Checkpoint Champs: Where do the Phillies stand on Memorial Day?

00:00:04
Speaker 1: Hi, This is Kyles Forber and welcome to the Philly Show. Hi, everybody, Ruben Tomorrow, Junior, Jim Salisbury, Todd Zo Lecky. It's the Philly Show. It's Memorial Day. It is Monday, May twenty six, twenty twenty five. Just Jim and I today Rubens. Ruben's on assignment. Ruben's on a secret assignment.

00:00:27
Speaker 2: Actually, I think I think I think I found I know where he is.

00:00:31
Speaker 3: You do I think he eloped this weekend. He looked I think he might have. So we'll have to get down.

00:00:39
Speaker 2: We'll have to get the details when he pokes his head up back.

00:00:44
Speaker 1: Up on here on the eighteenth Green. How are you doing, Jim Mori day weekend?

00:00:52
Speaker 2: Good so far. I'm bueno.

00:00:55
Speaker 3: I was thinking about how Chile it's been that. Do you remember when Roy hollow I was pitching for the Phillies. It was probably his second year here, so that would have been twenty eleven. We were in National's Ballpark, Washington Nationals Ballpark on Memorial Day, so it would have been what fourteen years ago today, right, And it was so hot, it was hot, stiflingly human in DC and he was pitching. I want to see if my memory's right, Okay, it was definitely Memorial Day weekend.

00:01:28
Speaker 2: I believe it was a Memorial Day.

00:01:30
Speaker 3: He was, you know, dripping sweat, and he changed his uniform between innings. You could tell because when it gets that gray uniform gets sweaty, it gets dark.

00:01:40
Speaker 2: And he came out in like the sixth inning, with a you know, a lighter gray.

00:01:44
Speaker 3: He changed in between innings from head to toe and came back out and pitched. I asked him about I think he said every he it socks. Everything was soaking wet. And he didn't even tell, like the clubhouse guy, that I'm coming in to change, so the guy would every thing ready for him. I mean, imagine if it was a quick gaming, you wouldn't have been ready. Do you remember that game?

00:02:05
Speaker 2: Well?

00:02:06
Speaker 1: In the time you mentioned Memorial Day, I hopped on and I pulled up that start. May thirtieth, twenty eleven, Roy Halliday seven innings, ten hits, four runs, five strikeouts. Game time temperature ninety two degrees. Jim, so you are.

00:02:25
Speaker 2: Right ninety two and very humor was hotter. Yeah, it was.

00:02:29
Speaker 3: He in DC is so hot and it was just like his early heat wave. And I just remember him coming out with a whole fresh uniform. I just thought it was remarkable that he did that between innings.

00:02:39
Speaker 1: Didn't he do that quite a bit?

00:02:41
Speaker 2: I thought he had, like I think.

00:02:42
Speaker 1: He changed his shirt shirts underneath. He roy would change T shirts every few innings.

00:02:47
Speaker 2: He went head to toe.

00:02:50
Speaker 3: It was so humid, okay, and he was just you know, you know how he I mean, he was always sweating like a New York waiter.

00:02:56
Speaker 1: And he I do remember him changed. He had the didn't he have like the almost like a half sleeve Nike T shirt? And I believe Phil Sheard in the Phillies clubhouse guys said that they stopped he grabbed like a whole bunch of those T shirts because at one point Nike stopped making him, and so he loved that T shirt. And so I think he had like several ready to rock and roll for for his starts, because he would come in every few innings and change.

00:03:24
Speaker 3: The reason I'm thinking of that is because one, it's Memorial Day. Two like it's been in the he's been chili this weekend, Like you know, I'm waiting for the garden to explode, and.

00:03:33
Speaker 2: It's just not warm, not hot enough anyway, you're right, You're right.

00:03:39
Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, that's so you have a great memory. Man, I will tell you that I would have never remembered Roy Halley Memorial. They started twenty eleven, but man, you nailed at ninety two degrees first pitch. Mm hmmm, Phillies. I think they Yeah, they won that game.

00:03:53
Speaker 2: Much perspiration, much.

00:03:58
Speaker 1: Phillies, Jim.

00:03:58
Speaker 2: They lost on some day to the A's.

00:04:01
Speaker 1: They snap their nine game winning streak, but they go six and one on the road trip at Memorial Day, Jim. You mentioned in the last episode, once it hits Memorial Day, you can no longer say it as early.

00:04:15
Speaker 2: Yeah, you can't enough.

00:04:17
Speaker 1: Of the you know, you gotta let them ease into it talk.

00:04:21
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:04:22
Speaker 1: But so we're at Memorial Day.

00:04:26
Speaker 3: Phillies, And I do think baseball, you know, there is an element and this irks a lot of fans, but there is an element of easing into it.

00:04:34
Speaker 2: It's like, you know, I think in.

00:04:36
Speaker 3: A lot of sports, you know you're going zero to sixty and six seconds. You know, in baseball, it's it's more like zero to sixty fifteen seconds, right, And this team has you know, they're they're driving sixty sixty five seventy.

