2022 MLB Post-season

[Natsinpwc]

Because this is the fanbase that believes that we won a WS because we dropped Bryce Harper, and not because we got an excellent third starter.

I think at this point some just realize how bleak the Nats outlook is the next few years and trying to lift themselves up by the misery of others. It’s going to be a rough few years. The Braves are loaded. The Mets have lots of money to spend. And the Phillies have a core group of key players that will keep them competitive. Even the Marlins have good young pitchers. At least we will play fewer games against the East.

[welch]

We watched Matt Williams pull Zimmermann in the 9th, explaining "That's what we do". And froze for the next nine innings. Now we see that Thomson was thinking the same. Wheeler had thrown 70 pitches? Pull him so a lefty could face Alvarez.

[Elvir Ovcina]

We watched Matt Williams pull Zimmermann in the 9th, explaining "That's what we do". And froze for the next nine innings. Now we see that Thomson was thinking the same. Wheeler had thrown 70 pitches? Pull him so a lefty could face Alvarez.

"Thinking" is not what those guys were doing.  Mindless defensive button-pushing so they couldn't be blamed for not making a change that could have been made is more like it. 

If either of them had thought for a moment about whether the guy they were bringing in was more likely or less likely to get an out than the guy they were replacing, they might have gotten it through their skulls to sit down and chew their cud like they do for the other three and a half hours.

[Mattionals]

I think at this point some just realize how bleak the Nats outlook is the next few years and trying to lift themselves up by the misery of others. It’s going to be a rough few years. The Braves are loaded. The Mets have lots of money to spend. And the Phillies have a core group of key players that will keep them competitive. Even the Marlins have good young pitchers. At least we will play fewer games against the East.

The Phillies this year caught lightning in a bottle and rode it until the lightning ran out. In some ways, they are constructed more like the 2019 Nats and are more likely to miss the playoffs than make it. The Braves have the core, the Mets do too, plus endless money. The Phillies can totally spend, and they will, but they have more holes to fill. They need a CF, Castellanos was a bad move, Hoskins has one more year before FA, and you've got to think do you let him walk and put Schwarber or Harper at 1B? I'm not saying they won't compete, but they weren't close to the best team in the NL East this year, but rode some amazing luck, and timely everything to the WS. The Nats did the very same in 2019, and three years later, the anats are gutted of that WS winning team. The Phillies are better set up to not implode like the Nats, but I'd say it's hard for them to get back without significant changes.

[Natsinpwc]

The Phillies this year caught lightning in a bottle and rode it until the lightning ran out. In some ways, they are constructed more like the 2019 Nats and are more likely to miss the playoffs than make it. The Braves have the core, the Mets do too, plus endless money. The Phillies can totally spend, and they will, but they have more holes to fill. They need a CF, Castellanos was a bad move, Hoskins has one more year before FA, and you've got to think do you let him walk and put Schwarber or Harper at 1B? I'm not saying they won't compete, but they weren't close to the best team in the NL East this year, but rode some amazing luck, and timely everything to the WS. The Nats did the very same in 2019, and three years later, the anats are gutted of that WS winning team. The Phillies are better set up to not implode like the Nats, but I'd say it's hard for them to get back without significant changes.

The Phillies have lots of money coming off the table.  Most likely including Segura and Eflin.  Also Hand, Familia, Gregorius, Gibson, and probably a couple others.  I think they make a hard run at Trea.  And maybe trade Hoskins--seems his defense just outweighs his up and down offense.  Ticket sales will be up and the pressure is on the owner to go all in with this window. Bohm then to 1B although he does not hit for power.   They have a couple young pitchers who are close.  I think Painter will be in the rotation by end of next year and Abel in 2024.  They need Bohm and Stott to improve ultimately to pass the Mets and Braves.  Seems like Castellanos should be better next year unless he is the ghost of Johnny Callison. 

[Natsinpwc]

"Thinking" is not what those guys were doing.  Mindless defensive button-pushing so they couldn't be blamed for not making a change that could have been made is more like it. 

If either of them had thought for a moment about whether the guy they were bringing in was more likely or less likely to get an out than the guy they were replacing, they might have gotten it through their skulls to sit down and chew their cud like they do for the other three and a half hours.

It's the trend now to pull the starters. 
Phillies would have lost anyway as they could not score.  Other than Schwarber they produced one run over the last three games. 

Also no one in the national media criticized Thomson's lineup construction but he got on a good roll in June and would not go away from Schwarber and Hoskins leading off.  Made no sense.  And then in the playoffs having Harper bat behind JT and in front of Castellanos made no sense.  Somehow teams kept pitching to Harper until Houston figured it out.  In any event he parlayed it into a permanent job.  Joe G is sad.

[Mattionals]

The Phillies have lots of money coming off the table.  Most likely including Segura and Eflin.  Also Hand, Familia, Gregorius, Gibson, and probably a couple others.  I think they make a hard run at Trea.  And maybe trade Hoskins--seems his defense just outweighs his up and down offense.  Ticket sales will be up and the pressure is on the owner to go all in with this window. Bohm then to 1B although he does not hit for power.   They have a couple young pitchers who are close.  I think Painter will be in the rotation by end of next year and Abel in 2024.  They need Bohm and Stott to improve ultimately to pass the Mets and Braves.  Seems like Castellanos should be better next year unless he is the ghost of Johnny Callison.

I don't for a second think the Phillies FO won't push the chips in. It's a better time than ever to do it, and I'd hate to see Trea in Phillies gear, but that would be a great move for them. I honestly don't know much about their upcoming pitchers, but TINSTAAPP so until they prove something, the Phillies need another arm. Wheeler is an ace, Nola is very good with sometimes head scratching results, and Suarez looks like a strong number 3, but beyond that and Seranthony in the pen, they gotta add.


They absolutely can be competitive, but there should be a big roster shakeup in Philly. Build around Harper, Schwarber, Realmuto.