The Philadelphia Phillies have been one of the most dominant teams in 2023 so far. This previous offseason and at the trade deadline, they made many acquisitions, and now they are primed for a Red October.
MLB Network recently showed a stat line of year-over-year metrics for the Phillies, and they have already tied the amount of games they won last season, while also improving substantially year-over-year.
The Phillies currently hold a record of 87-69, while they finished last season with an 87-75 record. But what you don't see is that they've improved the runs scored per game from 4.6 to 4.9, while also hitting .257, up from .253 last season.
The Phillies have also hit more home runs so far, with 212 versus 205 last season. But where they have declined is ERA, with last season having a higher ERA at 3.97 versus the 4.02 this season. While the ERA is higher now than last season, the opponent average of .241 in 2023 is lower from the .245 last season, meaning they've gotten unlucky giving up runs.
Year-over-Year additions for the Philadelphia Phillies
Offensively, the team hasn't changed too much, with the largest addition being Trea Turner and having other small additions that help create runs like Johan Rojas and Christian Pache.
Pitching-wise, the main additions probably have been Taijuan Walker, Michael Lorenzen, and Matt Strahm, all of which have been dominant in 2023. But they've made some smaller acquisitions like Craig Kimbrel, Jeff Hoffman, Andrew Vasquez, Dylan Covey, and a recent prospect call-up of Orion Kerkering, improving their pitching staff in the process.
The Phillies have upgraded their pitching while also making a big acquisition in Trea Turner and some other minor moves to form what could be one of the best postseason teams in the league. After a deep playoff run last season, they should be able to go all the way this year.
