Philadelphia Phillies

Five teams have already clinched postseason spots as the 2024 MLB regular season winds down, with three more teams eligible to join them on Saturday and Sunday.

The Philadelphia Phillies have already secured a postseason appearance, but the team could lock up a No. 1 finish in the NL East with a win over the New York Mets.

Here’s MLB release with #orioles actually able to clinch today under this scenario pic.twitter.com/0bWHLWRakC

— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) September 21, 2024

The Baltimore Orioles can also earn a postseason berth on Saturday, but the team will need some help. The Orioles must beat the Detroit Tigers and the Texas Rangers have to defeat the Seattle Mariners in order for Baltimore to clinch a playoff spot.

The Houston Astros currently own a five-game lead over the Mariners for the AL West lead. The Astros can secure a division crown with wins on Saturday and Sunday combined with losses by Seattle on both days.

Houston is the only division-leading team that has not clinched a playoff spot yet.

With a walk-off win on Thursday, the Cleveland Guardians punched a ticket to the postseason.

The @CleGuardians walk it off and secure a #postseason berth! pic.twitter.com/SPglsx6sGL

— MLB (@MLB) September 19, 2024

Sitting at 90-65 with a 7.5-game lead over the Kansas City Royals, the Guardians can record their second division title in three years with a win over the St. Louis Cardinals or a loss by the Royals on Saturday.

The San Diego Padres can clinch a postseason spot on Sunday, although the team will need some help. The Padres must go 2-0 over their next two games along with the Mets and Atlanta Braves both losing one of their next two contests. If San Diego goes 1-1, it can still earn a playoff berth if New York and Atlanta both finish 0-2 over the same span.

In the American League Wild Card race, the Orioles, Royals, and Twins occupy the three spots. With a record of 80-74, the Tigers are just one game behind Minnesota and still have eight games to play. The Mariners aren't that far behind, sitting at 79-75.

As for the National League Wild Card picture, the Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks hold the first two slots. The Mets have been able to jump into the third spot with a strong finish to the season, but they only hold a narrow two-game lead over the Braves with a three-game series between the two teams starting on Tuesday.

The postseason race is heating up, and several teams could secure their playoff positioning with strong performances on Saturday.

It's going to be a red October in the City of Brotherly Love again after the Philadelphia Phillies earned their third straight MLB playoff berth.

The Phillies clinched their spot in the postseason with Friday's 12-2 win over the New York Mets.

As the MLB playoff picture continues to come into focus, here are the updated matchups in both leagues based on the standings through games played on Friday, Sept. 20.

Projected National League Playoff Matchups

• First-round bye: No. 1 Philadelphia Phillies, No. 2 Los Angeles Dodgers
• Wild Card Series: No. 3 Milwaukee Brewers vs. No. 6 New York Mets; No. 4 San Diego Padres vs. No. 5 Arizona Diamondbacks
  

Projected American League Playoff Matchups

• First-round bye: No. 1 New York Yankees, No. 2 Cleveland Guardians
• Wild Card Series: No. 3 Houston Astros vs. No. 6 Minnesota Twins; No. 4 Baltimore Orioles vs. No. 5 Kansas City Royals
  

Current Standings

AL East

1. New York Yankees (90-64)*
2. Baltimore Orioles (86-68, 4 GB)
3. Boston Red Sox (76-78, 14 GB)
4. Tampa Bay Rays (76-78, 14 GB)
5. Toronto Blue Jays (73-81, 17 GB)

AL Central

1. Cleveland Guardians (90-65)*
2. Kansas City Royals (82-72, 7.5 GB)
3. Minnesota Twins (81-73, 8.5 GB)
4. Detroit Tigers (80-74, 9.5 GB)
5. Chicago White Sox (36-118, 53.5 GB)

AL West

1. Houston Astros (84-70)
2. Seattle Mariners (79-75, 5 GB)
3. Texas Rangers (73-81, 11 GB)
4. Oakland Athletics (67-87, 17 GB)
5. Los Angeles Angels (62-92, 22 GB)

