2022 Phillies Season Review

SOUTH PHILADELPHIA - 262 days after it began the 2022 Phillies season has come to an end. In what will go down as one of the greatest seasons in franchise history, the Phillies captured the eyes of a city desperate for a winner, and a nation who never gave them a chance. They had heart, they had grit, and they above all else had a love for the game and their teammates. It begins to sound cliche, but it is the truth when you watch this team prevail through the most unthinkable scenarios night in and night out you will see that the 2022 Philadelphia Phillies were in a field of their own. Here I will provide a review of the 2022 campaign, while furthermore taking a look at the offseason ahead.

The 2022 season began as many have over the last few years, with new additions in the offseason and a “newfound hope” that this would be the year. Many tried to trick themselves into believing it could be true (I myself included). However, despite the additions of Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber to the batting order, along with yet another torrid start for reigning MVP Bryce Harper, the Phillies got off to a miserable 22-29 start. It was plain to see that a change needed to be made, so on June 1st Dave Dombrowski made the decision to relieve Joe Girardi from his duties as Phillies manager.

Girardi, who was hired in the wake of the dumpster fire that was the Gabe Kapler regime. Was hailed as the man who would usher in a new era of Phillies Baseball, and an era of winning Baseball at that. But following a Covid-19-shortened 2020 season, the Phillies struggled in 2021 blowing a division lead in the final month and losing yet another year of Bryce Harper’s prime. With that being said, Girardi was on the hot seat headed into 2022. After such a tumultuous start it was more of a matter of when, instead of if the veteran skipper would get the boot.

The Phillies would now have to wait until after the season to find their new “Permanente” skipper, or so they thought. In came one Rob Thomson, a Baseball-lifer, the former longtime Yankee bench coach who joined Gabe Kapler’s staff in 2018 and had been a steady presence in the Phils dugout for years. But now would come his biggest test yet. Never holding managing duties before, Thomson would be thrown into the fire with an underachieving Phillies team and be tasked with guiding them through the 5-month storm that lay ahead. Nobody would have ever expected what was to come next.

The differences were clear immediately, Thomson began his career 9-0 as the Phillies scratched and clawed their way back to .500, simultaneously putting them right back in the playoff conversation. By the end of June, the Phils were just on the outside looking in at the 6th wildcard spot. Then, disaster struck as MVP Bryce Harper was hit in the hand with an errant fastball from the Padres’ Blake Snell. Just as it seemed the Phillies were taking off, they were shot right back down.

This was when we saw the first sign of the 2022 Phillies’ unmistakable fight. Guys started stepping up and getting the big hit, the bullpen began to take off and the starters were eating innings. The month of July was where the Phillies made a name for themselves. While guys like Darick Hall, Nick Maton, Bailey Falter, and Jose Alverado came out of the woodwork making huge contributions. We saw the stars do what they were paid to do like Kyle Schwarber led the NL in home runs and seemed to be on pace for 50 for most of the year, or Zack Wheeler who further established himself as a top arm in the league.

But as the Phils trudged on into August and eventually September, things began to slow down. Even with the return of Bryce Harper to the lineup, they struggled to get any momentum and another late-season collapse seemed more feasible each day. But as all hope seemed to be lost, with the help of the Marlins, one Aaron Nola, and a couple of rain delays, the Phillies were headed to the playoff for the first time since 2011.

As the last seed in the NL and the final team to clinch a playoff berth, there were few people who had high hopes for the Phillies to go far. But after an improbable upset in the Wildcard round over the Cardinals, and another huge upset vs the Braves in the NLDS. The Phillies were sitting pretty as they prepared to face the Padres in the NLCS. After a few early series hiccups, the Phils took charge of the series as Bryce Harper smacked a 2 run home run over the left field wall to put the Phillies ahead in the 8th inning of game 5, sending the Phillies to the world series.

Next was their biggest test, against the likes of a team being compared to the ‘27 Yankees and 70s Red Machine. The Houston Astros were a powerhouse and were projected to roll over the Phils in 4 or 5 games. Though the series didn’t end with the Cinderella upset we all had hoped for, the 2022 Phillies prevailed through nearly every odd and end to get to this point. As they took a 2-1 lead in the series with a 7-0 lead, not many thought that was where the magic would run out. The Stros took to the 3 and went home champions.

Seasons like this are huge for any franchise, they help to attract big names in free agency and on the trade market. After the hectic 2022 offseason which saw owner John Middleton go over the luxury tax for the first time in team history. A season such as this will presumably mean more of the same for Dave Dombrowski and Co. Some big names sit on the arbitration list and as free agents, The Phils will need to make decisions on the likes of Rhys Hoskins, Seranthony Dominguez, and Jean Segura among many more. Though nothing is certain, pitching will need to be a focal point this offseason. With the likes of Chris Bassit, Jacob deGrom, and Carlos Rodon hitting the market I’d expect to see the Fightins shed some cash on a big-name starter. The infield has also been a talking point, as Jean Segura’s contract expires, the 35-year will most likely hit free agency. This, leaves a gaping hole on the diamond defensively, though names like Dansby Swanson and Trea Turner have been thrown around, we will need to wait and see what the Phillies brass decides.

2022, was beyond a doubt one of the greatest seasons in franchise history. It’s a year that will be talked about for decades to come, with the likes of 1980, 1993, and 2008. The moments will never be forgotten, and the members of this team will never pay for a beer in Philly for as long as they live. 2022 may not have ended with the bang we all dreamed for, but this year and this team will be enshrined in the memory of Phillies fans for as long as they live.