00:04:51
Speaker 2: In the good lane right now.

00:04:52
Speaker 3: I mean they're twenty one and five, right, twenty one and seven, since no, what is it?

00:04:58
Speaker 2: I wrote it down?

00:05:00
Speaker 3: Twenty one is six, twenty one and six since they were thirteen thirteen and everybody wanted to fire Rob Thompson, you know, on the twenty fifth of April.

00:05:08
Speaker 2: So they're twenty one and six in their last twenty seven.

00:05:13
Speaker 3: That's and when I look at the standings, you know what kind of really jumped out at me this morning.

00:05:17
Speaker 2: I don't know why this jumped out at me.

00:05:19
Speaker 3: They have the best record of the majors, which is where they were last year at this time. But they are the only team in Major League Baseball with that has not hit twenty losses yet.

00:05:30
Speaker 2: It's like that nineteen just jumps out.

00:05:32
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, you're right. Yeah, they're thirty four to nineteen, best record in baseball. They've got a two game lead over the Mets in the nleast. And you're so right about a month ago, a little more than a month ago, everybody was finished with Rob Thompson, you know, Alec Bohm, people were.

00:05:51
Speaker 2: Fit everybody and get rid of everybody.

00:05:54
Speaker 1: They ran it back and it's failed. And and you know, you and I are not saying that, oh, they're they're going to win the World Series, yes, or anything like that, but you know, you have to let things develop. And I've mentioned this a couple of times since he's been on, but I just so much loved the line that Mark de Rosa gave earlier this month when he talked about playing with the Braves and Bobby Cox holding a team meeting around the forty game mark and said, Okay, guys, I've let you feel your way around. I've let you guys have your little struggles here and there. Now it's time we turn it out. In other words, even a Hall of Fame manager like Bobby Cox recognized that you gotta let kind of you gotta let guys kind of like feel their swings out and tweak their mechanics or whatever it is, or just getting the flow of the season. Seems like the Phillies have done that, you know. And and I looked up a few things this morning because I was just curious, because of course the Phillies this nine game winning streak that had it was against the Pirates, the Rockies, and the A's three teams that all have losing records, and now you know who have the Phillies played? Who have the Phillies played? But they are so they're twenty one and seven against teams with losing records this season, the second that's the second best record in the National League. Are right in Major League Baseball, second best record major League Baseball. They're thirteen and twelve against teams with winning records. That's the seventh best record in baseball. And you look at the Yankees right now are an MLB best four games over five hundred against teams with winning records. The Cardinals are an NL best three games over five hundred against team teams with winning records. The Giants are thirteen and eleven, two games over five So the Phillies have the third best record in the National League against teams with winning records. In other words, just relax, enjoy the rock.

00:07:47
Speaker 3: You know, all good teams beat up on bad teams, right right, and they you know, you hold your own against the good teams and you get a few games above five hundred.

00:07:58
Speaker 2: It's kind of like the you know, the saying, you know, play really good.

00:08:01
Speaker 3: At home and then you know, on the road, a few games over five hundred will.

00:08:05
Speaker 2: Get you where you need to go, so right, it's kind of like that.

00:08:08
Speaker 3: But I mean the Cubs, the Yankees, the Dodgers, they're all crushing crappy teams.

00:08:13
Speaker 1: Yeah, the Dodgers right now are only eight and eight against teams with winning records this season, So like the Mighty Dodgers eight billion dollars pay roll, they're not exactly crushing teams. The nineteen eighty Phillies jim were finished the regular season forty three and forty one against teams with winning records. The two thousand and eight Phillies the only other World Series champion in franchise history, they finished the regular season three games under five hundred against teams with winning records. The twenty twenty two Phillies they were I didn't, I don't, I guess I don't really remember this, but they were thirteen below five hundred against teams with winning records, So you know, I understand, I guess like the focus on that, well, who have they beat or you know, what do they do against the good teams? And you just got to get into the postseason, Get into the postseason, play your best baseball, and you see where it takes you the twenty twenty two Phillies. They snuck into the postseason, they did not beat winning teams during the regular season, and you know, they ended up playing their best baseball in the postseason, got to the World Series, got then two wins of the third World Series championship.

00:09:23
Speaker 2: Ever, So yeah, and I agree with you.

00:09:26
Speaker 3: I mean, it's just the way I think the game has evolved in the postseason.

00:09:29
Speaker 2: Tournament has evolved.

00:09:30
Speaker 3: There's more teams have gotten in, and the tournament has gotten longer, with you know, two extra rounds and.

00:09:38
Speaker 2: It's a month, it's a little more than a month, and.

00:09:42
Speaker 3: Get in, get hot, And like you said, twenty twenty two was a great example of it.

00:09:46
Speaker 2: I mean they barely got in.

00:09:48
Speaker 3: They were the last team in, and they got in the final days and they ended up in the World Series because they got hot at the right time.

