🔔 Some Fun With Numbers

_{LAST GAME: PHILLIES 7 - BRAVES 1}

_{NEXT GAME: Phillies (Cristopher Sanchez) vs. Braves (Spencer Strider) | Today, 7:20 EDT | TBS, NBCSP, 94 WIP}

Good morning. Let’s have some fun with numbers.

Zack Wheeler absolutely shoved for six innings, surpassing 200 strikeouts in a season for the second time in three years.

The Phillies hit five home runs, none more impressive than the 483-foot blast launched off the bat of Kyle Schwarber. It was his 45th of the season, the Phillies’ longest home run of the year. Meanwhile, Johan Rojas hit his second career home run.

They are all hitting them right now. All of them.

Oh, and the best number of all for the Phillies this morning? That would be 8 — the Phillies’ magic number to clinch the top National League Wild Card spot.

In the email today:

It’s time to show Johan Rojas some love.

The Phillies have a bunch of big-name players putting up big-time second half numbers, so Rojas’ production can get lost in the shuffle. It shouldn’t.

Back to his opposite field homer in the second inning last night. It was his first career home run against an actual pitcher (his first came off Twins outfielder Jordan Luplow), and it helped the Phillies dig out of an early 1-0 hole. The swing helped set the tone in an important series-opening win.

What a boost he has been:

• In 133 plate appearances, he’s hitting .300 with a .786 OPS.

• Over his last 15 games, he’s hitting .321 with a .903 OPS.

• With 14 defensive runs saved, not only does Rojas lead all Phillies players by a wide margin, he’s somehow done so in just 319 innings.

• For context, only five MLB outfielders have accumulated more DRS than Rojas this season — and none of those five players have logged fewer than 891 innings.

• Unsurprisingly, Rojas leads all Phillies in DRS. As a team, the Phillies rank 27th in MLB. Bryson Stott (6), Cristian Pache (6), and Kody Clemens (1) are the only other Phillies position players with + DRS this season.

Our take: After years of watching the Phillies’ poor defense out in center, simple competence felt like Gold Glove-caliber play. Now, the Phillies are actually getting it.

But is Rojas’ production at the plate sustainable?

Per MLB Statcast, Rojas has a .240 expected batting average, so he might be over-performing right now. Still, there’s no doubt he’s earned the bulk of playing time in center, and it looks like the Phillies have a truly interesting piece in the 23-year-old moving forward.

2)🔋 Power Up

Five more home runs for the Phillies last night. You know, there was a time back in early July when Kyle Schwarber was the only Phillies’ hitter on-pace to break 20+ homers this season.

Now, it looks like a lock that five players, maybe six (if Alec Bohm gets frisky), will reach the 20-homer threshold. Schwarber (45), Trea Turner (26), and Nick Castellanos (25) are already there, while J.T. Realmuto (19) and Bryce Harper (18) look like solid bets to join them.

The Phillies’ late-season power surge has been incredible to watch, just a total 180-degree turn from a surprisingly punchless first half.

• In 61 games since the All-Star break, the Phillies have hit 104 homers. That’s second to only the Braves (120).

• In 89 games before the All-Star break, the Phillies hit only 99 homers. They were 19th in homers per game at the break.

• This means the Phillies hit just 1.11 homers per game through mid-July before launching 1.7 homers per game since.

Our take: Everything we’re watching right now feels like evidence collection on how the Phillies might be able to take down the Braves next month.

I feel like we have spent a lot of time highlighting the red flags (pitching), but, man, this lineup is absolutely lighting it up right now.

3)🚀 Tweet of the Day: Come Fly With Me

It’s not every day a guy hits a baseball 483 feet, so to celebrate the occasion, let’s re-live the 10 most majestic homers of Kyle Schwarber in a Phillies uniform.

4) 📊 Poll: Is Johan Rojas the Future in CF?

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

Results from our last poll: Do the Phillies get your full attention during football season?

Your replies…

“I love the Phillies and keep tabs (MLB app open, twitter, checking during breaks or lulls in Redzone/Eagles game) but make no mistake, football is the priority.”

“NFL on Thursday, CFB on Friday and Saturday, NFL on Sunday and Monday, it's hard to focus just on Phillies baseball ”

“It’s baseball season through November 4th. Nothing else matters for better (temporary elation) or worse (my blood pressure).”

…

5) 🔗 Link Roundup:

• Could the Phillies be interested in employing Chase Utley when he returns to America? 🇺🇸

• Pat Burrell is sober and has found a renewed sense of purpose. ☺️Here’s a look at how each of the Phillies grade out defensively. 😬

• Should the Phillies have Aaron Nola on a short leash? 🦮

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

Thanks for reading!