MLB: Why these 3 winning teams will miss the postseason

Philadelphia Phillies

This year, the Philadelphia Phillies are a complete head-scratcher. Many MLB analysts had them competing for the National League East, but their inconsistency has them sitting third, behind the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets. The Phillies currently have a 36-32 record and are eight games back from the first-place Mets.

A few weeks ago, the Phillies cut ties with their manager, Joe Girardi, after a below-average start to the season. Phillies bench coach Rob Thomson has been named interim manager until the end of the 2022 season. Can Thomson fire up the team enough to make a Wild Card spot? With the Mets and Braves battling out for the NL East, the only chance for the Phillies to seemingly make the postseason would be the Wild Card.

Currently, the Phillies are 2.5 games out of the third Wild Card spot. With a lot of the season left, can the Phillies turn it around? Can the Mets or the Braves choke the lead away? The answer to both questions is absolutely not.

Starting pitching is a huge issue

Right now, Zach Wheeler is the ace for the Phillies, with a 6-3 record and a 2.69 ERA. When Wheeler signed with the Phillies, he was supposed to be their number two guy, behind Aaron Nola. Nola is having a decent year, but has not put-up dominant numbers. Wheeler is the only starting pitcher under a 3.00 ERA for the Phillies.

The Phillies lineup is loaded, and they tend to produce a decent amount of runs, but without run support, the Phillies don’t stand a chance. Their whole pitching staff has been playing below average. Maybe if the Phillies make some moves before the trade deadline for some pitching, they can move up in contention. However, with an interim manager, it will be difficult to see what direction the Phillies are going to go.

The Phillies will always be in the mix because of their powerful lineup, but because of their pitching situation, they can’t make up enough ground to be in contention for the postseason.