Top 5 reasons why the Philadelphia Phillies won't win the World Series

For full transparency, I am a lifelong and die-hard Philadelphia Phillies fan, so it hurts me to the core that I’m writing this.

I originally pitched a “Top 5 Reasons Why the Phillies Will Win the World Series” post. Unfortunately, negativity sells better than positivity in the digital realm.

To be honest, those that click on this story are the ones to blame. How do you look at yourself in the mirror hoping and thinking the Phillies won’t win the World Series?

As much as I believe and hope that my beloved Phillies will bring a championship back to Broad Street (just ignore some of those posts of mine on X), here are the top five reasons why the Phillies will shatter our hearts again.

5. Who’s starting in the outfield?

We already know Nick Castellanos will be manning right field, but what about center and left? Will Austin Hays be healthy enough to start the playoffs as he’s dealing with a kidney infection? Brandon Marsh has shown he can’t hit lefties, so you can’t start him against a left-handed pitcher.

If Hays can’t go, is it Weston Wilson in left? Also, what happens with Johan Rojas in center? He’s great defensively, but under no circumstances should he be hitting with RISP in the playoffs, no matter the inning. Does he platoon with Cal Stevenson? Manager Rob Thomson has some hard decisions to make.

4. Can Jose Alvarado be trusted in critical situations?

Jose Alvarado hasn’t been the same pitcher this year like he was in 2022 and 2023 when he was absolutely dominant. His ERA has climbed to 4.17 this year from 1.74 in 2023. Through 62 games, he’s allowed more home runs and earned runs this year (6 and 27) than the last two years combined (5 home runs and 26 earned runs). His strikeout-per-nine-innings has dropped to 9.4. The previous two years was 13.9 and 14.3. He’s also had control issues, but he still remains superior against lefties.

Thomson isn’t afraid to go to the bullpen early in the playoffs, deploying high-leverage relievers. If the Phillies are going to win the World Series, they need Alvarado at his best.

3. Will Ranger Suarez be effective?

Ranger Suarez was one of the best pitchers in baseball the first-half of the season and was awarded with his first All-Star selection. However, lower back soreness landed him on the injured list in July, causing him to miss a month of action. Since Suarez returned in August, he hasn’t been his former self. He’s has given up 12 runs and 28 hits across 24 1/3 innings in five starts. In those games, he hasn’t lasted longer than 5 1/3 innings.

The Phillies are counting on Suarez as a key cog of their playoff rotation, but that might be up in the air at this point. If he can’t pitch effectively, what will Thomson and his coaching staff do? You’re not starting Taijuan Walker and they would want to stay away from a bullpen game. Do the Phillies hope Suarez can get through the lineup once and then pull him? We will just have to wait and see.

Will the real Aaron Nola please stand up?

Oct 23, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola (27) pitches during the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks in game six of the NLCS for the 2023 MLB playoffs at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports — Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Let’s get this out of the way first — Aaron Nola is a really good pitcher. He would be the ace of many staffs in baseball and is worth every penny of that $172 million deal. If the Phillies didn’t have Nola, they would have no chance at sniffing the playoffs, let alone the World Series.

But, if Nola continues to give up big innings when he’s seemingly cruising through games, it’s going to be rough, especially if the Phillies are struggling to score runs (more on that to come). He’s having another September swoon as his ERA in three starts is 7.20 — last September it was 5.47. Nola has turned it around in time for October before, and he will need to again for the Phillies to win the World Series. If not, fans will turn their ire to Nola.

Which Phillies offense will show up in the playoffs?

Phillies fans are still dealing with PTSD after last year’s collapse to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLCS. After going up 3-2 heading back to Philly, the offense picked the worst time to lay an egg, scoring only three runs total in Games 6 and 7. Over those two games, the Phillies went 2-17 with RISP and stranded 14 runners. Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, and Bryce Harper combined for one hit, going 1-20.

The Phillies haven’t made matters better this season as they gone long stretches with inept offense. No matter how well Zack Wheeler, Cris Sanchez, and Aaron Nola pitch, if the Phillies offense go absolutely cold and don’t hit in the playoffs, it will be another long offseason in the City of Brotherly Love.