August in Review: Phillies in prime position to end decade-long playoff drought, roll into Red October
The Phillies wrapped up the month of August on Wednesday night, as the offense splurged for 18 runs and Bailey Falter dealt six and a third innings, salvaging a three game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Phillies finished the month 18-12, going 5-3-1 in their series. With just 31 games left in the 2022 MLB regular season, the Phillies are primed to break a decade-long playoff drought and punch their tickets to the playoffs.
Let’s take a look at how the team panned out over the last 31 days.
August at the Plate
Nick Castellanos
Nick Castellanos continued to stay hot in the month of August, slashing .300/.333/.500 over 26 games. Casty hit 5 HRs and 12 RBIs in that time, with 30 hits, 13 runs scored, and 5 doubles. He totaled an OPS of .833, good for 2nd on the team (out of players who played 20+ games), just behind JT Realmuto (.946)
JT Realmuto
JT continued to earn back the title of the Best Catcher in Baseball in August, hitting .303 at the plate with a .351 OBP and a whopping .596 slugging percentage. JT’s bat was as smooth as it’s been all year over the last 31 days, hitting 4 HRs, 21 RBIs, 27 hits, 8 doubles, and an OPS of .946.
Bryson Stott
The young stud Bryson Stott continued to improve his plate discipline, striking out just 17 times in 94 at-bats, the secon-lowest on the team for starters (Jean Segura, 16). Stott slashed .287/.337/.426 in 26 games with 27 hits, 6 doubles, 7 RBIs, and 40 total bases.
Jean Segura
The Phillies got Jean Segura back on August 4th, the same day that Didi Gregorius was released as a corresponding move to make room for Segura on the roster. The Phillies’ second baseman hit .298/.375/.393 in 25 games (84 ABs) with 2 doubles, 25 hits, 2 HRs, and 5 RBIs.
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Other Phillies Hitters
Bryce Harper
The return of Bryce Harper has been nothing short of amazing for the Phillies lineup, as they get their power-hitting MVP back for their playoff run. Harper has played just 6 games since returning and has just 21 ABs, but is hitting .381/.500/.476 in that time with 8 hits and 2 doubles.
Rhys Hoskins
Rhys Hoskins continued to hit the ball well in August, hitting .248/.358/.467 with 6 homers, the most on the team. Hoskins tacked on 26 this and 18 runs batted in, good for an OPS of .824.
Kyle Schwarber
It was a bit of a slower month for Kyle Schwarber, but the lefty still racked up 23 hits and 5 doubles in 25 games. Schwarber hit just 3 homers but did knock in 12 RBIs in that time.
Alec Bohm
Although Bohm had a down month average wise (.261), he still put the ball in play consistently, tallying 30 hits, 4 doubles, and 19 RBIs. Bohm led the team in ABs and games played, racking up 155 at-bats in August. Along with his offensive game, Bohm continues to improve his glove as well.
Bench Bats
The Phillies got some big contributions from their bench bats in August.
Darick Hall slashed a .628 slugging percentage in 13 games, and Garrett Stubbs crushed a hitting line of .350/.480/.550 in 11 games. Nick Maton played 13 games and held a .250 average, and Matt Vierling had 18 hits in 28 games.
Phillies Starting Pitching
Aaron Nola
Aaron Nola didn’t have his best month, holding a 4.22 ERA in 32 innings, the most on the team. Nola tallied a 1.13 WHIP in August with a 10.7 K/9 ratio and a 2-3 record in 5 starts.
Zack Wheeler
Zack Wheeler made just four starts in August after being placed on the IL on August 25th with forearm tendinitis. Wheeler got roughed up in August as well, tallying a 4.44 ERA in just 24.1 innings pitched. Wheeler’s injury doesn’t seem to be serious, and the team should get him back within the next 10 days.
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Kyle Gibson
Kyle Gibson was fantastic in August, throwing 31.1 innings with just a 2.31 ERA. This was Gibson’s best month as a Phillie, tallying a 1.12 WHIP and an 8.6 K/9 ratio. The Phillies needed their later-rotation arms to step up in Wheeler’s absence, along with the team being cautious with inning limits for players, and Gibby did just that.
Ranger Suarez
Ranger Suarez, the current playoff Game 3 starter, pitched a great month of August, holding just a 2.83 ERA in 28.2 innings. Suarez K’d 26 in that time, allowing just 24 hits and 9 earned runs.
Noah Syndergaard
Noah Syndergaard made five starts in August, throwing a 4.40 ERA in 30.2 innings. Syndergaard allowed 15 earned runs and 37 hits in that time, walking 5 and striking out 18.
It’s important to keep remembering that Noah Syndergaard isn’t his old self anymore. He’s not going to blow fastballs by hitters anymore, but if he can limit the early-inning hits and keep his pitch count down, he’ll be a fine 5th starter for the Phillies in the last month of the season.
Bailey Falter
Bailey Falter continued to do his job in August, throwing the best month of his career. Falter held a 2.45 ERA in 18.1 innings, making three starts in the rotation. Falter has been used as an up-and-down guy from AAA to the Majors and has absolutely accepted his role, as he’s always ready to pitch when called upon.
Falter did suffer a groin injury on Wednesday night, but by the way he sounded following the game, the team, nor Falter, seem worried about the situation. Read more here.
Bullpen
The Phillies bullpen had an up-and-down August, as they lost Corey Knebel for the season and Seranthony Dominguez for at least 15 days.
- Connor Brogdon: 10 Games, 4.50 ERA
- David Robertson: 11 Games, 1.54 ERA
- Jose Alvarado: 10 Games, 1.00 ERA
- Nick Nelson: 10 Games, 7.50 ERA
- Andrew Bellatti: 9 Games, 6.48 ERA
- Brad Hand: 8 Games, 2.25 ERA
- Sam Coonrod: 5 Games, 0.00 ERA
- Seranthony Dominguez: 7 Games, 1.42 ERA
Dominguez should be returning soon and the team will also be gaining Vinny Nittoli, who they acquired on Wednesday in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays. Zach Eflin could also be joining the bullpen in the coming weeks, as he is slowly reabbing back to finish the year on the mound with the team.
Remaining Schedule
- @ Giants for 3
- vs. Marlins for 3
- vs. Nationals for 3
- @ Marlins for 3
- @ Braves for 3
- vs. Blue Jays for 2
- vs. Braves for 4
- @ Cubs for 3
- @ Nationals for 4 (October)
- @ Astros for 3 (October)
The Philadelphia Phillies have 31 games left of the 2022 regular season. They currently hold a half-game lead on the San Diego Padres for the second spot and have 3 games on the Brewers, who are on the outside looking in as we speak.
Currently sitting at 73-58, the Phils need to go 17-14 for the remainder of the season to break into the 90s in the win column.
31 games until Red October. Buckle up.
Up Next for the Phillies
The Phillies kick off a 3-game set tonight with the San Francisco Giants at 10:15 EST. Kyle Gibson gets the ball for the Phils, going up against Alex Cobb.
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