AL Wild Card

1. Baltimore Orioles (86-68, +5 Games)
2. Kansas City Royals (82-72, +1 Game)
3. Minnesota Twins (81-73)
4. Detroit Tigers (80-74, 1 GB)
5. Seattle Mariners (79-75, 2 GB)
6. Boston Red Sox (76-78, 5 GB)
7. Tampa Bay Rays (76-78, 5 GB)

NL East

1. Philadelphia Phillies (92-62)*
2. New York Mets (85-69, 7 GB)
3. Atlanta Braves (83-71, 9 GB)
4. Washington Nationals (68-86, 24 GB)
5. Miami Marlins (57-97, 35 GB)

NL Central

1. Milwaukee Brewers (88-66)** 
2. Chicago Cubs (79-75, 9 GB)
3. St. Louis Cardinals (77-77, 11 GB)
4. Cincinnati Reds, (75-80, 13.5 GB)
5. Pittsburgh Pirates (72-82, 16 GB)

NL West

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (92-62)*
2. San Diego Padres (88-66, 4 GB)
3. Arizona Diamondbacks (86-68, 6 GB)
4. San Francisco Giants (75-79, 17 GB)
5. Colorado Rockies (59-95, 33 GB)

NL Wild Card

1. San Diego Padres (88-66, +2.5 Games)
2. Arizona Diamondbacks (86-68, + 1 Game)
3. New York Mets (85-69)
4. Atlanta Braves (83-71, 2 GB)
5. Chicago Cubs (79-75, 6 GB)
6. St. Louis Cardinals (77-77, 8 GB)

*Denotes clinched playoff spot

**Denotes clinched division

---

In a season that hasn't had dominant regular-season teams like in years past, the Phillies have been the most complete club in MLB since the beginning of the year.

Starting pitching has been a key ingredient for the Phillies in their previous two playoff appearances, and that's shaping up to be a strength again. Their starters rank third in MLB in FanGraphs' wins above replacement (15.6).

Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sánchez and Ranger Suárez are the best starting quartet in MLB. Wheeler has a 2.42 ERA in 11 playoff appearances. Nola has allowed two runs or fewer in five of his nine postseason starts.

On top of the dominance of the starting staff, David Dombrowski's career-long attempt to put together a good bullpen appears to have finally paid off. Matt Strahm, Orion Kerkering and Jeff Hoffman all have ERAs between 1.71 and 1.99 while averaging more than 10 strikeouts per nine innings.

If there is a concern for the Phillies going into October, it's the depth in their lineup. Bryce Harper is still hitting well overall, but he has just three homers since Aug. 10. He could be figuring things out right in time for the playoffs because all three have come in the past six days.

Even with the lack of homers, Harper had a .316/.393/.504 slash line from Aug. 10 to Sept. 19. His ability to take over in a playoff series has been on display before and could be a difference-maker in the NL race.

Alec Bohm's power output took a hit before he landed on the injured list on Sept. 6 with a hand strain, though he did return to the lineup on Sunday. Until Friday, he slugged .403 with three homers in the second half after posting a .482 slugging percentage and 11 homers before the All-Star break. However, Bohm broke out on Friday, going 4-for-5 with four RBI, two runs and a home run.

Leading into Friday, Trea Turner's OPS dropped nearly 300 points from before the All-Star break (.941) to after the break (.676). Harper, Bohm and Turner are three of Philadelphia's top four offensive players when they are right.

Fortunately, the Phillies have Kyle Schwarber at the top of the order. He has already set an MLB record for leadoff homers in a single season.

KYLE SCHWARBER HAS DONE IT! 💥

Schwarber now has 14 leadoff home runs this season, a new MLB record! 👏

(via @Phillies)pic.twitter.com/F32ivrWyUW

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 10, 2024

The ability for Schwarber to immediately give the Phillies a lead and let their pitching staff go to work is one of the biggest reasons they are a favorite to win the World Series.

If Turner and/or Bohm can get back on track in October, good luck to any opposing team trying to keep this offense down. The Phillies proved two years ago they can go on a run at any point.

This team is better overall than the 2022 squad that lost to the Houston Astros in the Fall Classic. They will get a chance to bring a World Series back to Philadelphia for the first time since 2008.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos was highly critical of Tampa Bay Rays reliever Edwin Uceta after he hit him with a pitch during the Phillies' 9-4 win on Tuesday.

