Taking a four game series at home from the Mets is going to put a whole of things in a good light, so the candidates to be part of the “three up” group were plentiful. The others were bit harder to choose from, so the nit picking begins.
Three up
Harrison Bader
It cannot be overstated the injection of energy that Bader has brought since his trade and the subsequent winning ways that have followed. It doesn’t hurt that he’s actually hitting quite well (.485/.500/.667 this past week), which makes any
kind of potential cockiness come off in a different light. Still, this team can, from a purely subjective point of view, look a little too stuffy, a little too professional at times from the outside looking in. We can’t see what’s going on in the clubhouse, but from the looks of it, Bader has brought back the joy of playing baseball as well as the actual talent that goes along with it.
Plus, he destroys the Mets. That’s cool.
Bryson Stott
The injuries to Trea Turner and Edmundo Sosa would have forced other teams into a situation where the shortstop they trotted out would be a much lesser version. The Phillies are fortunate in that Stott came up a decent shortstop in his own right, plus he handled it his entire rookie season. The defense isn’t nearly as good as when he is at second base, but it’s more than adequate to handle a few games here and there.
Plus, he destroyed the Mets this week. That’s cool.
Otto Kemp
Kemp has established himself as a perfectly fine bench piece that has obvious limitations preventing him from being an every day player. He also does it at a major league minimum salary. Those kinds of players are important to a team that tries to push the upper limits of player payroll. He’s had a productive time this season and put himself quite firmly in place to be a bench player in 2026.
Three down
Nick Castellanos
Yes, we’re going to harp on this every week. It wasn’t a complete black hole of a week for Castellanos at the plate. He did have a few RBI here and there, but he has basically become unplayable in the outfield. In the seasons before this, he at least would make a play or two that showed basic competency, but he is beyond that. He cannot play regular innings in the postseason, no matter who is on the mound.
Aaron Nola’s last inning on Sunday
Nola was outstanding against the Mets in a start that truly set the tone for the series. Through his first five innings on Sunday, he was also good outside of a home run allowed to Jac Caglianone. Then, his sixth inning unraveled and brought back the questions about his role in the playoffs. A fourth starter will doubtfully be needed until the NLCS, so if the Phillies make it that far, he’ll probably get the ball in a game four. The amount of innings he pitches? That’s TBD.
The Mets
lol