00:09:56
Speaker 2: Last couple of years.

00:09:58
Speaker 3: They get in handily and have you know, the best ninety five wins last year, and they're a quick exit because they didn't play well at the right time. So that's kind of the way things have evolved now as twelve teams have gotten in the tournament. Yes, you know, I look at all anybody who gets in has a chance because if your rotation gets hot, a couple guys in your rotation get hot, a couple couple arms in your bullpen get hot, three bats in your lineup get hot, you can you can do some damage in the month of October. So once again, I mean, the Phillies is sitting here on Memorial Day with the best record in baseball.

00:10:34
Speaker 2: And that's fun and it's cool.

00:10:38
Speaker 3: You know, you have a six and one road trip, twenty one and seven stretch, whatever they are, that's great, But it's still the way this team is constructed, with its high payroll, with its high expectations, with its star power, and you know, with it with its stated goals of winning the world is this team's going to be defined in the month of October. So it's great where they are here at the first checkpoint. But if you remember last year, you know, June nine or ten, you know, they started a little bit of a downturn. They were at five hundred team after June nine, right, and they still won ninety five games. I think it's important that they that they, you know, maintain more consistency after another good start to start this year. Have it you know, kind of throughout the entire six month campaign and taken into the postseason, and there are reasons to believe it could happen. And we love their starting pitching and I think a lot of the approaches at the play have really you know, they kind of put their money where their mouth is in terms of that.

00:11:48
Speaker 1: Yeah, you've definitely seen some of that. So but you talk about Memorial Day is a checkpoint. So I thought we thought today for this episode, people driving back from the shore today before the work week begins on Tuesday, before the Phillies resumed play on Tuesday against the Braves, kind of a little look back. Where are we Memorial Day checkpoints? So let's start with the player, the team MVP, the Phillies best player through Memorial Day. And I think this is a perfect segue for Manco and Manco Best Week Manco and Manco Best Week gym, because Manco Manco is the best of the best down at the shore this week and people, I'm sure just crushing Manco and Manco everywhere along down the shore, right.

00:12:37
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:12:37
Speaker 3: I saw in the Inquirer today our old buddy Michael Klaw and you Michael, oh yeah, he gave them a nice mention Manco Manco in the Inquirer who was writing about Pizza at the Shore and Manco Manco is on that list, and of course it's number one on my list.

00:12:51
Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely, And to me, there's only one number one. Uh well, only one choice really that you can make for Team MVP or our best player through Memorial Day. You might have somebody else, I say, it's Kyle Schwarber, hands down.

00:13:09
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's like, you.

00:13:10
Speaker 3: Know, you read the nominees, Zach Wheeler, jose Lozardo, and the winner is open the envelope.

00:13:17
Speaker 2: Kyle Schwarmer.

00:13:18
Speaker 3: Yeah, Hey, Susan, did I say jose Lozardo?

00:13:21
Speaker 2: I meant, I meant.

00:13:24
Speaker 3: I met heyesus Lozardo, Joseph was Heyesus' father?

00:13:30
Speaker 2: So I'm sorry about that.

00:13:33
Speaker 3: But heyzus Lozardo, Zach Wheeler h in definitely in the conversation. But for me, it's got to be Kyle Schwarmer. Eighteen home runs, tied for the major league lead, a lot of big.

00:13:44
Speaker 2: Home runs, important home runs.

00:13:47
Speaker 3: Uh and you know, I think he's fourth in the majors and ops, it's fourth year in Philadelphia and he's just We've said it all the time. What a great signing he's been. He's had, you know, three plus really good seasons. You know, it's easy to say, you know, he's gonna be free agents in a salary drive season, But to me, he's had a salary drive four years here, three plus years here. He's been great ever since day one, in production in the batter's box.

00:14:13
Speaker 2: And what he does in the clubhouse.

00:14:16
Speaker 3: So you know, first checkpoint of the season, he's my man, called manco MVP.

00:14:21
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:14:22
Speaker 1: I was saying this to somebody the other day because before Zach Wheeler signed his contract extension, a lot of people were saying, how that was easily the best free agent pitchers signing in Philly's history, And I mean, how could you argue against it. He was absolutely amazing the first you know, those five years of that original deal. And I think now and I look at the Kyle Schwarber signing. Was it four years, seventy nine million kind of a steal? I mean, you know, you think and I understand why he signed for what he did at the time. You know, he's he got dfaight or released by the Cubs. He had a good solid he's in bounce back season with the Nationals and the Red Sox. But you're still sitting there going, we love you, but we can't give you one hundred million dollars or whatever. But man, for years seventy nine million dollars for Kyleege s Wwarber, he's been worth every penny and then some. So good you mentioned, Yeah, he's tied with Aaron Judge and shoey Otani for the major league lead and home runs with eighteen, he's seventh in baseball. In RBIs, he's ninth, and on base percentage right now, he's on pace for the highest on base percentage by the Phillies players since Harper had a four to twenty three on base in twenty twenty one three ninety eight. He's fifth in baseball and slugging Kyle sh Warber. This season, he's on pace for the highest slugging percentage by the Phillies players since Harper's six fifteen and twenty twenty one. You said he's fourth in ops in Major League baseball, Judge, Freddy Freeman, shohy Otani, then Kyle Sharber. So I mean he's he's really lived up to the hype, and he's also done a heck of a job not hitting leadoff everybody. You know, remember there's a stretch there where people like, ah boy, he's saying it, maybe he should be hitting leadoff or whatever. His numbers in the cleanup spot, he's betting two ninety eight with a OPS over a thousand, so he has adjusted.

