James Hartnett

It has been 10 years since the Philadelphia Phillies reached the postseason: a city and franchise that are notorious for sports excellence and consistent success have ultimately produced lackluster results on the field.

In 8 of the last 10 years, the Phillies were one of the two worst teams in the NL East, finishing dead last three of those 10 seasons.

Current Phillies first-baseman, Rhys Hoskins, is aware of the struggles that the team has faced in the past and the many unsuccessful seasons that Phillies fans have had to endure after a stretch of five years that included five Division Championships along with one World Series Championship.

When asked by WIP Mid-day co-host, Joe Decamara, what the message in the clubhouse is for this season to finally get over the hump of the second longest active playoff drought in all of baseball, Hoskins adamantly answered, “It’s time!”

The Phillies have not completely eluded postseason talk over the last decade. Year-in and year-out, the Phillies maintain a steady and successful first half of the season, only to bottom out in the last month of the season, ultimately eliminating themselves from the playoffs.

In the past three seasons, the Phillies held the best record in the division going into the All-Star break only to lose their first-place position and not make the postseason.

Phillies Owner John Middleton was not happy with his team’s performance.  After signing Bryce Harper to one of the largest contracts in sports history, he believed that his team’s lack of attendance in the playoffs was not due to player performance but rather the managerial position.

After Middleton gifted Gabe Kapler the Phillies manager position before the 2018 season, he quickly took it away at the end of the 2019 season after plummeting in the standings both years. Former Yankees World Series manager Joe Giradi was granted the keys to the clubhouse.

In Giradi’s first season with Phillies, his bullpen produced the worst ERA in MLB history.  Even though the team was forced to play only 60 games due to COVID-19, they failed to make the expanded playoffs that allowed 16 of the 30 MLB teams to make the postseason.

Phillies fans have been accustomed to losing season after losing season; however, any and all expectations of a failed season this year should be put to rest.

The same Phillies lineup that featured Bryce Harper, JT Realmuto, Alec Bohm and Didi Gregorius produced the 6th most runs last season and is poised to strike harder this year.

The Phillies predominately focused on the pitching aspect of the game. Rebuilding a bullpen that produced the worst ERA in MLB history was a priority of new General Manager, Dave Dombrowski.  Dombrowski’s philosophy of hard-throwing pitchers in the bullpen was evident with his offseason acquisitions, highlighted by Jose Alvarado, Sam Coonrod and Archie Bradley.

A Phillies team that features familiar names will definitely not be the same team that Philadelphia fans have watched fall in the standings year after year.

Philadelphia will have a Red October this fall, as I believe the Phillies will be one of the best teams in baseball.  Their ability to hit the baseball 1 through 9 and increased efficiency with pitching, will allow the Phillies to end their Postseason drought.

A 92-70 record will help the Phillies reach the Postseason for the first time in 10 years, and hopefully bring back the coveted World Series trophy to Broad Street.