The Philadelphia Phillies won their last World Series almost a decade ago, but after years of being last place in the East National League, they may finally return to the top due to newer, younger players.
In October 2008, the Phillies scored their second World Series championship. They have since made it to the playoffs three times.
They were once considered the best in the league, but like all teams, the Phillies’ reign eventually ended. Players did not perform as well or make as many runs as they did in their prime, giving opposing teams the runs they need to win.
Freshman Alyssa Johler says, “[The Phillies] have to make better trades to get good, younger players because they are fresh and healthy.”
However, after most of the 2008 team retired or were traded off, the Phillies may finally become a team worth rooting for again.
Last year, rookie Rhys Hoskins scored his first homerun on August 13, 2017, three days after his Major League Baseball debut. Hoskins ended the season with 37 runs, exceeding rookie limits.
Meanwhile, J.P Crawford made only eight runs in his first season on the Phillies, and he was projected to battle for shortstop with Freddy Galvis until the six-year long member of the team was traded to the Padres.
Newcomer Nick Pivetta was the starting pitcher during 26 games in the 2017 season last year. Pivetta threw 89 earned runs (ER), which is the number of runs that did not occur because of balls or errors.
Meanwhile, three-year player Cesar Hernandez debuted in May 2014, but has been doing increasingly well since then by ending the season with 85 runs.
Freshman Abigail Semsel says, “It’s always nice to see your team do well, especially after [the Phillies] haven’t been doing so great. It helps us be optimistic.”
Although the official MLB season usually starts in late March or early April, the first game of spring training for the Phillies was Saturday, February 24 against the Baltimore Orioles.
As of March 12, the Phillies have seven wins and 11 losses, leaving them fourth-to-last in the National League standings.
While this may seem terrible, these statistics do not count toward the MLB season. Spring training is to get players back in shape and adjusted to playing in the major leagues, especially for rookies.
In fact, most rookies do not make their first MLB appearance until later in the season. For example, Cameron Rupp did not make his debut until September 9, 2013, and Hernandez did not make his until May of that same year.
Opening day for the Phillies is March 29, 2018, and fans are excited.
How do you think the Phillies will do in the 2018 Major League Baseball season?
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