00:16:20
Speaker 3: Yeah, the guy can hit. He can hit anywhere anywhere in the lineup. You know when he look when he gets in a little funk, as all hitters do, as all athletes do. And I don't think it has anything to do with where he's hitting the lineups. He's a good hitter period. I mean, you could you know, I think we we it's because what we do. We talk about baseball, so we always jumped the.

00:16:41
Speaker 2: Gun on who's your MVP? You know.

00:16:43
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean he'd get votes right now as the league MVP with Otani, with Freddie Freeman.

00:16:49
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:16:49
Speaker 3: So, you know, he's been great and he's having a great season, and it's really fun to watch.

00:16:55
Speaker 2: It's really fun to watch.

00:16:57
Speaker 3: His swing is so explosive, his hands are so good, his balance at the plate when he swings is so good.

00:17:03
Speaker 2: It's just a you know, it's I.

00:17:06
Speaker 3: Used to say this about Ryan Howard when he was like on his peak, he was what I would call a hold it player when he came to the to the plate and if you had to go tinkle, you held it and you watched him, you know how it was that bat Well, Kyle Schwarber is a hold it guy.

00:17:22
Speaker 1: For me, that is so great. I don't think I've ever heard any say oh yeah, but you're right though. I mean, you don't want to be out of the room when Schwarber is hitting, because you're probably there's a good chance you could miss something amazing. If you went to the bathroom last week when the Phillies are playing the Rockies at Coursefield, you would have missed a four hundred and sixty six foot home run into the off the facade and right field at Coursefield. That was a three hundredth career home run, you know, and you'd be like, Wow, why did I walk out of the room couch when I knew Schwarmer is up this inning?

00:18:04
Speaker 2: You don't do that.

00:18:05
Speaker 3: It's lightning bolts, yes, I mean from here to here the swing is not utly swing a very different swing, but from here to here it's it's very similar because it's you know, from from you know, where he starts to the contact point is lightning short and powerful and lightning quick like a blur like Utley was.

00:18:25
Speaker 2: Yeah, the finishes are.

00:18:26
Speaker 3: A lot different, but from here to here, if you can see yeah, yeah, amateur analysis on YouTube, it's really lightning quick.

00:18:35
Speaker 1: Reee Hoskins. I talked to him a couple of years ago. I wrote something about Schwarburn just his bat speed, and and Reese actually made that same comparison. He said, it's kind of utly like right, and and so you're one hundred percent on on with that. So that was Manco Manco Best Week, Best Player, Philly's best player through Memorial Day. It's gotta be calegh Warber. What about Jim? What about best Picture? Maybe a little bit of a maybe you have to think a little bit harder about this one because there's two really good choices. Maybe it's a CO. You know, you can really do a CO.

00:19:10
Speaker 2: So I would probably I can. I can play with words here.

00:19:16
Speaker 3: Semantics say, hey, sus Lozardo best pitching pickup and Zach Wheeler best pitcher. But they've both been great. It's you're not where you are without both of them. Wheeler is just fantastic. Lozardo has been fantastic. He seems so confident. He I look at him.

00:19:39
Speaker 2: And he seems like he loves being a Philly.

00:19:42
Speaker 1: I think, so, yeah, you're right, he gets out that vibe.

00:19:46
Speaker 3: Yeah, and you watched him yesterday's Sacramento. He's pumping ninety seven. You know, late in that start, he's like getting stronger, and you know there's a misplay in the outfield early and that came across him some runs. It probably cost them the chance to go seven in all, but what to pick up.

00:20:06
Speaker 2: What a good competitor. Stuff is good?

00:20:09
Speaker 3: You know that he's he's he's got that good kind of back foot slider which he's kind of tweaked into a sweeper with the arm angle, and he's got a good change up in the power heater.

00:20:22
Speaker 2: You know, hell of a pitcher.

00:20:23
Speaker 3: He's gonna get a big assignment coming up this week against the Braves. They're gonna stack some left He's he's pitched that third game. So but then again, Wheeler is just like to me, he'd be he'd be the MVP because you just know what he's going to give you every time out. So feel like, you know, go out there get a few runs, win a ball game.