Uceta, who entered the game with a 0.79 ERA, came in during the eighth inning and surrendered four hits and three earned runs before getting ejected after just one-third of an inning for hitting Castellanos in he hip.

Per ESPN, Castellanos compared Uceta's actions to those of his child, saying: "You're frustrated and you're going to throw at somebody. That's like my 2-year-old throwing a fit because I took away his dessert before he was finished."

“He was pissed off that his ERA shot through the roof... And you’re gonna throw at somebody? That’s like my two year old throwing a fit because I take his dessert before he’s finished.” -Nick Castellanos on Edwin Uceta pic.twitter.com/AsZ12NPcEl

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) September 11, 2024

Castellanos added that he expected to be hit when he stepped up to the plate, saying: "I had an overwhelming sense that I was about to get drilled. We all just got a sense of what it was—he was just [ticked] off that he got hit around and his ERA shot through the roof."

Before Castellanos stepped to the plate in the eighth inning, Uceta surrendered a go-ahead, two-run double to Cal Stevenson, a Buddy Kennedy RBI single, a Trea Turner two-run home run and Bryce Harper's fourth hit and third double of the night.

Uceta said after the game that he didn't mean to hit Castellanos and did so with a changeup, but MLB's StatCast showed he hit Castellanos with a 96 mph sinker, per ESPN.

Harper was clearly upset after Castellanos was hit and approached the mound, but cooler heads ultimately prevailed.

The slugger explained his reaction to the HBP after the game, saying:

"That's not the game that we play, man. It shouldn't be. Guys throw too hard nowadays. You're getting mad because a guy hits a homer off you or you blow the lead, walk the guy and come out of the game.

"The situation, the whole thing, just really fired me up, really upset me. Just not something you should accept as Major League Baseball."

It is possible frustration boiled over for Uceta since the 2024 season has largely been a struggle for a Rays team that entered the year having made five consecutive playoff appearances.

After Tuesday's loss, the Rays are just 71-74 on the season, placing them in fourth place in the American League East.

In addition to being 12 games behind the New York Yankees for the AL East lead, the Rays trail the Minnesota Twins by six games for the final wild-card spot.

As for the Phillies, the win improved their record to 87-58, giving them an eight-game lead over the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets in the NL East, and a one-game over the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in the NL.

Given what happened Tuesday, it is fair to wonder if any bad blood will carry over to the series finale between the Phillies and Rays on Wednesday evening.

Bryce Harper's day on the field came to an early end.

The Philadelphia Phillies slugger exited the team's Wednesday game against the Toronto Blue Jays after being hit by a pitch in the first inning. Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reported that he had suffered a bruised left elbow and that Harper would be further evaluated.

Bryce Harper left today's game with a left elbow contusion after being hit by a pitch in the 1st inning pic.twitter.com/rGUvanCZyz

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) September 4, 2024

Phillies said Bryce Harper left the game with a bruised left elbow. He will be further evaluated.

— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) September 4, 2024

Harper suffered the injury after being hit by a pitch during his first at-bat of the game.

Harper had previously discussed some elbow issues he was dealing with throughout the season. Despite the ailments, Phillies manager Rob Thomson had confirmed that Harper was "fine" and that it was not necessary to give him any days off before Wednesday's game.

Zolecki reported that the elbow that Harper injured with the hit-by-pitch is not the elbow that had been giving him trouble.

The Phillies will now hope that Harper's exit does not exacerbate any of his pre-existing ailments.

He is hitting .282/.371/.521 with 26 home runs and 76 RBIs in 2024. This has helped the Phillies soar to an 82-56 record that currently has the team in possession of first place in the NL East.

Keeping Harper healthy for the postseason should be a top priority for Philadelphia, so the team should make sure he is good to go before he returns to the field.

Bryce Harper has shared a glimpse at the current state of his elbow and wrist injuries.

The Philadelphia Phillies star acknowledged that his wrist and elbow have been bothering him during the 2024 season but that he hopes the conditions improve and will not make them an excuse.

"I don't want to make excuses for what I do," Harper said, per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com."You know what I'm saying? I've just got to get through it. Hopefully it gets better, rather than getting worse. [The wrist's] finally getting to the point where I feel like it's turning a corner. My elbow is just like -- there."

