Philadelphia Phillies Manager Speaks Out On Polarizing Starter

As fans grow more frustrated, the Philadelphia Phillies manager isn't giving up on his polarizing starter.

Jun 2, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Taijuan Walker (99) throws a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies were able to pull off yet another win on Wednesday night, knocking off the Milwaukee Brewers by a final score of 2-0.

It has become expected that the Phillies are going to win, which has been making fans nervous about a possible postseason collapse.

As Philadelphia prepares for its London showdown against the NL East rival New York Mets, they are tied for the best record in baseball with the New York Yankees, holding a 44-19 record on Thursday.

While the success has been amazing this season, there has been one major disappointment. That would be the play of starting pitcher Taijuan Walker.

All season long, he has been unable to put the pieces together and be consistent. He has compiled a 3-1 record, but has given up a 5.73 ERA and has had tendencies of giving up runs in bunches when he's bad.

That can't continue if the Phillies want to win a World Series.

Some fans have been calling for them to bench Walker. However, that doesn't appear likely to happen.

Manager Rob Thomson spoke out about Walker amid his recent struggles. He made it very clear that his trust in his starting pitcher hasn't wavered even a bit.

"We're not there yet. Because I trust him."

Thomson continued talking, noting the struggles that Walker has been having. He also addressed speculation that he is staying in the rotation due to the contract he's being paid.

"It's performance based. No doubt. I trust him. He's gotta command better. Hopefully along the way, he gains some [velocity]. We saw it pick up a couple starts ago and now it's back down. I'm sure he'll get that. But he's gotta command the baseball. He's gotta keep it down and he's gotta keep the splitter down."

Walker also spoke out about his frustration with the way he's been playing. All he wants to do is help his team compete and win at the highest level.

"It's just frustrating. Obviously, the team is playing so well right now and I just want to be a part of that, you know, help the team. I'm just not doing my part right now."

While the going has been tough so far this season for the right-hander, there is plenty of time to turn things around.

With the season only 63 games old, there is no reason to be hitting the panic button.

Granted, if his poor performance continues, it seems likely that Thomson and the Phillies would make some kind of change, but, there are still reasons to believe that Walker's talent will begin showcasing itself.

Hopefully, a better version of Walker will come in the near future.

If he can get back to his form from 2022, or even 2023, Philadelphia is going to be an even more dangerous team than they already are.