Philadelphia Phillies – The Trigger of the Great War in the NL East
At the mid-season, the NL East standings witnessed a surprising dominance from the Phillies – a team that was once rated lower than the Mets, Braves or even the Marlins at the beginning of the season. But now, they are occupying the No. 1 position with a record of 55-41, 0.5 games ahead of the Mets, creating a fairly safe gap with the group below.
No one doubts the ability of the Phillies – but what makes them scary is when they start to “warm up”. In the last 20 games, they have won 14 games, especially victories against direct opponents like the Mets and Braves. Kyle Schwarber is back in form at the right time, and the pitching staff is also in the groove with an ERA at the top of the NL.
Despite being in the lead, the Phillies still face a lot of pressure from the Mets (55-42), while the Braves – although a bit out of breath – still have the potential to break out with playoff experience. However, if Philadelphia maintains its current pace and avoids unfortunate injuries, they can completely finish the regular season at the top for the first time in many years.
With less than 70 games left in the season, a 0.5-game lead is extremely slim. Any mistake could cost the Phillies their first place spot. But this time, they’re not the chasers—they’re the chased. And that, in turn, will make the second half of the season more exciting than ever.