He elaborated by saying that he doesn't blame the injuries for his lackluster power and that he simply has to just push through the injuries.

"I don't want to make excuses for the way I'm playing," Harper said, per Zolecki. "I just want to make sure that if I can play, then I'm good. If it continues to go the right way, then yeah, we're good. On both ends. Sometimes you've got to play through crap. You know? All good."

Harper is hitting .278/.369/.520 with 26 home runs and 76 RBIs. These are strong numbers on the surface, but a strong first half was a major factor in his current standing. He is hitting just .230 with five home runs and 50 RBIs since the All-Star break.

While his injuries could make it difficult to reach his previous pace, his strong supporting cast with the Phillies can ease his burden. Philadelphia is 79-55 and possesses the second-best record in MLB. The Phillies currently have the fourth-best batting average and fourth-best ERA in MLB.

As Harper and the Phillies look towards September and beyond, they will hope he can have some improved health.

If anyone is curious about Philadelphia Phillies slugger Nick Castellanos' approach to hitting, it essentially boils down to see the ball and hit the ball.

Castellanos told reporters after Tuesday's 5-0 win over the Houston Astros he doesn't change his approach based on where he hits in the lineup when his goal goal is to "look for the baseball and hit it as hard as I can" because he's never "gone to the plate looking to walk."

"I look for the baseball and hit it as hard as I can." 👀

Nick Castellanos shares what his approach at the plate is like depending where he hits in the lineup. pic.twitter.com/2upNj6OvU1

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) August 28, 2024

Castellanos isn't an on-base machine, but he's not a player who is so aggressively swinging that he won't take a walk. Since his first full season in 2014, he ranks 464th out of 595 qualified hitters in walk rate (6.3 percent).

You would like to see him get on base at a higher clip, but it's hardly terrible for a player who hits for average and power.

The two-time All-Star is hitting .250 with a .421 slugging percentage and 18 homers in 132 games this season. He is right around league average in OPS+ (100) and WRC+ (99).

Philadelphia certainly expected more when Castellanos signed a five-year, $100 million deal with the club in March 2022. He's always been an erratic player throughout his career, which was one of the reasons it took so long for him to sign as a free agent two years ago.

If you need Castellanos to anchor a lineup, the results are going to be disappointing. When he can be in a lower-pressure role with a team that allows him to hit in the lower half of the order, things will be fine.

The Phillies have afforded Castellanos that opportunity because they have Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, J.T. Realmuto, Alec Bohm and Kyle Schwarber.

Things have worked out just fine for the Phillies as constructed. They've reached the NLCS in each of the past two seasons, including a trip to the World Series in 2022. They are currently tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in MLB (78-54).

Weston Wilson had quite the night at Citizens Bank Park.

The Philadelphia Phillies rookie hit for the cycle against the Washington Nationals, becoming the 10th player in franchise history to accomplish the feat.

A CYCLE FOR WESTON WILSON 🔥 pic.twitter.com/EVhrLpJqFR

— MLB (@MLB) August 16, 2024

WESTON WILSON HITS FOR THE CYCLE! 🚨

It's the 10th cycle in @Phillies history

(via @MLB)pic.twitter.com/0OIBChYcKL

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) August 16, 2024

He hit a triple and a single in the fourth, a home run in the seventh and a double in the eighth to solidify the milestone.

Wilson became the first Phillies player to hit for the cycle since catcher J.T. Realmuto did in in 2023. He became the first Phillies player to accomplish the feat at home since David Bell in 2004. He is the fourth player to hit for the cycle in the 2024 season.

He has only played in 16 MLB games in 2024 and 23 total in his career. The 29-year-old was a 17th-round pick in 2016 and has spent the majority of his career in AAA.

Wilson will hope this strong performance will allow him to have an extended stay with the Phillies and that he could potentially make a case to crack the postseason roster. The Phillies are currently 71-50 and lead the NL East.

The Philadelphia Phillies are still sitting first in the National League East, but their recent play prompted a team meeting, according to The Athletic's Matt Gelb.

Two-time MVP Bryce Harper didn't mince words when addressing the team's recent form.

