The Philadelphia Phillies' Big Bats Must be Better in NLDS

The Philadelphia Phillies made it to the NLDS, but their big hitters have to bring their bats to Atlanta.

The Philadelphia Phillies did it. After 11 long years of playoff-less baseball, they swept the Cardinals in St. Louis, and are headed to the National League Division Series for the first time since 2011.

It's a monumental accomplishment, and the Phillies should celebrate as such, but one cloud lingers over an otherwise clear and sunny sky:

The top of the Phillies' lineup has to be better in Atlanta.

It's no secret, Philadelphia won this series strictly because of their pitching. Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler combined for 13 scoreless frames, and the bullpen kept things tight when it mattered.

Over the course of both Friday and Saturday, the Phillies' 1-through-5  hitters went a combined 3-for-36 with 11 strikeouts. Their lone big extra-base hit came on Saturday, when Bryce Harper ripped a Miles Mikolas' curveball into the night.

That ball was absolutely demolished#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/dnlsSnYz3r

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) October 9, 2022

It was his first home run since Sept. 24.

It's somewhat surprising that Kyle Schwarber, who came into the NLWCS swinging a red-hot bat, cooled down for the Phillies' two games against the Cardinals.

The clubhouse leader, Schwarber has the most postseason experience of any Phillie in the lineup, and it's not close. His teams have missed the playoffs just once across his eight-year career, and the left-handed slugger has been good come October, boasting a career .823 playoff OPS, as well as a .487 slugging percentage. He should, by all accounts, have a better NLDS.

Rhys Hoskins, on the other hand, has never had a taste of the big stage, and it's showed. He is a combined 1-for-28 over his last seven games, striking out 11 times in that span. He has been dreadful, and picked the worst time for one of his patented cold streaks. One has to hope that a hot streak will follow.

J.T. Realmuto and Bryce Harper did their jobs in the Phillies' two Wild Card bouts. Realmuto had his rally-encouraging single in the ninth inning on Friday, while Bryce Harper launched his no-doubt, go-ahead homer in the second inning of Saturday's game. Still, one would hope for better than a combined 3-for-13 from two of their franchise players.

And then, of course, comes Nick Castellanos. Between major struggles, injuries, and drawing the ire of the fanbase, it's been a tough year for the Phillies $100 million man. He has gone ice cold when the team has needed him most. After returning from an oblique injury in late September, Castellanos hit just .240 across his final eight games of the season. He hasn't logged an extra-base hit since Aug. 26.

It's been tough to watch at times, but all of this criticism is met with one singular caveat: any of these aforementioned players are known for their ability to combust out of thin air.

Think about it: one Rhys Hoskins hot streak could alter the course of an entire playoff series! 

Nick Castellanos heating up would bring an entirely new dimension to the Phillies' game that we have hardly seen this season.

Perhaps Kyle Schwarber could turn his locker calendar back to June and swat five or six bombs over a four-game span?

It could conceivably happen.

The fact that this Phillies team won a massive series without the help of their bigger bats is an impressive feat in and of itself, and makes it all the more likely that the Phightins' offense will be locked and loaded for an NLDS against their division rivals.

Get ready Atlanta, here come the Phillies.

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