Rumors Of Phillies Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Rumors of the demise of the Phillies have been greatly exaggerated.

Media outlets have had a field day tearing into the Phillies for most of May, but especially so over the past week or two as their record became more and more atrocious. Since they started the season at 11-9, they've gone a pretty miserable 5-20. It became very easy to say the Phillies are awful, that their rebuild is in shambles, and that either Pete Mackanin or Bob McClure should be fired.

But it's important to look beyond the last few uglier matchups against the Colorado Rockies this week to see the team the Phillies have actually been for most of the 2017 season: a hard fighting, close playing team that is vastly better than the lineup they were trotting out every day from 2014 through 2016.

Thus far, the Phillies have played 12 of their 44 games against the Washington Nationals, widely considered one of the best teams in baseball. Of those 12, the Phillies have won five and lost seven. All but one of the games they lost was by two runs or less.

They played another three against the perennially contending Los Angeles Dodgers. And then another four against reigning World Series Champion Chicago Cubs. Their most recent homestand is against the Colorado Rockies, the team with the second best record in all of baseball, as of Tuesday.

That's in addition to a pair of series against two very solid American League West teams, the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners.

All told, 29 of their 44 games have been against these teams who are either reigning divisional champions or are currently well over the .500 mark. They've only had one series with the Atlanta Braves thus far, and just a two game stint with the Florida Marlins. They won all five of those games.

However, these simple realities of the Phillies schedule - and perhaps a basic understanding of the league itself - have escaped the shallow analysis of many in the Philadelphia media. One writer said this is the worst Phillies team they've ever seen. Another called Odubel Herrera "Rule Fivey" for his two week slump - as in, the 2016 All Star and catalyst atop the Phillies lineup should be judged on May 1 through May 25, 2017, not 2015 through 2017.

And yet, this is, perhaps, the typical Philadelphia response: when things are going poorly over a very short period of time, react viscerally and illogically. Extrapolate manically. Say you're not panicking, and then panic. See the macro in the micro. Apotheosize the hero of the night, but demonize the struggling (for his last ten at bats) veteran in the next breath.

Just because they have had a preposterously difficult schedule does not change the fact that the Phillies have one of the most promising collections of young talent. Both in Philadelphia and in their farm system, the Phillies are stocked full of position players and pitchers that will provide the foundation of the franchise for the better part of the coming decade.

Herrera is struggling lately, yes, But hitters get into slumps. Aaron Altherr has emerged as a stellar every day left fielder. In the minor leagues, only one out of Rhys Hoskins, Dylan Cozens, Nick Williams, or Roman Quinn needs to emerge as a star talent to fill their outfield for the foreseeable future. The Phillies don't need - and don't have room for - all four. And with the recent rumors that the Phillies will target Bryce Harper or another generational talent in 2018,

Yes, Maikel Franco, and J.P. Crawford at AAA, are doing poorly right now. But there is no rush on Crawford, with the way Freddy Galvis is playing. Cesar Hernandez is one of the hottest hitting second basemen in the majors right now. Tommy Joseph, similarly, has found his swing. Cameron Rupp and Andrew Knapp are each providing steady offense at catcher, and Jorge Alfaro is tearing it up at AAA Lehigh Valley.

And don't forget that throughout the Phillies recent losing streak, they've been without one of their top starting pitchers, Aaron Nola, who in his first game back last week, dominated the Pittsburgh Pirates over seven innings.

The team is young, and they're simply not as good as the Dodgers, or the Rockies, or the Nationals. Not yet. But there are no glaring holes. Most of the starters on this roster will only get better, from here on out. Perhaps 2017 isn't the year the Phillies challenge for the Wild Card. But these players are part of a core that undoubtedly, one day, will. Two months of war against the best teams in baseball doesn't change that.

Image via Justin Heinze