The Phillies Are Eliminated from the Postseason
The Philadelphia Phillies have been eliminated from the postseason following a loss to the Washington Nationals. This gives the Phillies a record of 79 – 77, which will not be good enough for a playoff berth this season. This is now the eighth straight season that the Phillies will miss the postseason. After having such strong momentum heading into the season, the Phillies were unable to stand out in a crowded National League East.
What Went Wrong
Well, what started out as a great season for the Phillies, turned out to end pretty quickly. Things started to go wrong on June 3rd when Andrew McCutchen suffered a leg injury that would end his season. The team suffered from other injuries, but the injury to McCutchen probably hurt the Phillies the most.
Ace pitcher Aaron Nola took a major step back in 2019 in every major pitching category. His ERA jumped over one full run from 2.37 to 3.75. His minuscule WHIP rose from .975 to 1.256.
Going into the 2019 season, the Phillies were one of the favorites to win their division. While they have played well against the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets and Miami Marlins; the Nationals were a thorn in their side. A losing record against the Nationals is probably the difference between making the postseason and missing it.
What Went Right
J.T. Realmuto proved the Phillies were right to bring him in via trade. Realmuto saw his HR and RBI totals improve this season. After trading top prospects to acquire him, he was arguably the best Phillies player this season.
In the offseason, the Phillies decided to take a risk in signing free agent Bryce Harper. While Harper has had a good season in 2019, it may not be as good as Philly fans hope it would be. With signing a massive contract there comes massive expectations. Some will argue this season was one of the better seasons Harper has had in his career. Harper drove in 108 runs which is a career-high.
The Big Question
The most important question surrounding the Phillies in the 2019 offseason is whether or not manager Gabe Kapler will return next year. Arguments can be made that Kapler is on the hottest seat in baseball. With this team failing to make the playoffs his seat only gets hotter.
