🔔 A Feel-Good History Lesson

The 2024 Phillies Are Doing Historic Things

LAST GAME: PHILLIES 11 - Nationals 5

NEXT GAME: Phillies (Ranger Suarez, 1.37 ERA) vs. Rangers (Jon Gray, 2.08 ERA) | May 21, 6:40 p.m. EDT | NBCSP, 94 WIP

Good afternoon. After earning their sixth series sweep of the season, the 34-14 Phillies now sit a staggering 20 games over .500, tying their high-water mark of a season ago. It took the 2023 team 158 games to get there, so I’d say they have been just a bit more efficient this time around.

Their sweep of the Nationals was powered by three fantastic starts, and, of course, Kody Clemens.

Who else?

While Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sanchez and Aaron Nola each completed at least seven innings while allowing two earned runs, Clemens’ weekend was highlighted by a dramatic game-tying homer Saturday and a key go-ahead double that opened up the broom closet yesterday.

Perhaps there will be a time not too far from now for the familiar angst and worry, but not today. The Phillies are good. Insanely good. Tear open a little packet of positivity, sprinkle it into your preferred beverage and let it get up in your system to start the week.

In the email today:

  1. 📚 A History Lesson

  2.  📓 News, Notes and Observations

  3. 🧔🏻‍♂️ Tweet of the Day: Some Wholesome Content

  4. 📊 Poll Question: What Should the Phillies Do About Kody Clemens?

  5. 🔗 Link Roundup — The best Phillies content around the internet this morning

1)📚 A History Lesson

It’s almost impossible to talk about the Phillies right now without some reference to how historically good they have been, and not just in the context of a franchise history that dates back to 1883.

The Phillies are doing things few other teams have accomplished this century. Hell, they’re doing things few teams have accomplished dating back to when Dwight D. Eisenhower was in office.

As you swoon over the Phils in your group chats today, here are some points to note that will make you look smart. Thanks to the Phillies communications team for the first three bullets below:

  • Entering Sunday, the Phillies held a 33-14 record. Only 16 National League teams since 1954 had won 33 times through their first 47 games. Every single one of those teams went on to win a division title while 10 won the National League pennant.

  • Only four MLB teams have started a season 34-14 or better through 48 games since the 2000 season.

  • The last team to start a season with as many as 34 wins was the 2016 Chicago Cubs.

  • In terms of their own team history, the 1976 and 1993 Phillies are the only others to win as many as 34 times through 48 games. With wins Tuesday and Wednesday against the Rangers, the Phillies can set a franchise record for wins over the first 50 games of a season.

  • The Phillies have not lost a series since the Reds won the rubber match of a three-game set that concluded on April 3. In the 14 series since, the Phillies have a 10-0-4 series record, including six sweeps.

  • Yes, there’s a long way to go (and I certainly would bet against them sustaining this current pace), but the Phils are playing .708 baseball — a 115-win pace. That would be the most victories in a single season since the Mariners won 116 games in 2001. It would be the most of any National League team since the 116-win 1906 Cubs. I’m sure you remember those guys.

  • The Phillies have gone 26 days without losing back-to-back games. Their last pair of consecutive losses came on April 23-24 in Cincinnati.

  • One other thing: they have won 19 of their last 23 games. They’ve had the tying run at the plate in the ninth inning or later in the four losses. If it feels like they’re in every game, that’s because they are.

Our take: Pretty good!

2)📓 News, Notes and Observations

  • Kody Clemens is giving the Phillies something to think about with a bench spot when Trea Turner returns, huh? All he’s done is post a 1.166 OPS in 29 plate appearances this season. Clemens maintains minor league options, so it’s still possible, and perhaps likely, that he’s sent down when Turner is ready.

  • Relatedly, Whit Merrifield is hitting just .188 and has the lowest hard-hit percentage of any player with at least 70 plate appearances this season. Still, it’s hard to imagine the team moves on from $8 million guaranteed to a veteran player they value (or valued) just 85 at-bats into a season. Would they consider moving on from Cristian Pache in favor of Clemens? We’ll see.

  • Phillies starters have a 2.63 ERA, best in baseball, and the quality of the rotation’s depth was on full display over the past week. The group currently represents four of the top 20 ERAs among National League starters: Ranger Suarez (2nd), Zack Wheeler (7th), Aaron Nola (14th), Cristopher Sanchez (19th). Had Spencer Turnbull remained in the rotation, all five starters could have realistically landed within that group.

  • Bryson Stott still has it going on. After reaching base twice Sunday, Stott has now reached base safely in a career-best 18 straight games. In that stretch, he’s hitting .382 with a .533 OBP.

  • Among qualified MLB second baseman this season, Stott’s .393 OBP ranks second, his .849 OPS fifth, and for you hardcore folks out there, his 143 wRC+ ranks fourth.

  • Alec Bohm picked up two more runs batted in with a pair of sac flies yesterday before belting a three-run homer to cap a 5-RBI day. He has an MLB-best 42 RBI this season and is on-pace to drive in 142 runs. That would be the most in a single season by any Phillies player since Ryan Howard knocked in 146 runs in 2008. What’s crazy is that Howard did it by blasting 48 homers that season. Bohm is on-pace for just 17.

  • Things looked bleak for the Phillies on Saturday night before Clemens saved the day with his 413-foot game-tying homer in the ninth inning. How bleak? They held just a 5.8% win probability when Clemens entered the box, according to ESPN Analytics.

3)🧔🏻‍♂️ Tweet of the Day: Some Wholesome Content

4)📊 Poll Question: A Good Problem to Have

What should the Phillies do with Kody Clemens when Trea Turner returns?

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Have additional thoughts? Reply directly to this email to comment, and see if we include your response Friday.

Results from our last poll [Will the Phillies set a franchise record for wins?]:

Your replies…

“Magic is in the air for this team. Feeling optimistic today.”

“It’s easy to forget what an absolute unit that ‘11 team was.”

“If they play .500 baseball the rest of the way, they are on-pace for 89 wins. They are almost a lock for 100 wins if they can avoid further injury, especially so because there are not many good baseball teams in the league, let alone great ones, and a whole bunch of really really bad ones. Let's go with 105 wins and a new franchise record!”

“Winning is hard.”

Our take: The Phillies are 5-1 since this question was first asked, just saying…

The newsletter today was written by Bob Wankel (Follow on X)

Thanks for reading!