June 16, 2018
It's been two weeks since we've checked in on how the Phillies were doing on several national outlets' MLB power rankings — and unless you're a fan of losing baseball, you probably didn't miss us.
Over their last 20 games, the Phillies are 7-13 and have posted a 4-9 record so far in June after going 15-10 and 15-11 in April and May, respectively. Moreover, they've seen themselves fall to four games behind the Braves for the N.L. East lead — a lead the Phillies held by a half game, albeit briefly, over Memorial Day Weekend.
Back then, the Phillies were in the Top 10 of nearly every power ranking out there, and some writers were going as far as to call them one of the best teams in baseball. Unfortunately, they may not quite be there yet.
Now, just a month before the MLB All-Star break, the Phillies have come crashing back down to earth, and the rankings are reflective of that. Not only has Gabe Kapler's team fallen out of the Top 10 across the board, in some cases they've even fallen out of the top half. Here's a look:
| OUTLET WRITER | PREVIOUS (CHANGE) | WHAT THEY'RE SAYING... | |
13 | Yahoo! Sports Staff | 11 (-2) | The Cardinals, D-backs, Phillies and Dodgers find them in a perfectly respectable position these days. They’re sitting just outside the top 10, but within striking range. The D-backs seem stronger than they were a few weeks back after A.J. Pollock’s injury (Thanks, Paul Goldschmidt) and the Cardinals, Phillies and Dodgers are all capable of making a move to the top. It’ll be interesting to see where these teams sit by July 1. |
14 | ESPN.com Staff | 11 (-3) | Aaron Nola continues to impress. He has a 2.35 ERA, sixth-best in the NL, more than a half-run better than Jake Arrieta's (2.97). Nola's 0.96 WHIP ranks second in the NL, and opponents are hitting just .200 against him, third in the NL. His .537 opponents' OPS also ranks third. The last Phillies pitcher to finish a qualified season with an ERA of 2.35 or lower was Roy Halladay in 2011. --Sarah Langs |
| —— | USA TODAY Gabe Lacques | 10 (-4) | Lost four of five after Jake Arrieta's "Something has to change" tirade. |
| —— | MLB.com Alyson Footer | 14 (--) | —— |
15 | CBSSports.com Matt Snyder | 10 (-5) | Jake Arrieta has really gotten knocked around in his last two starts, between which he was vocal about the team not being good enough at shifting. |
17 | Bleacher Report Joel Reuter | 12 (-5) | —— |
After their weekend series against the Brewers, the Phillies will face the Cardinals for three games, followed by a three-game set against the Nationals.
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