Philadelphia Phillies Playoff Preview

Season recap

For the third consecutive year, the Phillies won the NL East. They finished with a record of 93-69 and we’re never really threatened by anyone in the division.

Starters

The Phillies have one of the best starting rotations in the league. Despite underachieving this year, Cole Hamels is still the ace of this staff and has shown how good he can be in the Phillies World Series run. The acquisition of Cliff Lee from Cleveland this year could be the biggest trade of the year. Lee has been nothing short of spectacular since coming over from the Indians, but his late season struggles have been a little concerting for Phillies fans heading into the playoffs. Joe Blanton and Pedro Martinez have both resurrected their careers in Philadelphia this year and round out a very balanced Phillies Rotation.

Relievers

One word describes the Phillies relievers this year, awful. After having a great year last year, the Phillies bullpen has struggled mightily. After posting a perfect 2009, closer Brad Lidge has a 7.21 ERA this year and can’t seem to get anyone out. Scott Eyre, Ryan Madson, and JC Romero have also underachieved and unless the Phillies get their bullpen in order, they will have a hard time repeating.

Lineup

The Phillies have a solid lineup from top to bottom but will need more production from some of their big names come playoff times. Jimmy Rollins has been awful this year hitting just. 250 from the leadoff spot, and Raul Ibanez has really struggled since the All-Star Break. Shane Victorino, Ryan Howard, and Chase Utley have all had great all around years and will hope to keep up their success in the post-season. The Phillies also have all-around player Jayson Werth who always seems to come up clutch despite his mediocre stats. Pedro Feliz and Carlos Ruiz are both low-average hitters that round out the Phillies lineup.

Defense

The Phillies have one of the better defenses in the National League. Jimmy Rollins is probably the best fielding shortstop in the league, Chase Utley always plays solid at second, and Shane Victorino’s speed makes him a huge asset in center field

Bench

The Phillies biggest plus may be its bench. In the run to the World Series last year, the Phillies got big hits from Greg Dobbs and Matt Stairs. Both of these bench players are back to pinch hit if needed in the playoffs. Throw in all-around player Ben Francisco, who was acquired with Cliff Lee from Cleveland, and the Phillies have the best bench out of any team in the playoffs.

Coaching

The verdict on Charlie Manuel as a manager is still out. Many in Philadelphia were calling for his head last year, but he turned around and won the Phillies their first world series in over 20 years. One thing Charlie Manuel excels at is putting his players in a position to succeed, and always seems to know who to call on in big situations (see Matt Stairs).

Reason why they will win the WS

The Phillies are the most experienced team in the National League, and coming off a World Series title last year, they already know what to expect. While experience may be overrated, the Phillies will use this along with their potent offensive lineup to compete. The one good thing about the Phillies is that they can win any kind of game, they can score 11 runs if necessary but they can also win a 2-1 game.

Reason why they won’t win the WS

One word, bullpen. As stated above, the Phillies starting pitching is great, but the bullpen hasn’t been able to hold leads all year. If the Phillies do not win the world series, I guarantee Brad Lidge and company will be at least partially to blame