World Series 2023: What Top Players Are Saying Amid MLB Playoffs
The Philadelphia Phillies are one step away from returning to the World Series following Thursday night's 3-1 series-clinching victory over the Atlanta Braves in the National League Divisional Series.
Led by Bryce Harper and a historic hitting night from Nick Castellanos, the team continued to showcase why it may be the hottest in MLB.
Ahead of the NLCS against the Arizona Diamondbacks, what did Harper have to say about this experience and his motivation for bringing a World Series title to Philly?
How are young D'backs players Corbin Carroll and Zac Gallen handling the pressure facing them after their own, impressive ousting of the Los Angeles Dodgers?
Find out with this recap of their most recent thoughts.
Bryce Harper's Motivation Is Clear
Bryce Harper has the city of Philadelphia behind him and he would not have it any other way.
Ahead of Thursday's division series-clinching win over the Atlanta Braves, the franchise star of the defending National League Champions expressed his love for the city of Philadelphia and the red-hot, loud, and passionate Phillies fans.
They are not the words of a player sitting before the cameras, saying the right things. There is a gravity to his words, a meaningfulness that extends beyond pandering. He means what he says and approaches every game that way.
It is why he was determined to make it back on the field just 160 days after Tommy John surgery, the quickest turn around ever. It is why he shows up in key moments, blasts home runs under the most pressure, and creates defining moments that will live forever in Phillies history.
Sorry, Orlando Arcia.
Through these playoffs, Harper has tallied seven hits, seven runs, three homers, five RBIs, and his batting average (.368) is higher than his postseason average.
The contributions of Nick Castellanos, Bryson Stott, Brandon Marsh, and the pitching staff have been undeniable but the emotional fire that Harper brings to the team and the fans is unlike any other player in this postseason.
The Phillies will go as he does and if the NLDS against Atlanta is any indication, the young Arizona Diamondbacks are in for a battle they have not yet experienced.
Based on the tone of their clubhouse, though, it is not likely something that will faze them.
Diamondbacks Riding the Wave of Momentum and the Play of Young Stars
The Arizona Diamondbacks were not supposed to be here.
The idea of this young, inexperienced team backing into the playoffs, knocking off the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers in two straight, then sweeping the 100-win Los Angeles Dodgers felt foreign two weeks ago.
Now, they are four wins away from appearing in a World Series and sure-to-be NL Rookie of the Year Corbin Carroll touted the baseball the team has played all season.
In five games this postseason, Carroll is proving why he was one of the most exciting young players in the game in 2023, with an average of .412, seven hits, four RBIs, two homers, and six total runs scored.
Another foundational player, ace Zac Gallen, assumed a leadership role in speaking about the growth and evolution of pitcher Brandon Pfaddt.
Gallen tallied a 3.18 ERA thus far in the playoffs while striking out eight and generating a 1.32 WHIP. Pfaddt, like Gallen, won both of his starts, going seven innings, striking out six and compiling a 3.84 ERA.
Both will be key against a Phillies lineup that can absolutely demolish the ball and proved as much against the Braves in the divisional series. Thus far, they have shown an ability to rise to the occasion, something veteran and potential future Hall of Famer Evan Longoria pointed to while discussing the team's success.
No moment has proven too big for the Diamondbacks to this point but that may change when they take to the field at Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia for the first game of the NLCS Monday night.