00:20:42
Speaker 1: Yeah, Zach Wheelers. So, Zach Wheeler six and one two four two e A. He's second in the National League. If if you want to talk war, Jim, He's second in the National League two point seven b WAR that's Baseball Reference. He's second in the National League in f WAR that's fangrafts two point one two point one f WAR and Fangrafts. Jesus Lozardo is first in the National League in both of those with a three point zero b WAR two point four f WAR. But if you like the more traditional metrics, and I think you use them all to get a complete picture, Zach Wheeler is first in Major League Baseball with seventy and two thirds innings pitched. He is first in the National League with zero point eighty eight WHIP. He's got a twenty two and two thirds innings scoreless streak right now. He's got the best strikeout rate of his career. He's got the second lowest walk rate of his career. He's got the highest whiff rate of his career. And what I find We've talked about this before, but what I find so impressive about Zach is that he's now got six pitches, and he uses all six of those pitches. He doesn't have like a change up that he'll flash like once a start or something or twice a start, or you know, a split that he you know whatever, a slider that he only throws every once in a while. He throws all six of his pitches almost ten at least ten percent of the time throughout his start. So you have a guy that's gonna throw fastballs in the first inning, maybe throw another pitch, and then the third time around, you're gonna see something probably totally new that you've never seen before, and he can throw it for a strike and he can get some swing and miss with it. And that is why he is so good, because he is a pitcher's pitcher that also happens to throw ninety seven ninety eight miles an hour. You know, it's it's so much fun to watch. And Lozarto, you know, he adds a sweeper in the off season. He goes to the Phillies and says, I want a new pitch, I need something else. And the sweeper's been absolutely fantastic for him. And those guys what a heck of a one two punch. They have been.

00:22:44
Speaker 3: So, Yeah, you mentioned Wheeler having all that that repertoire and leaning on it all kind of equally. All that's in the back of the hitter's mind when he steps in the box. You know what am I going to get? You know, it's like opening a box of chocolates? You know what am I going to get? And he's he's dynamite, He's uh And you know you talk about I said, looks like Lizarda loves being a Philly. Zach Wheeler loves being a Philly because he's gotten so much better here and he's bonded with the pitching coach and the analytics people. I'll never forget his first press conference here when he was introduced, when you know Matt Clintax signed him, he said he was eager to see what the Phillies analytics folks could help him with and do for his career. So it's been a really group effort between there. He's been healthy and he's gotten better. So everybody's had a little bit of part of the training crew, the analytics crew, the pitching coaches, and Zach obviously Zach himself, like Schwarber, a great signing.

00:23:48
Speaker 1: Yeah, so we got a few more things I want to talk about, like maybe biggest surprise, biggest disappointment, biggest concern going into the final few months of the season. Right after these words, Kratz, my pup was picky.

00:24:01
Speaker 4: Not anymore with Spoten Tango unkibble, and it is about forty percent less expensive than frozen food. So we're saving in the wallet and we're making our puffs happier.

00:24:13
Speaker 2: Let's go apples to apples. I'm not cheap, but I don't want to waste my money on something that's good for my dog. This is perfect.

00:24:21
Speaker 4: Yeah, they are very excited, both Bellakratz is pupp and Penelope, my little pup. For spot En Tango, you can get your pup excited too, and there's no more guessing how much to feed your dog either. Spotan Tango creates a custom plan based on your dog's age, weight, breed, and activity level. It's a nice little survey. So upgrade your pets bowl with Spoten Tango Unkibble for a limited time. Go to spotantango dot com slash foul use code foul to get fifty percent off your first order. That's spotent Tango dot com slash foul code foul for fifty percent off your first order spotenantango dot com. Slash foul code foul.

00:24:59
Speaker 1: We're back, Jim. Biggest surprise through Memorial Day for the Phillies. For me, there is one guy and one guy only, and that is Taiwan Walker.

00:25:11
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:25:11
Speaker 3: I mean I would have to agree with your biggest positive surprise.

00:25:15
Speaker 2: I mean i'd have to say I'm.

00:25:18
Speaker 3: Surprised Aaron Nola has struggled as much as he did, but focusing on a well deserved thumbs up.

00:25:27
Speaker 2: Taiwan Walker.

00:25:28
Speaker 1: Yeah, Taiwan Walker.

00:25:29
Speaker 3: We thought maybe he'd be released last year. We didn't know if he'd be in clear Water. I remember saying that, like, I don't know if he's going to be in clear Water. And he's really pleasant surprise taking the ball six starts. They went three and three in those six starts. Now he's in the bullpen and he's you know, getting some important outs and maybe even more important innings down the stretch. But just the fact that he after really a lost year in twenty twenty four, they're really getting a nice contribution from him, and it says a lot about his character that, you know, this guy who was you know, like booed in spring training. Nobody gets booed in spring training. It's down the you know, the sun is shining, the palm trees are out, people eating group of sandwiches, everybody's happy, and you know, all of a sudden, he gets boot in spring training. Nobody gets boot in spring training. He got boot, and spring training he got boot on opening day. He's come back and been a real contributor for this ball club. So a very positive surprise.

