The Curse of the Phillies! Team Desperate to Break Postseason Curse
Over the last three years, the Philadelphia Phillies have been one of the best teams in baseball. Unfortunately, they don’t have any World Series titles to show for it.
One of the biggest reasons for their recent shortcomings in October has been their bullpen, which has repeatedly let them down in the biggest moments of the season.
In 2023, the Phillies’ bullpen imploded in the NLCS against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Craig Kimbrel (12.00 ERA), Orion Kerkering (7.71 ERA) and Gregory Soto (6.75 ERA) were the main culprits, with Kimbrel suffering back-to-back losses in Games 3 and 4.
Despite jettisoning Kimbrel and Soto last year and acquiring All-Star closer Carlos Estevez from the Los Angeles Angels at the trade deadline, Philadelphia’s late-inning woes persisted in October. The Phillies allowed 23 runs in their four-game NLDS loss to the New York Mets, and their relievers were responsible for 17 of them.
Philadelphia revamped its bullpen again this offseason, signing two-time All-Star closer Jordan Romano to a one-year, $8.5 million deal in free agency. However, there are questions about whether he can bounce back from a dismal 2024 (6.59 ERA, 1.46 WHIP) with the Toronto Blue Jays.
The reigning NL East champs have plenty of starting pitching, and their potent lineup is one of the best in baseball. However, they need their relief corps to step up in October if they want to go all the way.
Romano rebounding would be huge, but he still needs to prove himself in the postseason. He’s only pitched three innings in the playoffs, going 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA and a 2.00 WHIP.
If he doesn’t return to form, the front office will likely need to make another midseason trade for a new closer. The Phillies can’t afford to go into October without a shutdown reliever for Rob Thomson to bring in during high-leverage situations.
Furthermore, Philadelphia’s holdovers must perform better. Jose Alvarado (27.00 ERA), Matt Strahm (18.00 ERA) and Tanner Banks (9.00 ERA) were all abysmal last fall, so they need to do a better job of building the bridge to the ninth inning after the starters come out.
With most of the Phillies’ best players in their 30s, their championship window is closing. This might be their last, best chance to win a World Series for a while, and they can’t afford to squander another opportunity with late-game meltdowns.
