60 Phillies wins, by the numbers

The Phillies picked up their 60th win of the season on Wednesday night, a remarkable accomplishment before the All-Star break. They did it in style, beating a Dodgers team that has the second-most wins in the National League (55).

“60 wins is great, but we got a long way to go,” manager Rob Thomson said after the game.

That’s exactly the attitude Thomson and his players need as they grind their way toward October. The rest of us, however, are free to celebrate the milestone. Looking back at the Phils’ path to 60, here are some of the other numbers that helped get them there.

3.24 – The team’s Earned Run Average, best in the majors. Starting pitchers Ranger Suarez (2.58), Zack Wheeler (2.70), and Cristopher Sanchez (2.96) have three of the top four ERAs in the National League among qualified pitchers. Over in the bullpen, Jeff Hoffman (1.17), Orion Kerkering (1.32), and Matt Strahm (1.56) have even better numbers.

4.96 – Runs the Phillies have scored per game this season. Astute readers will note the disparity between this average and the team’s ERA. A good way to win ballgames is to score many runs and allow very few. #analysis

.345 – Trea Turner’s batting average. This is in an era where the batting average across MLB is .243. And Turner is far from a singles merchant–his .905 OPS speaks to that.

31 – Alec Bohm doubles. An absurd figure that puts him on pace for a 55-double season. Bohm will represent the Phillies as the NL’s starting third baseman in the All-Star Game, and it’s well-deserved.

22-8 – The Phillies’ record in games decided by five or more runs (a/k/a blowouts). And four of the eight losses were back in April.

.629 – The Phillies’ record against teams with records >.500. That’s the best winning percentage in baseball. Are you old enough to remember the “but their schedule” narrative? Lmao.

106 – Wins the Phillies are on pace for in the 2024 season. Can they break the franchise record of 102? If they have some better luck with health, it seems entirely possible.

.968 – Bryce Harper’s OPS. He has 20 home runs and is playing Gold Glove-caliber defense at first base. He’s a leading candidate for NL MVP.

1 – The number of times the Phillies have lost three or more consecutive games this season. The rotation’s excellence prevents extended losing streaks.

7 – The Phils’ longest winning streak of the season. They’ve done it twice so far.

40,920 – The average attendance at Phillies games this season.

.714 – The Phils’ winning percentage at home (would translate to 116 wins over 162 games).

8.5 – The number of games the Phillies lead the mighty Atlanta Braves by in the NL East.

96 – Stolen bases for the Phils this season. Good for fourth-most in the NL. A little bit of an overlooked aspect of the team’s success.

1.14 – The Phillies pitching staff’s combined WHIP, best in the NL. Shows that the ERA is no fluke.

7 – The number of representatives the Phillies will send to the All-Star Game. That’s the most in baseball this season, and eclipses the Phils’ franchise record of five.

240 – Walks by Phillies pitchers. That’s the fewest in the NL. If a team is going to beat these pitchers, they’ll have to earn it. No free passes.

52-24 – The Phils’ win/loss record since they were 8-8 after a loss on April 14. Translates to a 111-win pace.

7 – The number of key Phillies players who have missed significant time to injury this season (Turner, Realmuto, Harper, Schwarber, Marsh, Taijuan Walker, Spencer Turnbull). Hasn’t slowed them down.

3 – The number of World Series victories the Phillies franchise will have if they win it all this season.

Will it happen? We shall see. But through 60 wins in 92 games, a championship looks entirely possible.