00:26:31
Speaker 1: It says so much about the man that he dealt with all of that. I mean, you're right, Jim getting booed in spring training, getting booed during like pregame introductions on the home opener, and just getting you know, people were so down on him coming back, and just why are they even doing this. There's no way, there's no way, there's no way he's actually gonna do anything positive. And you know, now we're talking about him going to the bullpen and at least finding out if he could be a guy that can help you pitching a big spot in the sixth seventh inning. I don't know if he's ever going to be an eighth inning, ninth inning guy, but they need somebody to get some big outs in the sixth seventh inning. You know, they need somebody to step up, and you know, maybe he can be that guy. Maybe he can pitch well enough in those spots where now the Phillies think they only need to go out and get one reliever at the trend line instead of two. So yeah, Taiwan Walker apps and.

00:27:30
Speaker 2: In two months, you make a good point. Two months does not a season make.

00:27:34
Speaker 3: I mean for this to be a real positive story, he needs to contribute over six months.

00:27:38
Speaker 2: That's the way baseball is.

00:27:39
Speaker 3: I mean, I remember talking to Harper about this, and I'm sure you did over the years. Like you know, he says, you know, I don't really look at my numbers through a couple of months because I look at him at the end.

00:27:51
Speaker 2: That's when I judge my season.

00:27:53
Speaker 3: And that's what ultimately we're gonna judge Taiwan Walker's bounce back, come back, whatever you want to call it, his season, but for two months, thumbs up man.

00:28:01
Speaker 2: Right.

00:28:02
Speaker 1: Conversely, like you have Alec Bohm, you know, you know, let's see what his numbers are at the end of the season. But you didn't want It's why we said, like, don't judge the guy based on two bad weeks or three bad weeks, because he's probably gonna get this thing turned around. And you know, now Alec Bohm has hit like three twenty over the last month or something.

00:28:21
Speaker 2: Like that, three thirty seven over his last twenty three games. There we go with a nine nine ops. Yeah, he's not bad. He's coming around. You know.

00:28:30
Speaker 1: I gotta think he's got to start moving up in the lineup, at least move up over JT. You know, I got to think that that's got to be coming soon.

00:28:39
Speaker 3: I think it sounds like it might be coming soon. And I have no problem with Rob Thompson keeping him where he was. Earn it, make him earn it, and he's slowly but surely earning it.

00:28:49
Speaker 1: Yeah, he's been. He's been tremendous. Biggest disappointment through memorial to Jim. You touched on it, Aaron Nola probably on the field. Disappointment on the field, disappointment one in seven six point one sixty RA. He's now on the injured list with an ankle injury. It seems to be coming a lot along, a lot more slowly than they thought. He was supposed to throw off the mound this weekend in West Sacramento, and did not do that. But yeah, you know Aaron Nola.

00:29:19
Speaker 3: Because like we didn't expect it. But again, two months does not a season make this guy can bounce back and be one of your studs for four months.

00:29:26
Speaker 2: They kind of need him to be.

00:29:29
Speaker 3: But you know, in terms of just pure disappointment, Hose Alvarado, that's a big disappointment. Let a lot of people down. They've been They've had testing around for twenty years now. There's no excuses. You got to know what's going on. They have these hot lines. You want to, you know, take something, you can show it to your trainer. He can have it tested, the Union can have it checked out and tested, the team can. There's just no excuse, and that is a disappointment. And it's just not here like two guys talking on Tomorrow day morning. It's a disappointment throughout that clubhouse.

00:30:04
Speaker 1: No doubt about it. I mean the Aaron Nola struggles injury preventable or not preventable, the ankle injury, but the Jose Alvarado suspension one hundred preventable. You know, you mentioned the hotlines and you can go to the training staff if you're looking for a weight loss aid or whatever the Philly said was going on.

00:30:27
Speaker 3: And it's such a dispoint because this team is so built for October and they don't have this guy for October.

00:30:34
Speaker 1: Yes, yes, you know, maybe he can help them, maybe he'll come back in mid August, help him get to the postseason.

00:30:41
Speaker 2: But riddle, let me ask you this. He comes back on August eighteenth, right.

00:30:47
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think that's about it. Right.

00:30:49
Speaker 3: He had a I would call it in a lot of areas of significant jump and quality of his stuff throughout the first two months before they get busted.

00:30:59
Speaker 2: And now you're like, okay, that kind of explains the jump and stuff.

00:31:04
Speaker 3: I mean, it comes back on August, Saint, he's going to be the same Guy's going to be close to the same guy, because it appears he had a little help. Yeah, so is he going to be the same guy when he comes back? And it gives you a month and a half, I just don't know.

00:31:19
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's that's a huge thing. And you think about it now too. They have a month and a half of Jose Alvarado to figure out. Are we going to pick up that nine million dollar club option. I think it's a nine million dollar club option for twenty twenty six, so they have a month and a half to figure out what they're going to do with him. That that that turns into a huge decision as well.

