I love the Phillies but with the 4th highest payroll in baseball they should win.
2024 Phillies Thread
- Thread starter Tom McAndrew
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I love the Phillies but with the 4th highest payroll in baseball they should win.
The final cost of the New York Mets' sorry 2023 season has been totaled: $420 million. Major League Baseball finalized its payroll figures for last year, and the Mets finished at a record $319.5 million. The Mets' Opening Day payroll in 2023 was a record for any team in the four major sports in the United States.
Can someone explain to me why the Phillies aren’t all in for the top spot and a first round bye? Why are they pitching Banks tonight? I get the concept, but haven’t they learned their lesson with pitching Allard, Walker, etc. the past few weeks? I am fearing that they only have 2 productive pitchers for the playoffs and that will be exposed pretty quickly. Ranger isn’t the same guy and I’m not sure I trust Sanchez as the #3 guy.
I’ll try to answer. The party line is that the #2 position is desired since it gets them a bye and there is no certainty that the #1 seed will ultimately advance. Therefore, there is the chance that the #2 seed will still enjoy home field in the NLCS. I understand that having the #1 seed will ensure home field so the logic is slightly half baked.
The real reason though is the Padres and avoiding them at all costs. They were 50-50, they are now 90-66. The #1 seed likely draws the winner of the Pads and say Mets and that would be the Dodgers drawing them. The Phillies would draw the winner of say MIL/AZ.
I can buy in and if you have to play 4 in LA to avoid SD, so be it. I think it’s important though to have home field against say the Yankees. At the least, I think you want #2 seed in NL and better record over AL top dog.
Fortunately, that's the last we'll see of the 5 spot this year.
Phillies are in a bad place headed into the playoffs, they need a third starter who gives them at least a chance to win.
I’m happy with the quartet of Wheeler, Nola, Suárez, and Sanchez. I try not to lose sight of the fact that every playoff team feels their pitching could be a bit better. Nobody has three or four #1 pitchers sitting around the dugout. Playoff baseball can produce unlikely heroes so it’ll be fun to watch.
No argument there, but most playoff teams do have at least three decent starters that can win. If the Phillies have an Achilles heal its starting pitchers 3 and 4.
Suarez and Sanchez have ERAs of 3.15 and 3.25. What are you expecting of a 3rd starter? Not many playoff teams are better. Dodgers maybe?
Sanchez is a slam dunk as 3rd starter. I don’t think it’s close between the two. Suarez has seen a drop in velocity in the second half and that’s caused him to be more vulnerable out there.
While his first half wasn’t sustainable and would always regress to the mean, I’m not sure he physically has the stuff right now to be relied upon in clutch playoff games.
Sanchez has pitched much better than Ranger the last month of the season. I can envision Sanchez being the #3 starter in the playoffs. Just MHO.
I'll take Suarez as 4 any day, knowing that he is not a good as the start of the season but still damn good.
As a 4th, sure. I don’t have the numbers offhand, but how many playoff starts did #4 make last October? Two? Three?
The 2023 postseason, he pitched 2 times: once against Atlanta and once against the Diamondbacks.
The 2022 postseason, he pitched 3 times: once each against Atlanta, San Diego, and Houston.
Kinda rough for them to play a doubleheader after the scheduled regular season. It would burn both pitching staffs. It’s not optimal but why not play a doubleheader tomorrow at a vacant MLB stadium which may be close by?? Both Florida stadiums are available.
Apparently the Mets were willing to play on Monday and the league (or Braves) shot it down.
Very possible both games get postponed and the Mets won't leave for Milwaukee until Friday. Imagine the Mets having to play a doubleheader on Saturday, leave for Atlanta Sunday evening, play a doubleheader Monday, then fly to San Diego or LA for the wild card round Monday night. Now, that would be insane!
I don't care too much about LA, but really want HFA over the Yanks if the Phils can make it that far.
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