Now that we are past the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the regular season is getting closer and closer to the end, and now is the perfect time for ballclubs and players to start getting hot. While the Phillies as a team have not built a winning streak, another player is starting to heat up in late July.
With that come concerns: Bryce Harper has been stone cold for the Phillies, and the Phillies sit at 57-50 and in second place in the National League East division. Zach Wheeler has also been dominant on the mound for the Phillies all season long. With that being said, it is time to analyze Harper’s struggles, the rise of Bryson Stott, and Wheeler’s dominance.
Phillies Current Stance
Harper’s Struggles at the plate
It is no surprise to anybody that Harper is no longer in his prime at 33 years old, but he is still a high-impact player. To this day, Harper maintains a .252 batting average with 22 home runs and 63 RBI. The issue is Harper has been so bad since the All-Star break. He hasn’t had a two-hit game since July 11th against the Detroit Tigers.
Despite Harper’s struggles, he remains a high-quality player, and there is still plenty of time for him to get back on track, with the playoffs still around two months away. Harper had a nice series opener against the Miami Marlins on Monday, hitting a home run with two RBI. He will look to carry that momentum with him the rest of the way.
Stott Heating Up After Five-RBI Game
After batting just .200 through 21 games in April, second baseman Stott has turned it around. Stott was three for four and had five RBI against the New York Yankees in the series finale and had a two-hit day, including a triple, in the series opener against the Marlins. Stott is now up to a batting average of .256, and it may just be time for the Phillies to move him up in the lineup. Stott has eight home runs and 47 RBI this season and has been a very productive player this season.
Defensively, Stott has emerged as one of the best second basemen in the league, and his heating up offensively makes him one of the better second basemen in the entire league. If Stott can keep up his production at the plate, he could very easily be moving up in the lineup and could lead a unit that has had offensive struggles all season long.
Wheeler Putting On A Show
Wheeler is having a dominant year on the mound for the Phillies. After getting a blood clot near his right shoulder, there was a chance Wheeler’s career was in jeopardy, and many did not know if he would ever pitch again. Today, Wheeler is dominating with a 10-2 record and an ERA of 2.53, and that’s with coming off his worst outing of the year on Monday against the Marlins when he gave up five earned runs. Nobody a year ago would have thought Wheeler would ever return to this level of dominance again.
Wheeler was invited by the MLB as a ‘replacement” for the MLB All-Star Game but felt “disrespected” being the backup option and chose not to participate. Wheeler is the backbone of this pitching rotation and will look to continue his spectacular season on the mound. Wheeler is also tied for tenth in the league for wins.
Do you think Harper will be able to get back in his Groove?
