Phillies 2024 NLDS collapse has plenty of blame to go around
After a night of reflection and some much-needed sleep, I’m still grappling with the reality of the Phillies’ postseason elimination at the hands of the New York Mets. Francisco Lindor’s contact with that Carlos Estevez pitch will haunt me for a while; it felt like a punch to the gut, and let’s be honest, it’s safe to say the Phillies had a complete postseason collapse.
Slow Bats
Let’s get straight to it—the Phillies’ offense was flatter than a pancake at a Sunday brunch.
In just four games, they were outscored 23-12 by the Mets. I can’t help but wonder: wasn’t the whole point of that $245 million-plus payroll to simply out-hit everyone? Apparently not.
So, where do we start when analyzing what went wrong? Let’s look at the players where the money is tied up, shall we?
JT Realmuto: Where was he? Usually the reliable backbone of this lineup, Realmuto went a painful 0-for-11 during the NLDS, contributing just three walks. In a series where we needed a steady hand, he was nowhere to be found.
Kyle Schwarber had an electric start, launching a no-doubt home run in his first at-bat of Game 1. He followed that with another hit but went silent afterward, finishing the series with a measly 2-for-16 stat line, including just one RBI. Sure, he drew a couple of walks and bravely took a pitch to the back in Game 4, but we needed more than that from a player of his caliber.
Trea Turner had been a star during the regular season, but his performance in the postseason was a letdown. Going just 3-for-15 with five strikeouts, he looked more like a lost puppy than the offensive juggernaut we had come to rely on.
The Bright Spots
On the bright side, Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos were the only players who managed to avoid total embarrassment in this series.
Both players hit safely in every game, with Castellanos even racking up two multi-hit games. They combined for six RBIs, accounting for half of the team’s runs. It’s infuriating to think that a duo could carry the load like that and still fall short.
But don’t think they’re off the hook entirely. Bryce Harper’s baffling at-bat in Game 3, with nobody out and two runners on, is a moment I won’t soon forget. It’s the type of play that stays with you and raises serious questions about clutch performance under pressure.
As if the Phillies’ postseason exit wasn’t painful enough, let’s not forget Nick Castellanos trying to play hero ball with that ill-fated swing right after his moment of glory. He stepped up to the plate with the chance to change the game, but instead, he poked a terrible pitch over the infield, resulting in a crushing inning-ending double play.
Talk about a momentum killer—that was probably the turning point in Game 3.
Phillies Daycare Fizzles
Now, let’s take a moment to talk about The Daycare, the promising youth group that had fans buzzing all season long. Unfortunately, they vanished when it mattered most.
While I would love to completely blame the mural on the side of Garage Fishtown, there’s serious issues moving forward with a a trio of Bryson Stott, Brandon Marsh, and Alec Bohm intact.
- Brandon Marsh: 1-for-13, 3K, .077 average.
- Alec Bohm: 1-for-13, BB, .077 average.
- Bryson Stott: 2-for-11, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K, .182 average.
Bryson Stott is one player I don’t want to discredit; his massive RBI triple in Game 2 was a highlight that gave the team a brief glimmer of hope. But let’s be real—two hits in the entire series just isn’t going to cut it, especially from a young player expected to contribute more. Sure, he made some key plays defensively, which helps his case a bit, but they really could have used his bat in crucial moments.
Brandon Marsh? Well, he went a dismal 1-for-13 in the series. At least he managed to scrape together a hit, right? He was benched in Game 3 against the lefty starter, which might save him from a worse stat line, but it’s hard to overlook how little he provided at the plate when the team desperately needed contributions.
Alec Bohm, what happened to you?
Officially, he went 1-13 on the series, but I’ll give him credit for a late-game knock in game 4, so we’ll call it 2-13. Regardless, he was a shell of the stud that he once was, looking like a deer in headlights both at the plate and in the field.
Bohm’s “aggression” at the plate seemed more like discomfort, as he was swinging at nearly everything he saw. It reminded me of my little league days when I would just swing at everything, knowing I would either get on base or get out, but I was no longer at the plate.
I don’t know what was going through Bohm’s head, but he was not himself and really hasn’t been himself in a long while. It has to make you think about what his future is with this team going forward.
The League’s Top Bullpen Coming into the Season
Yeah, that graphic gets me every time. We knew the Phillies bullpen was atrocious early on in the season, and that they were far from the best in the league.
But still, small bright spots like Jeff Hoffman, Matt Strahm, and a slim beacon of light from Orion Kekering gave hope that maybe they would not be so bad after all.
Boy, could I have been any more wrong?
I could get statistics and back up my opinion with numbers, but why do that when you can just watch “All-star” reliever Jeff Hoffman load the bases, and then follow it up with “marquee trade deadline acquisition” Carlos Estevez throwing one of the worst pitches in postseason history to Lindor.
I mean, 99 sitting middle-middle, what did he think would happen, one of the hottest hitters in the playoffs was going to miss it?
It goes beyond that, the Phillies starters, and yes I am going to include Aaron Nola in this as well, did exactly what they were supposed to do.
They pitched well, kept the damage down, and gave the bats a chance to keep them in the game. The bullpen collapsed every time the starters handed Topper the ball.
I don’t know if it was mismanagement or a lack of competent talent, but if you mix the incompetency of the bullpen with the lack of hits by the offense, it equals the misery of an entire city that was fooled yet again into believing that this team is any different than the previous.
Final Thoughts
I am still unsure where the Phillies should go from here but with a talented free agent class and a GM that needs to make some major moves to right the wrongs of this past season, it will be a busy offseason, I am sure.
The disappointing performances from these young players stung especially hard given the high expectations leading into the postseason. They showed flashes of brilliance during the regular season, but when the lights shone brightest, they fell flat.
As we look ahead to the offseason, the Phillies need to evaluate their young talent and make some tough decisions. This group has potential, but they need to grow up fast if they want to help the team compete at a higher level next year. If not, fans will be left wondering if this was just another false dawn.
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Mandatory Credit: Photo by Yong Kim of the Philadelphia Inquirer
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