May 20, 2024
Baseball loves numbers. It's the American sport with the biggest sample size, with the most history, and with the most things that can be quantified with numbers. For every point a baseball fan hopes to make, a nifty relevant stat is likely there to prove it.
The Phillies, owners of baseball's best record through 48 games at 34-14, have no shortage of stats that help tell the story. And as the team proudly reached a nice, round 20 games above the .500 mark following a sweep of the Nationals this past weekend, we rounded up 20 telling numbers that help paint why and how this Phils team has been so successful.
The number of times in the history of the Phillies as a franchise that a team has gotten off to a start as good as this one — the 1976 team.
No team has more complete games (2), or shutouts (6), than the Phillies do.
The Phillies' starters combined ERA, the best in the majors. Their 26 total wins are also the most in baseball.
The Phillies' win probability added (WPA) — an advanced metric used by Baseball-Reference — which is miles ahead of the next team in this category, the Orioles, who are at 1.7. Only six MLB teams are in the positive in WPA, which measures the shift in probability of a team's chance of winning from one event within a game to the next, per MLB.com.
The ERA for the entire Phillies pitching staff, the fourth lowest in the majors.
The Phillies' fielding independent pitching (FIP), which is also the best in the majors. FIP measures how good a pitcher is at getting batters out regardless of the defensive talent behind them.
The number of Phillies hitters in the top 20 in on-base percentage, among hundreds of eligible MLB hitters. Bryce Harper, Bryson Stott, Alec Bohm, and Trea Turner are on the list.
The number of games the Phillies lead the Braves by in the NL East, their biggest lead in more than a decade.
The Phillies' average runs per game scored this season, the most in baseball.
The Phillies' at-bats per RBI, the quickest rate of any team so far this season.
Ranger Suárez's record so far on the season. The lefty leads the majors in wins and also in fewest losses (obviously). He is also second among every single qualified pitcher in baseball with a 1.37 ERA and first with a 0.763 WHIP. He is the leader for NL Cy Young through 48 games.
The percentage chance the Phillies have of winning the World Series, per Baseball-Reference, which is fourth best behind the Brewers, Dodgers, and Orioles. They have a 22.7% chance of winning the NL Pennant (behind only the Dodgers), and have a 61.1% chance of winning the NL East (the Braves are at 38.4%).
The rank of the Phillies' strength of schedule, which has been the easiest in the majors so far. The rest of the way they'll play the 13th hardest.
The number of homers Phillies pitchers have allowed – just 38 homers in 48 games, the third-fewest in baseball.
The percentage of inherited runs allowed by the Phillies' bullpen. They've gotten better as the season has gone along, but have surrendered the third-highest percentage in baseball in that category.
The Phillies' total stolen bases so far this season, which ranks fourth in the majors. They haven't been shy on the base paths.
Zack Wheeler's strikeouts, the third most in the majors. He is averaging 10.5 Ks per game.
The RBI pace Alec Bohm is currently on, with 42 runs batted in through 47 games played. If he continues at this pace, it would put him seventh all-time in single-season franchise history.
The Phillies' on-base rate as a club. There is only one team that has been on base at a higher rate than Philly this season: The Dodgers (.340).
The Phillies pitchers' combined strikeouts, the most of any club in baseball so far in 2024.
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