April 26, 2024
Phil Didion/USA Today
Bryce Harper returned from paternity duty and proceeded to go yard.
The Phillies stand at 16-10 in prime playoff positioning a little under month into the MLB season. It's quite early, but there are encouraging signs out there for the Fightins. Following a split series with the Reds that gives way to a West Coast road trip, here are five Phillies thoughts currently on my mind...
After missing the first three games of the Phils' series in Cincinnati while on paternity leave, Harper was back in the lineup on Thursday and cranked a two-run homer with an extra dose of dad strength:
Dad power! 💪
— MLB (@MLB) April 25, 2024
Bryce Harper homers in his return to the @Phillies lineup! pic.twitter.com/IKVSfLvgUx
If the Harper family adds another child to the bunch, Harper homering in the following game is the lock of the century.
Harper's 2024 campaign has been a bit up and down, but after his two-hit performance on Thursday, his OPS is now .835. He's striking out a lot, not making enough contact nor is he getting on-base at the rate Phillies fans have been accustomed to, but the power numbers are coming along. Big things are unquestionably coming for the 31-year-old superstar.
How about this Harper note... he has more MVPs (2021 National League, 2022 NLCS) as a Phillie than All-Star appearances (just 2022) now in his sixth season with the franchise. Perhaps he goes on another one of his elite runs over the next several weeks and punches an All-Star ticket.
It's time to plant the flag: Zack Wheeler should be viewed as the favorite to win the National League Cy Young Award right now. Through six starts, he's sporting a 1.93 ERA and striking out more than 10 batters per nine innings. In his latest gem on Thursday afternoon in Cincinnati, Wheeler pitched six innings of no-run ball while striking out eight Reds players.
Let's paint a picture. It's the middle of July. The Phillies are two games up on the Braves for the National League East lead during the All-Star Break. Bryce Harper just won the Home Run Derby. Wheeler is on the mound starting for the NL in the All-Star Game in Texas.
That's as classic as a Norman Rockwell painting there.
Unless it's colossal mop-up duty with the Phillies down a half-dozen runs late in the game, Seranthony Domínguez cannot be trusted in anything resembling a high-leverage situation. Domínguez allowed four runs in under an inning of work in Wednesday's loss to the Reds. It feels about a decade ago at this point that Domínguez began the 2022 postseason with five consecutive scoreless appearances.
The return of Orion Kerkering is a welcomed sign on that front and gives the Phils' bullpen added depth. The 23-year-old righty has immense promise as a go-to reliever. He's pitched just 4.2 innings this season (four appearances), but has allowed zero runs when out there.
It's time for my typical fun looking at Brandon Marsh stats. Marsh's .827 OPS on the 2024 season is, as of this writing, higher than that of Aaron Judge, Matt Olson, Freddie Freeman, Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager, José Ramírez, Yordan Alvarez and many more.
Marsh has yet to get the green light from manager Rob Thomson to be an everyday player. His lefty-righty splits certainly leave a lot to be desired to say the least:
| Stat | vs. RHP | vs. LHP |
| Plate Appearances | 55 | 21 |
| Batting Average | .308 | .167 |
| On-Base Percentage | .346 | .238 |
| Slugging Percentage | .635 | .222 |
| OPS | .980 | .460 |
| Home Runs | 5 | 0 |
| RBI | 12 | 1 |
He's 26 though. The sample size, all around, remains small for this specific season. Taking him out of the lineup leaves a revolving door of guys like Whit Merrifield and Cristian Pache coming in. Is that really better? This is all the while Nick Castellanos remains a disaster in right field while being a constant in Thomson's lineup. The Phils need to either make a move for another fourth outfielder or just let Marsh ride this out. Their best chance at success in the postseason with their left field spot is Marsh being consistently in the lineup as he additionally provides fantastic defense.
The Phillies embark on a three-game series with the Padres in San Diego on Friday night.
When the average Philadelphian thinks of the Padres, they'll likely think of Harper's swing of his life, his iconic home run in Game 5 of the 2022 NLCS. What do I think of with my brain that has taken a beating from the internet over the last two decades?
This song, naturally:
That's what's in, alright.
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