"The way we've been playing, obviously, has been unacceptable," he said. "But we just have to keep going. Everybody in here knows what to do and how to do their job. If you're not walking in here every day ready to do your job, you probably shouldn't be here."

Philly is 8-16 since the All-Star break. Thanks to the combined efforts of the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets, that hasn't hurt the Phillies too much in the standings. They're six games up on Atlanta and have an eight-game cushion on New York in third.

Still, the team's record early into the second half isn't ideal given the lofty ambitions it will have in the postseason.

Following the reported team meeting, the Phillies earned a 9-5 win over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday. A fourth-inning grand slam by Kyle Schwarber erased a three-run deficit and they held on from there.

Schwarber thought there was "more energy" inside Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday, which the players fed off.

"I feel like our guys are doing a really good job of weathering whatever has happened the last couple weeks," he said, per Gelb. "We haven't been playing our best baseball. We have a really good group of guys in this clubhouse. We got the right guys to get through this and come out better for it."

Philadelphia opens a four-game set against the Washington Nationals on Thursday and then has a three-game series with the Braves after that.

For now, the vibes are much different inside the Phillies' clubhouse. If they unexpectedly stumble against a pair of NL East foes, then another closed-door meeting might be in order.

Carlos Estévez is heading to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Los Angeles Angels traded the relief pitcher to Philadelphia in exchange for top pitching prospects George Klassen and Samuel Aldegheri.

Estévez, one of the top closer in the majors, now joins one of the best pitching staffs in the National League as the Phillies look to make a World Series run.

Along with 32 strikeouts across 34 appearances, the 31-year-old righty has a 2.38 ERA and a 0.74 WHIP, both of which would be career bests if he continues his production. Estévez has also collected 20 saves this season and has pitched 18 straight scoreless appearances, retiring 53 of the last 58 batters he's faced.

His surge comes at the perfect time as he'll look to help one of the top contenders in the majors make a significant postseason run.

The Phillies had to pay a steep price to land Estévez, but it could be worth it if they win the World Series.

Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter lists Klassen and Aldegheri as the fifth and sixth-ranked prospects in Philadelphia's farm system. In 14 starts this year, Klassen has a 1.97 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 89 strikeouts for the Phillies' High-A Affiliate. Aldegheri, playing for Philadelphia's Double-A affiliate, has a 3.23 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 109 strikeouts in 15 starts.

Both prospects are also just 22 years old, so they still have plenty of time to develop.

The Angels are likely out of postseason contention barring a late-season miracle, so adding some young talent at the deadline could pay off in the long run.

The Philadelphia Phillies could bolster their bullpen before the trade deadline.

Per MLB Network's Jon Morosi, the Phillies are expected to trade for "at least one" leverage reliever ahead of Tuesday's deadline. Morosi added Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Chad Green is one of Philadelphia's top targets.

The report comes after Philadelphia traded right-handed reliever Seranthony Domínguez to the Baltimore Orioles for outfielder Austin Hays.

The Phillies already have a talented bullpen highlighted by Matt Strahm, Jeff Hoffman and Jose Alvarado, but adding some depth could aid them as they look to make another World Series run.

A handful of names are reportedly on Philadelphia's radar as it looks to make a play in the coming days.

The Philadelphia Inquirer's Scott Lauber reported Thursday that the Phillies are interested in Los Angeles Angels' Carlos Estévez, Washington Nationals' Kyle Finnegan and Miami Marlins' Tanner Scott. Lauber also noted that Philadelphia hoped to add a reliever in the offseason but instead pivoted to landing one at the deadline.

Estévez, in his second season with the Angels, has 32 strikeouts, 20 saves and a career-best 2.38 ERA this season. Finnegan has similar numbers with 44 strikeouts, 28 saves and a 2.32 ERA.

Scott has been one of the best relievers in the majors this season with 51 strikeouts, 18 saves, a 1.21 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. The Marlins are also clear sellers looking to build for the future amid a 37-66 season, so the Phillies could land Scott by dealing a few prospects.

Philadelphia has the best record in the majors at 64-38, so any move made at the deadline will be to put it in a position to win in the fall. If the Phillies can add some depth to the bullpen, they could be on their way to a deep postseason run.