by Cam Moore (6th)
You know what’s funny about this Question of the Month topic?
My first ever Question of the Month (and my first SCOOP article, in fact) way back in November was about the Phillies disappointing NLCS exit to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Here’s the funny part: This article--my last Question of the Month of the entire year--is also on the Phillies. But this time, they’re on pace to win over 110 games. So, yeah. You can tell this is a very positive article. But, here’s one of the questions:
How many games will the 2024 Phillies win?
Yes, this is Questions of the Month. Anyway, if you were to ask me this, I would say at least 95 games, guaranteed. Maybe over 100 if the Phillies win (so, like, two thirds of the time). 105 is absolutely possible, but it’s unfortunately not a guarantee in my eyes.
When will the Phillies slow down?
I’m not sure. They lost on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday (first 3-game losing streak of the year) against the Rockies and Giants, respectively. Not to mention, Ranger Suarez got in some trouble with Colorado’s hitting on Sunday. That three game Colorado series, they lost game 1 in the series and had to come back in game 2 (thanks to a Bryce Harper 3-run homer in the ninth), which could absolutely be interpreted as warning signs pointing to the downfall of the Phillies in June (that doesn’t sound right…).
However, although a large part of the Phillies lineup is delivering (Harper and J.T. Realmuto, especially), Kyle Schwarber just exited his largest homer slump as a Phillie on Monday, and Trea Turner has been on the IL for almost a month. I’m not worried about Schwarber (he is Mr. June, anyway) and Turner should be back soon, hopefully as close to 100% as he could be. As for when? Late June into July is when I expect congestion on the road. However, with their current form, I wouldn’t be surprised if they fall down to earth in early June. A team on pace to break the MLB win record can’t float in the clouds for 162 games.
And with that, I have one more question. What will the division look like?
For context, I have a division order I feel comfortable with. From first to fifth, my division is the Phillies, Braves, Mets, Nationals, and Marlins.
I can’t see the Braves catching the Phillies (even if I wasn’t biased), with Ronald Acuna Jr, and Spencer Strider out for the year for the Braves. Those are two big players for them, and the Phillies have basically nobody out for the year. The Mets are pretty far off, and the Nationals and Marlins just stink this year.
So, that is the outlook on what has so far been a very successful season for the Phillies here in 2024. Looking forward to my next QOTM in September!