4 Players Who Must Step Up for Philadelphia Phillies to End Slump

Amid a brutal slump, these four players must step up to lead the Philadelphia Phillies back to success.

Jul 29, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) against the New York Yankees at Citizens Bank Park. / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Since the All-Star break, the Philadelphia Phillies have lost their dominant groove.

Over their last 10 games, the Phillies have gone just 2-8 and have dropped to 66-45 on the season.

Despite the slump they have been going through, Philadelphia is still six games ahead of the Atlanta Braves and eight games ahead of the New York Mets in the NL East race.

While they still hold a seemingly safe lead in the division, the Phillies have to get back to winning. They have been viewed as a top-tier World Series contender for most of the year, but the recent losing streak has made many people about their ability to truly contend for a championship.

All of that being said, Philadelphia has the talent to get back to their dominance from before the All-Star break.

Here are four players who must step up to lead the Phillies out of their recent slump.

4. J.T. Realmuto

When Realmuto came back from his injury, he was expected to be a big part of the team's offense. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case.

Realmuto has recorded just eight hits in 38 at-bats since returning from the IL. He has only chipped in one RBI. Those numbers have to improve moving forward for this lineup to catch fire again.

3. Ranger Suarez

One of the biggest keys to the early season success Philadelphia had was due to the performance of their star pitcher.

Suarez has missed time recently due to a back injury, but is making his way back to the field. Getting him back on the mound will be a huge step in the right direction for the Phillies. Assuming he can pick up where he left off before the injury, his presence alone will help the team right the ship.

2. Nick Castellanos

Throughout the 2024 season, Castellanos has been a rollercoaster. At times, he has been elite at the plate and in others he's been a massive weak link.

Philadelphia desperately needs Castellanos to be consistent with his offensive production. He could be a huge part of a championship run or he could be detriment like last year's NLCS showing. Hopefully, he will be able to figure out the consistency at the plate that the Phillies need from him.

1. Bryce Harper

There is only one player that deserves this spot at the top of the list.

Harper has played at an MVP-caliber level this season, but has also had stretches where he hasn't made much of an impact. Philadelphia needs him to be an MVP each and every game.

He's more than capable of doing so and will have to step up if the Phillies want to have any chance at winning a World Series.