Can Philadelphia Phillies Lineup Heat Back Up in October To Make World Series Run?

The Philadelphia Phillies need their star-studded lineup to get back on track in the MLB postseason.

Mar 29, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) and shortstop Trea Turner (7) and first baseman Alec Bohm (28) and second baseman Bryson Stott (5) stand together during a pitching change against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies were one of the best teams throughout the 2024 MLB regular season. Their hard work paid off as they won 95 games, earning the No. 2 seed in the National League behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers.

While they won’t have home-field advantage throughout the entire postseason, the Phillies will enjoy a bye in the Wild Card Round. That will present them the chance to set their dominant rotation however they see fit for the Divisional Round.

Heading into the playoffs, their pitching staff is their greatest strength.

Cy Young Award contender Zack Wheeler headlines the starting rotation, backed by Aaron Nola and Cristopher Sanchez. If Ranger Suarez finds his groove again, there isn’t a team in baseball with as good a four-man group as that.

If you don’t find success against them, good luck finding it against an even deeper bullpen. All-Stars Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm headline a group that was bolstered by the deadline additions of Carlos Estevez and Tanner Banks.

Don’t forget about Jose Alvarado, Orion Kerkering and Jose Ruiz as well.

With such a strong pitching staff, Philadelphia is going to be in every game they play. Rob Thomson’s starters are not only talented, but they are also workhorses capable of working deep into games. If they slip up, he can turn to a bullpen that has plenty of weapons to eat up innings with.

Where the concern lies for the Phillies is with their lineup. This is a star-studded group with Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, Alec Bohm, Brandon Marsh and Nick Castellanos.

But, as pointed out by Andy McCullough of The Athletic, the lineup is entering the postseason on a low note. He believes the fatal flaw the team faces in the postseason is how much the lineup has cooled off and the injuries they are battling.

“After peaking in October for the past two seasons, Philadelphia may have peaked too soon in 2024. The Phillies played at a 104-win pace before the All-Star break, but started to waver soon after. Alec Bohm posted an .830 OPS in the first half and a .681 OPS afterward. Trea Turner put up an .687 OPS after the break. Brandon Marsh took his own dip. Bryce Harper hit 21 homers in the first half and nine in the second as he dealt with irritation in his right wrist and a surgically repaired right elbow. Kyle Schwarber hyper-extended his elbow in September. In all, the club has looked a lot less formidable since August,” McCullough wrote.

To win games, Philadelphia will have to score some runs. But, this lineup has the luxury of being backed by a truly dominant pitching staff.

That should take some pressure off of them as they look to find their groove again. On most nights, it might only take scratching across three or four runs for the Phillies to come away victorious.