Uh oh.

I can’t be the only one feeling it, right?

As the Phillies went down with meek at-bats, poor base running and not-good-enough pitching last night in New York, evidence of below-standard play keeps piling up. Since the 5-1 start to the season with series wins over the Nationals and Rockies, this team is 8-10. Through 24 games, the Phillies own a minus-three run differential. It’s early, but it’s also not promising.

Add in Cristopher Sanchez’s forearm injury, the malaise that seems to have permeated through the team, and the reality of the strength of the National League, and you can come up with real reason for early-season concern.

So, where is this heading?

Last night, a new range on the potential range of 2025 Phillies outcomes became clear to me.

If the 2025 Phillies hit their ceiling, they can win the World Series. We’ve known that about this group since 2022. It was the same in 2023 and 2024. Betting odds reflect it. Track record suggests it. That’s the standard this group is shooting for.

Before the season began, I predicted 89 wins and a wild card berth. The Mets, led by David Stearns in the front office, looked one step ahead in the division. But high-end starting pitching and enough offense can be the calling card to a playoff-caliber baseball team. Yet, even I acknowledged the shaky ground this older team was on. Unlike 2023 and 2024, the playoffs didn’t seem like a lock to me. A good NL team will miss the field, and the Phillies lack of offseason changes, age and obvious bullpen weakness made them a contender to be that team.

But there’s now a new range on the spectrum of where the 2025 Phillies can end up: Disaster potential.

I’m not saying this season is over. I’m not even prepared to say this team flat out isn’t good. We’ve learned our lessons in 2022 and 2023. Baseball is a grind. Things can change. Yet, it’s there hovering under the surface.This team isn’t young. They have real bullpen problems. Sanchez has a forearm injury. The NL is loaded.

The 2012 Phillies happened. Look up Dave Dombrowski’s 2015 Tigers, fresh off a World Series, LCS and LDS exits (in that order, just like this current Phillies group) in the three previous seasons. Sometimes, the floor falls out from under teams.

I’d still peg the Phillies to have a win total in the upper 80s. But the.500-ish, out-of-the-race in mid-September kind of season is now on the table.

We vented about the Phillies on the WIP Midday Show.

If Jalen Milroe is on the board at No. 64, should the Eagles recreate the Jalen Hurts pick all over again?

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Book recommendation: A Soaring Season. The Incredible, Inspiring Story of the 2003-04 Saint Joseph's Hawks by Aaron Bracy. If you remember that team, love basketball, or just want to have a behind-the-scenes look at great coaching and team building, you’ll really enjoy it. Aaron is a great writer, and expertly told the story of a team that captured the region that season.

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