2023 Phillies Post Season Discussion

[LoneStarPhan]

Rangers win the first game in the ALCS in Houston, 2-0. Montgomery and Rangers' bullpen shut down the Astros.

Rangers now 6-0 in the post season.

[MichaelJackSchmidt]

In the NLCS, I'd like to see Bohm and Schwarber improve. Bohm appears to be overthinking. He's still very immature as a person, highly emotional. Schwarber has been getting fewer pitches to hit and when he gets a hitable pitch, he's either late or he's not making solid contact.

[el-pietro]

We're not gonna see very many lefties, so odds are not in Bohms favour. Schwarber should have a good series, hes definitely due.

[zambonir]

Yeah, except for the rather significant fact that they don't actually have any other options it's a bit puzzling to me that Marsh is considered unplayable against LHP - .717 OPS this season - while Bohm - .702 OPS against RHP this season - had to face Strider twice. Especially when one is a plus defender (at least in LF for Marsh) and the other is not.

But in the playoffs, it only takes one big hit.

[andyb]

Marsh sat against more of the tougher lefties so his OPS there may be a bit high. Also think he started better than he finished. If we did not have 2 right-handed CF's better than him defensively he'd play more.

With Bohm, we probably need a left-handed backup. We just don't have one now.

[zambonir]

If memory serves the last time I posted about Bohm not hitting righties he got a hit. But agreed. It is what it is. I'm just not going to expect him to do much against RHPs or ascribe it to anything mental. He produced against the Marlins and took some walks in the Atlanta series. Perhaps he should not be hitting 4th though.

[zambonir]

No changes to the #Phillies ’ roster for the NLCS. Sticking with 13 pitchers, four-man bench (Stubbs, Sosa, Cave, Pache). pic.twitter.com/1K10U5i9J8

— Scott Lauber ( @ScottLauber ) October 16, 2023

[el-pietro]

I think a lot of it is down to lack of options. Sosa is the infield replacement and he bats right handed. He also didn't perform as well defensively at third as he has previously at middle infield.
If Castro had hit better he might have been an option to platoon at third. Maybe Kody Clemens is their best available option but it looks like Bohm out him him vs right handers this season.

[Callison]

That's big of Strider after losing twice. Great athlete inside and out.

The Diamondbacks may think they're preparing for CBP, but you can't prepare for CBP. Watching the crowd at Houston, yeah, they're great fans and all, but a couple levels beneath CBP, the best party in Philadelphia.

[Callison]

In retrospect you can say that's good since they ended up with Thomson

I love Big Rob, but he's got to win it all before this is true.

[MichaelJackSchmidt]

Knowing that Rob won't move Schwarber out of the lead off spot, I'm hoping for this lineup: This SHOULD minimize Bohm's tendancy to ground into double plays.

Kyle Schwarber
Trea Turner
Bryce Harper
Nick Castellanos
Bryson Stott
J.T. Realmuto
Alec Bohm
Brandon Marsh
Johan Rojas

[zambonir]

That's nonsense, Baker was famously a failed post-season manager for many years (the Giants didn't win until they fired him) and was handed a proven championship caliber roster in Houston (with or without the cheating). That's not to say Dusty might not have been better than Girardi but that's only because Girardi was awful. And at the time the Phillies could have hired Dusty he had never won a title. They picked the guy who had, and also preferred Showalter, who probably would have been a terrible choice as well.

[zambonir]

That looks about right, but it's also hard to argue with what already worked in the last series, even with Bohm's struggles. When Nick Castellanos hits four home runs in two games batting 7th do you keep him there or move him?

And yeah we all agree there is no point in playing Sosa. He's even worse against RHP and the defense just hasn't been enough of an upgrade.

[MichaelJackSchmidt]

yeah, I hear you. If you move Casty, does that mess with the chemistry? It might. I really hate having Bohm with his GIDPs.

[Callison]

May I point out Dusty has a WS championship and Big Rob does not?

[Callison]

MJS -

It LOOKS good, but for some reason Castellanos has come alive down the order. No doubt he BELONGS up in the order the way he's been hitting, but why change anything when it's working so well as it is?

And, as you know, Big Rob will make changes only when he's forced to, as in when Castellanos was moved down the order. For some reason, he was in a huge slump. Zero chance the move back up is made. Same with Schwarber, the most unlikely leadoff hitter in the history of baseball.

I don't really like Bohm at 4 at all, either, but that's a result of the Castellanos move down and looking at who's left.

[zambonir]

Yes and I still think that's nonsense. In addition to something that only became true LAST YEAR. The manager is never the only reason a team wins a championship. Sometimes bad managers will win them. We just had one of them. Sometimes good managers don't win them. Like Dusty Baker with three different teams.

My statement was that it has turned out to be a good thing that Thomson is the Phillies manager, don't see how that can be denied or argued with. And it also turned out to be a good thing for Dusty, as he'd likely have neither a ring nor a job had he gotten the Phillies gig.

[Aquapong]

Unconventional, but what if Bohm hit leadoff to minimize the effects of his db tendency on the meat of the lineup? We always said if we’re getting anything out of Rojas at 9 it’s a bonus.

[zambonir]

Haha well as we can all seem to agree, Schwarber ain't moving.

So I guess we just want Bohm to strike out more, huh?

[andyb]

Bohm batting 3rd or 4th was always an odd choice in the lineup. But he had a higher OBP than Castellanos so I think the Phillies just wanted to build OBP as much as possible in the top half.

Whether Rob switches the two is unclear. Could always move JT down too. There really is not a wrong answer as all 3 right-handed hitters are pretty close in ability. Castellanos is just hot now. Would not surprise me if he gets moved up.