5 Reasons the Phillies Will Win the World Series
Red October is here and the Phillies are on fire
As fall’s first kiss lands on South Philadelphia, you can feel it. The city streets are caked in reds, whites, and powder blues. The smell of Bud Light stings the air. The usual “Go Birds” is met with an added “Go Phils.” Tai Verdes “AOK” blasts out of car windows. If you say “Fightin’s” in the mirror three times, this man appears:
The time has come. Red October is here and Philadelphia is on fire. There’s nothing like fall in Philly when the Eagles are playing well and the Phillies are playing meaningful baseball in the playoffs. The energy is palpable. The Broad Street Line is levitating. Citizens Bank Park is ready. I’m pretty sure Vic Fangio is more excited about this than he was about winning the Super Bowl.
As our Phillies embark on the long road to the World Series by playing the Dodgers in the National League Division Series this Saturday night, I asked Burds of a Feather Phillies Correspondent and Major League Baseball expert, AKA my homie Keenan, to share why he likes the Fightins’ chances this year.
No one gets me more hype for Phillies baseball than Keenan. After talking to him the other day, I was ready to run through a wall and head straight to Citizens Bank Park to take an at-bat myself. His optimism for Bryce, Trea, Harrison, and the boys is contagious.
So without further ado, take it away, Keenan!
5 Reasons the Phillies Will Win the World Series
The pressure is somehow simultaneously wildly on and non-existent for a Phillies squad that has seen heartbreak and disappointment in recent years. If this core doesn’t win this year, the team could look decently different next year (No Schwarber? No Suarez?), so there’s pressure to win with this iteration.
However, the Birds are 4-0, the Union have the best record in the MLS, and Joel Embiid is playing 5-on-5 close to the start of the season, so it’s all gravy right now.
The Phils have the right momentum, the right bench spark in Edmundo Sosa, and the right clubhouse wildcard in Harrison Bader. My prediction is this team will finally get over the hump and wins a World Series. Here’s why I think they’ll win.
The Phils have the best record in baseball since August 1st. Simply put, they were the best team in baseball for the final month and a half of the season. They did this without their best pitcher in Zack Wheeler, and largely without NL Batting Champ Trea Turner.
Strength of Starting Pitching. We’re the only team in the league that had 2 starters with 200+ strikeouts in Jesus Luzardo and Cristopher Sanchez (and likely would’ve been 3 had Wheeler stayed healthy). Add in Ranger Suarez, who has a career 1.43 ERA in 10 playoff appearances, and Aaron Nola, who has more postseason starts than any starting pitcher in these playoffs not named Max Scherzer, and you’ve got a battle-tested group.
Defensive Strength Up the Middle. The old adage is that it’s crucial to be defensively sound up the middle. Statistically, the Phils have a top 5 defensive player at catcher, second, and short this season in JT Realmuto, Bryson Stott, and Trea Turner. With former Gold Glove winner Harrison Bader patrolling CF, the Phils are sound where it counts defensively.
A bolstered pen. A lack of a bonafide closer has hurt the Phils in recent postseasons, but that weakness is now a strength since the acquisition of Jhoan Duran. The question ever since the famed “Bridge to Lidge” is how do you get to the Durantula? Former closer David Robertson has high leverage experience and Orion Kerkering has the stuff needed to make late-inning tough outs. Matt Strahm and Tanner Banks can act both as situational lefties as well as inning eaters, and Walker Buehler gives you a wildcard of experience (18 career postseason starts) and success, recording the final save to clinch the 2024 World Series for the Dodgers.
Star Power. An MVP Candidate in Kyle Schwarber. A Cy Young candidate (and my pick if I had a vote) in Sanchez. The NL Batting Champ (and likely MLB hit leader had he not missed time with injury) in Trea Turner. The closer with the best entrance in baseball. Some guy named Bryce Harper. While the window is closing, this team has star power out the ass. Hell, we’ve even still got the best mascot in sports in the Phanatic.
