The Philadelphia Phillies finished a brutal three-game series in San Francisco on Wednesday, getting swept by the Giants. Now losers of four straight games, they’ll return home tonight to face the Chicago Cubs. 

While the Phillies have struggled with a variety of different issues to start the 2023 season (mainly pitching) one outlier sticks out at the plate with their lineup’s struggle to convert on runners in scoring position. 

Entering the 2023 season, the Phillies lineup was expected to be one of the best in all of baseball. They signed Trea Turner to an 11-year $300M contract and were hopeful that younger players like Alec Bohm, Brandon Marsh, and Bryson Stott would “take the next step” offensively, which would make them one of the most dangerous offenses in the MLB, one through nine.  

The Nick Castellanos bounce-back season was always in full effect, and even after the unfortunate injury to Rhys Hoskins, the Phils knew this offense was going to be lethal, especially once Harper came back.

43 games into the 2023 season, the Phillies are 20-23, and again have lost four straight games. Not exactly what fans were expecting after a miracle World Series run in 2022.

On paper, the Phillies rank in the Top 5 of almost every major offensive statistic but on the baseball field, they continue to fall short with runners in scoring position. 

Phillies Offensive Ranks in the National League

• 4th in Hits (386)
• 3rd in 2Bs (83)
• 4th in AVG (.261)
• 6th in OPS (.743)

Phillies League Ranks With RISP

• 28th in AVG (.232)
• 9th in Ks (103)
• 28th in OPS (.642)
• 17th in Hits (88)
• 24th in OBP (.318)

The Phillies are hitting .232/.310/.324 as a team with RISP this season. They have just 88 hits in 380 ABs and have struck out 103 times with runners on second, third, or both. They’re 2 for their last 40 on chances with RISP.

Trea Turner is off to the worst start of his career, slashing just .262/.308/.399 on the year with 48 hits and 52 strikeouts. He’s been nearly been unplayable vs. lefties this year, hitting just .218 with a .295 OBP in 55 ABs, while struggling heavily with RISP, hitting just .158 with 14 strikeouts in 38 ABs.

Kyle Schwarber hasn’t been much better, although he does currently lead the team with 10 home runs.

Schwarber is slashing .108/.233/.189 with RISP this season with a .422 OPS in 37 ABs.

Luckily, Alec Bohm, Nick Castellanos, and Brandon Marsh are keeping the Phils above water in these situations.

• Bohm is slashing .333/.390/.451 with RISP.
• Nick Castellanos is hitting .318/.362/.386.
• Brandon Marsh leads the team in OPS.

Yes, it’s still only May 19th and Bryce Harper has only been back with the Phillies since the start of the month. I’ve always been a strong believer that the MLB season doesn’t officially begin until June 1st and if you look back at the Phillies over the years, their performances tend to confirm that. 

While it’s frustrating right now, the law of averages will eventually demand the Phillies offense to return to normalcy.  

June Schwarber will give this team a big push, and Trea Turner will not stay like this all year.

The Fightins look to get back in the win column this weekend as they open up a 3-game set with the Chicago Cubs back at Citizens Bank Park tonight.

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