00:31:41
Speaker 2: You know, you gets I don't even know if it's a huge decision.

00:31:44
Speaker 1: You just you just flat out say no.

00:31:47
Speaker 2: Yeah, and if you can bring him back, it's at a cut rate, yeah, just because you don't know. You just it's it's just hard to know what he.

00:31:57
Speaker 3: Is because there was a there was a legitimate decline in twenty twenty four, and there was a boost in twenty five. But now we're kind of seeing the reason why. I just don't know that you can make that investment money. You know, It's it's just tough for me to say. Time will tell.

00:32:19
Speaker 1: And now that you mentioned it, like they're gonna they want to They're going to try to resign kylish Orber. They want to resign kyleish Warber. Uh, you have to figure out what you can do with j T. He's not had a great year offensively, of course, but he's still tremendous behind the plate and the pitchers love throwing to him. He's brings so much to the to the pitching staff during the game in terms of his game calling and and all of that. So you go, nine million dollars, Maybe we take that five hundred thousand dollars buyout and maybe see if we can make it work, at least with Schwarber, maybe with JT. And so, yeah, you're right, that's uh.

00:32:56
Speaker 2: You mentioned JT's game calling.

00:32:57
Speaker 3: I'm sorry a little tangent, I thought Davis on the broadcast Sunday from Oakland, I like to call Ben big Supper.

00:33:07
Speaker 2: I thought. I thought big Supper.

00:33:09
Speaker 3: Made a great point that you know, they play the Rockies and the A's on that trip, two young teams, aggressive teams, and he, you know, Ben is right there for every all seven of the games, and he's a former major league catcher.

00:33:26
Speaker 2: He knows what the hell he's talking about.

00:33:28
Speaker 3: And he's like, JT just done a great job on this trip, reading swings, reading hit young hitters, mindset, young hitters, aggressiveness, and exploiting all of that with his pitch calling with the Philly staff. So you know, yeah, the offense hasn't been there, but man, JT is just such a contributor in ways that sometimes the naked eye just doesn't pick up.

00:33:55
Speaker 2: But big Supper, great job. Picking that up.

00:33:57
Speaker 1: Yeah, big big supper.

00:33:59
Speaker 2: I like that. I like that.

00:34:01
Speaker 1: The biggest concern, Jim, going as we hit Memorial Day and we go into the final few months of the season, what would your biggest concern be about this Phillies squad?

00:34:12
Speaker 3: Always health. I mean, we love the pitching rotation. They've built this great record on the backs of that pitching rotation. A warming Bryce Harper, a warming Alec Baum, a you know, kind of otherworldly Kyle schwar Need to keep those guys healthy, need to keep that rotation healthy. So health is always my biggest concern. But you know, other than that, it's the bullpen. It's the bullpen. And because they lost a good guy in Jose Alvarado, and I think they're going to need another quality arm and and that can do in pitching the seventh, eighth, ninth inning somewhere late in the game when the pressure's on. Maybe an experienced arm, little firepower. So and I do expect them to add to the bullpen around the trade deadline, and so fortifying the bullpen would be, you know, my biggest concern going forward. And I think you would agree. And I think the front office screens and they're going to do something.

00:35:08
Speaker 1: I agree, Yeah, I agree that I would be floored if come July July thirty first, whatever time the trade deadline is, if an hour after that we don't learn of any the Phillies have not addressed the bullpen, that would it be absolutely stunned if they go out, don't go out and do anything. Where do you stand on say Romano and Kirkering and Strom they kind of hit their stride and they really kind of level out, Say Taiwan Walker proves to be pretty capable, and you know, he becomes like a solid, reliable sixth inning, seventh inning guy, occasional eighth inning guy. And they go out and they get a hot another high leverage reliever in the bullpen, and now they have go, oh, you know what, we have a few more guys who could possibly make a move with. Do you how do you feel about center field and left field in terms of a potential area that they need to address.

00:36:04
Speaker 3: I'd probably lean more towards left field and a right handed bat and trying to cultivate a platoon there. I think if this lineup hits top to bottom, they can it can work in centerfield with what they have, But you know, they may think differently. I mean, obviously Crawford's down there. We think there's a chance we could see him at some point, but maybe not. But I would love to see a good right handed bat to platoon with Max Kepler in left field. I think that would just make you a better team. They have in the house candidates, they've used Wilson a little bit, Maybe Kemp gets a look at some point, maybe it comes from, you know, outside the organization.

00:36:48
Speaker 2: But in the end, I think this.

00:36:50
Speaker 3: Trade deadline could end up looking a lot like last year's trade deadline. Leverage arm in the bullpen, right handed bat in the outfield to help you, maybe in left field.

00:36:59
Speaker 2: So what do you think?

