The situation for the Phillies has gotten beyond the level of ugliness. It’s so dire that I was actually encouraged by them getting to extra innings before losing on Thursday.
On the other hand, the Phillies’ opponents this weekend have had just about everything go right this season. Is it possible that the Braves somehow stole the Phillies’ mojo like Dr. Evil did in the second Austin Powers movie? At this point, I’m not ruling anything out.
As for things that are going right for the Braves, outfielder
Michael Harris II is near the top of the list. In 2022, Harris displayed superb defense in centerfield and recorded an OPS of .853 to earn the National League’s Rookie of the Year award. He pretty much matched those numbers the following season, but his performance at the plate dipped the past two years. He was still good on defense – he’s certainly made his share of highlight plays against the Phillies – but his on-base percentage fell to .268 in 2025, and he had become an offensive liability.
Harris certainly seems to have his mojo back this season, putting up a slash line of .316/.356./.565. He’s still only 25 years of age, and player development is often non-linear. It’s possible that Harris simply needed to re-adjust to how pitchers were attacking him in recent years, and he will be a positive at the plate going forward.
Trivia
By popular demand, trivia has returned! I think I may reserve the song battles for the weekday series and trivia for the weekends.
Remember how it works: Answer in the comments, don’t confirm answers, and try not to look it up.
Who was the first Phillies to hit a home run at Truist Park (opened in 2017)?
Non-Phillies thought
It’s nice to see that the Flyers have broken the brains of Penguins fans.
Sometimes I wish I could be as blissfully un-self-aware as a guy calling himself “Penguins Jesus” calling anything cringy and weird.
Additional thought about the series
I’m at a loss here. I thought the Phillies would take a small step back from last year, and I know several fans thought the step back would be considerable. But I don’t think anyone could have predicted the team look like one of the worst – if not the absolute worst – in baseball.
Say what you will about the offseason, but this group is mostly the same one that won the division with ease in 2025. I never would have suspected that Nick Castellanos, Ranger Suarez, and Matt Strahm were the glue holding it all together. Obviously losing Zack Wheeler has hurt, but the Phillies did go 35-19 in August and September last year when he was either injured or showing reduced effectiveness.
I’m somewhat reminded of the 2023 Eagles where they had a load of talent on the roster, but the situation had gotten so bad by the end of the season that they looked incapable of winning a game.
At this point, I’m not sure if it’s good news or bad news that it’s still only April. Sure, there’s lots of time left to dig out of this hole, but if the team really is as bad as they’ve looked, then we have a lot more bad baseball left to endure.
I’d say it would be great for the Phillies to get their act together and win this series. But Truist Field hasn’t been all that hospitable for the Phillies even when they were playing well. At this point, I think it would be a real accomplishment if they can find a way to win a single game this weekend.
