefly about what this team needs to show us next year to avoid my annual summer heartbreak. Here are a couple keys to contention for the Phillies in 2022.
Ranger Suarez must develop a third pitch:
Ranger has been fabulous for the Phillies this season both out of the bullpen and as a member of the starting rotation – well, especially as a starter. In 26.2 innings as a starter, Ranger has racked up 23 strikeouts with a 2.02 ERA. While that’s certainly encouraging, there’s an underlying truth to his performance: he struggles against opposing lineups the second and third time that he faces them. His batting average against jumps from .200 to .250 when facing hitters for the second time and from .250 to .267 the third time through the order. Additionally, his strikeout to walk ratio dips from 2.50 to 1.60 to 1.25 as he faces hitters for the second and third time. Ranger’s struggles with progressing through the lineup keep him from pitching deep into games; it’s a shame because his inability to do so doesn’t seem to be from a lack of stamina, but rather from a lack of a reliable breaking ball. Sure, Ranger has four pitches in his arsenal (sinker, 4-seam fastball, changeup, and slider) but he might as well have two as he relies primarily on his sinker (46.4%) and changeup (24.7%) – he throws his 4-seam fastball around the same amount as his changeup at 23% of the time. A sinker and 4-seamer are both fastball-variants however, and his unwillingness to throw his slider (only 5.9%) makes him easier for opposing batters to pick up on their second and third time around.
This is not a knock on Ranger, for his excellence this year has positioned him as the front-runner for the 5th rotation spot in 2022. If anything, I want to validate just how good he is and how much better he can be. Ranger has steadily improved since his debut in 2018 – unfortunately one of the few homegrown prospects who has done so for the Phillies. The opportunity for Ranger to help carry this team in 2022 is there – it’s just up to him if he wants to seize it or not.
Rhys Hoskins needs to stay healthy:
Other than Bryce Harper, Rhys was the Phillies best hitter in 2021. He was, because unfortunately, Rhys has once again fallen victim to the injury bug – this time with a brutal abdominal tear and groin injury. While Rhys wasn’t always the most consistent hitter, he drove in 71 RBIs and hit 27 home runs – three of which came in his final three games, abdominal tear and all. Prior to his injury, he led MLB in slugging percentage in the second half of the season. On a positive note, the potential for the National League to adopt the Designated Hitter appears to be high and Rhys could find a home there – hopefully one that is less taxing on his body than 1st base.
This is not a comprehensive list by any means – the Phillies have a myriad of deficiencies which have plagued them this year. To fulfill their potential in 2022, J.T. Realmuto and Aaron Nola both need to return to form. Alec Bohm needs to be a competent everyday infielder, the bullpen, as it seems every year, must be solidified and Bryce Harper needs to continue to be Bryce Harper.
Featured Image: Monica Herndon / Philadelphia Inquirer
The post What the Phillies Need to Do to Be Competitive in 2022 appeared first on Philadelphia Sports Nation.
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