00:37:01
Speaker 1: I agree with you. Yeah, maybe they go out and they find like they're this year's version of Austin Hayes, hopefully healthy or hopefully more productive. But yeah, I think that I think it's going to be a bullpen arm. Maybe get a right handed bat. You have said this many many times that if they're going to win the World Series, they're gonna have to rely on Schwarber, Barter or Turner, Nick Castianos, J T. Boem, all the guys that are here. They're gonna have to get great starting pitching from their studs. You know, Wheeler Lozardo, Sanchez, Worres, whoever it is, if it's Nola, if he gets it turned around, you know they're going to need the studs that are here, the guys they signed to the big time contracts to produce in October, and you know they it's not gonna the Phillies are not going to win or lose the World Series based off of who the right handed bat is in left field. It could help them win a game. Of course, that's not what I'm not saying it. You know they shouldn't with it. But if they're going to win the World Series, it's going to be because those guys doing what they're supposed to do. If you can add a nice complimentary piece, you know, improve along the edges. You know, Pat Gillick always talked about that if you can just make yourself incrementally better, If you can do that, you gotta do it. Go out and do it. But it's the Fillies aren't going to win and win or not win the World Series because of what they have in left field or what they did or didn't do with the trade deadline. Totally agree with somebody a superstar in left field or something.

00:38:29
Speaker 3: No, I totally agree with you. They're gonna win with the guys that hear, and those guys got to win. I do think, though, that a good, solid to very good acquisition of the bullpen would help their chances a lot. I would love to see a guy who doesn't sweat coming in with men on base in the seventhdays or ninth the guy who's done some clothes, and a guy who's been in the postseason, and the guy with some.

00:38:52
Speaker 2: Firepower in that arm.

00:38:54
Speaker 3: But you know, with the way they stack up, and they're starting pitching with the depth they've created in the big leagues, and two guys in the minors with power stuff that want to be here and want to be here soon and probably capable of being here soon in Painter and Abel. You know, maybe the answer in the bullpen, or one of the answers could be somebody that's already here because they're gonna have to shorten that rotation in October. So but I still would love to see a difference maker in that bullpen.

00:39:28
Speaker 1: Yeah, and we think we think they will for sure. So the Phillies resume play on Tuesday night, they have a three game series against the Braves. The Braves have Ronald Lacuney Junior back. I was actually watching the game the other night.

00:39:44
Speaker 2: First pitch destroys the ball.

00:39:47
Speaker 1: To left center field. I'm like, okay, this is kind of fun. You know, as a as a baseball fan, it's fun to see something like that happen. I was like, oh my gosh. My son was like, what's going on? Like, don't worry about it. Ronald Cooney and Junior I had a first pitch home run in his first game back from a major knee surgery. So no big deal. But so Tuesday night, six forty five pm series opener, you have Rangers Suarez against Spencer Strider, who is back in the rotation for the Braves. That should be fun. Wednesday night six forty five Zach Wheeler against A. J. Smith Shaver. And the series finale Thursday, six forty five pm, you have Christopher Sanchez versus Chris Saal. So it'll be good test for the Phillies.

00:40:30
Speaker 3: Good test, be some big crowds. People should be really charged up about this team. Yeah, it feels like they disappeared a little bit off on the West Coast and They played some teams that not a lot of buzz surrounding, but I don't care who they played against.

00:40:48
Speaker 2: They really played, they played well.

00:40:50
Speaker 3: I was a little chopped about the way Sunday's game ended, but uh yeah, still.

00:40:57
Speaker 2: A hell of a trip.

00:40:59
Speaker 3: And now you gotta build on it. You know, it's like a It's like the old shutdown inning. You come home after a six and one road trip. You gotta win a series. That's your shutdown inning. Gotta win a series, and you know you're going Ranger Wheeler s Ranger Wheeler.

00:41:14
Speaker 1: Lozardo Sanchez sanchezz Yes.

00:41:17
Speaker 3: Ranger Wheeler Sanchez. You got a hell of a chance to have a good series because everything starts with starting pitching.

00:41:23
Speaker 1: Absolutely, So yeah, that should be fun. And then the Brewers come into town this weekend. Reese Hoskins and the Brewers with a weekend series on Friday Night. The Philly Show will be back this week. We'll have Reuben with us.

00:41:36
Speaker 2: We'll be back.

00:41:38
Speaker 1: Jim I. I I get the honor maybe of dropping a smell you later on you.

00:41:44
Speaker 2: Well, I'll drop an equally odious smell you later.

00:41:48
Speaker 1: It's ok to you by The Philly Show is brought to you by the Foul Territory Network. Subscribe to The Philly Show on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. If you like us, give us a review, Follow us on Instagram, TikTok x, Facebook, and threads. Find Rubens analysis before, during, and after Phillies games on NBC Sports Philadelphia, on the Sports Radio ninety four, WIP Morning Show, and MLB Network. Find Jim at all pH l y dot com. Find me at MLB dot com, the Phillies beatnewsletter, and MLB Network