July 24, 2020
The Philadelphia Phillies will embark on their 2020 season Friday night against the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park, marking the start of a compelling MLB gauntlet abbreviated by the coronavirus pandemic.
Much has been made of the Phillies' recent history of solid 60-game starts, which unfortunately unraveled in each of the past two seasons under former manager Gabe Kapler.
With the experienced Joe Girardi now in charge, there's reason for optimism in Philadelphia. Yes, the schedule is packed with daunting AL East teams, and yes, the Phillies' own division boasts a defending champion and a talented Braves team.
But news broke Thursday that MLB's playoff field has been expanded from 10 to 16 teams, giving the Phillies a strong change to return to postseason play for the first time since 2011.
It's hard to know what to make of such a strange season ahead, considering all the factors that set it apart from past years. From the outside looking in, 2008 champion and former NL MVP Jimmy Rollins believes the 2020 Phillies are in a good place.
In a hype video released Friday morning, Rollins narrates a case for why Phillies fans should look on the bright side over the next two months.
Zero to sixty in two months flat. #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/StPuF3NSNT
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 24, 2020
It's been a long time since the Phillies entered a season looking like a real contender, but given all the quirks associated with 2020, fans might as well embrace the team's chances. The Phillies should be able to hang around in contention, making their postseason push as exciting as the team has been in recent memory.
