The Philadelphia Phillies lost in seven games to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLCS. That is no secret, as the Phillies fell short of their second straight World Series appearance. While Arizona could still come behind from their current 3-1 deficit and win the series itself, the Texas Rangers have a hold as things currently stand. Perhaps more concering from MLB's perspective is that no one is watching. This World Series is the lowest rated...ever. Tuesday night's blowout did not help matters.
When looking for areas of growth in the game itself, we must first find who to blame. Why look any further than the teams which lost to the Diamondbacks and Rangers, the Phillies and Astros? Surely a World Series rematch would've provided far more intrigue than whatever it is I'm currently watching. Bryce Harper certainly feels bad about it.
"Man, not being able to come through in that moment," Harper said. "it was just devastating for me. I feel like I let my team down and I let the city of Philadelphia down as well. It's a moment I feel like I need to come through."
Yet, Harper himself is not to blame. The Phillies star performed admirably all postseason long, and came back from an injury far sooner than expected midseason. Yet, some of his teammates could have a tough time looking in the mirror.
Philadelphia Phillies to blame: Johan Rojas
Johan Rojas is an intriguing story and could very well receive some playing time in center field next season as well. Yet, if Dave Dombrowski is smart, he will find an upgrade in the Phillies outfield. Rojas was a black hole in the lineup all postseason long, hitting just .093 in 43 plate appearances. In the final game of the Phillies season, he was replaced by former failed Braves prospect Cristian Pache, who pinch hit for Rojas.
As Dombrowski noted, the Phillies were far too willing to swing at pitches outside of the strike zone, and Rojas was a primary violator of that rule.
"We swung at way too many pitches out of the strike zone this year, way too many," Dombrowski said at a year-end wrap-up press conference late last week. "I know we have guys that chase, but for whatever reason they chased even more this year and that's something I think we need to address and something I know we will address because we've already had meetings on how we get better in that regard."
Rojas will not be handed the center field job next spring, and for good reason.
Philadelphia Phillies to blame: Nick Castellanos
Nick Castellanos got off to a great start in the NLCS, as he hit a home run in his first at bat. Yet, he went zero for his next 22, and failed to provide much support in a Phillies lineup that thrives on power. Castellanos also came up huge in the Braves series, which makes it all the more confusing why he went cold in a big moment.
Castellanos is likely in Philly long term, though Inside the Phillies floated a surprising trade idea given the team's need for pitching:
"If Dombrowski feels like he can upgrade the roster by making trades, Castellanos is likely first on the list to be shipped out of town.
"The Phillies' executive has made it clear that they are looking to add more pitching depth, whether that's by re-signing Aaron Nola or adding more pieces in free agency. Getting Castellanos' contract off the books could help them meet the large figure that Nola will be looking for this offseason."
Such a deal wouldn't be made because of Castellanos's postseason struggles, but his lack of NLCS success sure makes it easier to justify.
Philadelphia Phillies to blame: Rob Thomson
At the end of the day, the reason we are watching the Rangers face off against the Diamondbacks and not the Phillies is because of Rob Thomson. The Phils manager was excellent all year long, but made some errors in the final two games of their postseason run.
First off, Thomson left Aaron Nola in Game 6 too long, which cost the Phillies a chance to close things out without a winner-take-all matchup. Next, Game 7 did not go according to plan thanks in part to Thomson's similar choice to leave Ranger Suarez in too long. He also did not pinch hit for Johan Rojas with the bases loaded early on despite his struggles at the plate. I wrote about this predicament after Game 7.
"When Thomson finally did pull the trigger and remove Rojas in favor of his replacement, Cristian Pache, the former Braves top prospect earned a walk and spurred another rally, which Trea Turner and Bryce Harper wasted."
In the end, there's no guarantee that the Phillies would have put up a better fight than Arizona, but one can't help but wonder if this World Series would have a little more intrigue had Thomson simply made the right choices.