Philadelphia Phillies Slip in MLB Power Rankings Entering Final Week

The Philadelphia Phillies slipped in a recent MLB Power Rankings.

Sep 22, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) delivers a pitch against the New York Mets during the first inning at Citi Field. / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies are still seeking to clinch the National League East, as it was not their best week of baseball. 

Coming into the week, the Phillies had a golden opportunity to clinch their division and switch their focus to having the best record in baseball. However, Philadelphia lost two out of three games to the Milwaukee Brewers and then three out of four games to the New York Mets. 

With both of these teams being playoff contenders, it was a tough week for the Phillies schedule-wise, but going 2-5 in the penultimate week of the year wasn’t ideal. Now, Philadelphia still just needs one more win to clinch the National League East, but the Mets have made them sweat a bit down the stretch. 

Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report recently released his MLB Power Rankings heading into the final week of the season. Last week, the Phillies were in first. However, they slipped to the No.2 spot this week behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

“The Phillies didn't have a great week, and they're now just 7-8 in their last 15 games overall. They have questions in their rotation, as Ranger Suárez is slumping and Taijuan Walker is a liability whenever he starts. These are, nonetheless, minor issues in the scheme of things, and the fact remains that the Phillies have been sitting pretty for a long time now. Their lead in the NL East hasn't been smaller than 5.0 games since May 18.”

With the playoffs near, having a bad week like Philadelphia did isn’t ideal at this point of the campaign. Having momentum heading into the postseason is huge, and the poor week really sapped that from the Phillies. 

In addition to the bad week, there has to be some concerns about the performance of Ranger Suarez of late. In the playoffs, Suarez is going to be asked to start games after Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, and Christopher Sanchez. With Taijuan Walker not being an option because of his struggles, Philadelphia might all of a sudden have some concerns about their starting rotation. 

This coming week, the Phillies will be looking to wrap up the National League East, as they start the week against the Chicago Cubs. After that three-game set at home, they will then be playing the Washington Nationals to end the season. 

As they continue to battle with the Dodgers for the best record, it will be interesting to see how aggressive Philadelphia wants to be with their team this coming week.