Philadelphia Phillies Compared to 2022 New York Yankees During Recent Challenges
The Philadelphia Phillies have faced a tough few weeks, which continued during their recent series against the Atlanta Braves. They lost two of three games to their division rival and fell to the Kansas City Royals in their first matchup, leaving them just five games ahead in the National League East.
If the Phillies fail to secure the division title, it would rank as one of the biggest collapses in Major League Baseball over the past decade.
Although they could still clinch a World Series title through the Wild Card, it would complicate their path significantly.
Philadelphia has shown they can thrive in October without winning the division, but having home-field advantage at Citizens Bank Park, with its loud fan base, is a significant boost.
No team relishes playing the Phillies in a playoff series at Citizens Bank Park, as many have noted in the past.
However, given their recent performance, there’s little reason for opponents to fear them.
Since the All-Star break, the Phillies’ play has been subpar, mirroring the struggles of the 2022 New York Yankees, who started that season as the best team in baseball but faltered in the second half.
Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report drew a comparison: “Similar to the 2022 New York Yankees, who went 38-40 after a scorching 61-23 start, the once-dominant Phillies have been underperforming for the past six weeks, entering Wednesday with the worst record in the National League (12-19) since July 12.”
While it’s challenging to draw direct parallels between teams, the regular season performance of both teams seems comparable. The Phillies have more talent than that Yankees team, but success often hinges on the process, which has been lacking for Philadelphia recently.
The incident with Orlando Arcia confronting Bryce Harper on Wednesday night was hoped to be a turning point, but the Phillies lost the subsequent game.
At some point, they need to turn things around or risk experiencing a fate similar to that of the Yankees two years ago.
