The Phillies have sucked so far. There’s no getting around it. They’ve been blown out in three out of their first four games, and have yet to record a win. They’ve been outscored 37-12 by the Rangers and Yankees thus far, and there’s no way to describe this start other than an unmitigated disaster. And yet, I urge you to remain calm.
I live and die with the Phillies. When they win, I’m on top of the world, and when they lose my night is ruined. Needless to say, I haven’t had many good nights this week. The Phillies have taken the months of excitement and anticipation we’ve all had and thrown them right out the window with their completely hapless play to start the season. I find myself feeling incredibly frustrated watching this team walk the yard and fail to drive in runs in key situations. Rob Thomson pushed all the right buttons on the road to the World Series last season, but it’s tough to watch him bring in Yunior Marte to stick a fork in his team this year.
There are a few reasons for optimism amid this dreadful start. Alec Bohm has looked incredible to start the year, collecting seven hits, three for extra bases, in 16 plate appearances, and rocketing balls to right field regularly. The man who once stated how much he hated playing here looks to be turning a corner. Trea Turner has been as advertised, with seven hits of his own, including two triples, in 19 trips to the plate so far. Darick Hall didn’t look completely overmatched against a good lefty last night in Nestor Cortes, which was a real concern coming into this season. Bailey Falter was excellent in his first start, surrendering only two earned runs over 5.1 innings against the Rangers, and Andrew Bellatti has been lights out in his first three appearances.
This is the time of year where small sample sizes rule the day. We’re up in arms because Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler had one bad start each. Kyle Schwarber has only one hit in 17 plate appearances. Seranthony Domínguez has allowed six runs in only 1.0 innings of work. Over the course of a 162-game season these issues should rectify themselves.
So far in 2023 I’ve found myself feeling morose each time I watch the Phillies. In the moment I can’t help myself from getting down in the dumps. But, I need to give myself a reality check that we’re not even a week into the season. The Phillies haven’t even played a home game yet. I need to stay calm.
Yes I’ve been getting frustrated during games, and yes I’ve been making it known. The Phillies have been playing like hot garbage and there’s no need to stay quiet about it. But I’m not giving up on this team. None of us should. They’re the reigning National League champions for a reason, and they added arguably the top free agent on the market this winter. This team should still make the playoffs, and I don’t want four awful games to make me lose sight of that. I know it’s tough right now, but let’s just stay calm.