Phillies win again, tie 1993 and 1976 Phils for best start ever

The Phillies used a familiar formula on Friday night to beat the Nationals, 4-2: score early, let the starting pitcher deal, then bring in a couple hammers from the bullpen to close the game out.

Different players step up every day, but the formula remains constant. On Friday night, Alec Bohm and Brandon Marsh hit big doubles as the Phils scored all four of their runs in the game’s first three innings. Zack Wheeler pitched 7.1 strong, allowing two runs on three hits. And Jose Alvarado and Jeff Hoffman finished it off.

Ho-hum, another win. The Phillies improved to 32-14. No team in the Phils’ long franchise history has ever posted a better record through 46 games. The 1993 and 1976 teams matched 32 wins, making this a good time to revisit those special seasons.

Most Phillies wins through 46 games…

2024- 32
1993- 32
1976- 32
. . .
1980- 25
2008- 24 pic.twitter.com/qI9DoWo6vM

— John Foley (@2008Philz) May 18, 2024

1993

Statistically, an incredible Phillies team. Sometimes the stories about the personalities on this squad overshadow their objective greatness.

At the plate, they led the league in hits, walks, and runs scored. They finished second in batting average, but first in on-base percentage and OPS (at a time when those metrics were still second-tier stats).

Leadoff hitter Lenny Dykstra contributed in all of those categories with a .305/.420/.482 slash line. He played in 161 games, led the NL in hits and walks, and led the majors in runs scored. He also hit 19 home runs and stole 37 bases. It was an MVP-caliber season, but Dykstra finished second in voting to Barry Bonds.

Catcher Darren Daulton and big outfielder Pete Incaviglia hit 24 home runs each. Incaviglia, a stereotypical power hitter with no glove, had the perfect platoon partner out in left field in the form of Milt Thompson. Here’s Milt with a game-saving catch on April 29.

Jim Eisenreich hit .318 with an .808 OPS over in right field. He split playing time with the often-underrated Wes Chamberlain, who put up an .813 OPS of his own.

John Kruk slashed an impressive .316/.430/.475 at first base. At second base there was another timeshare, with left-handed hitter Mickey Morandini playing stellar defense and right-handed hitter Mariano Duncan providing an offensive boost. On May 9 (Mother’s Day), Duncan hit a 2-out, 8th-inning grand slam off Hall of Fame closer Lee Smith, and the Phillies stunned the Cardinals 6-5.

Dave Hollins was the team’s starting third baseman, hitting 18 home runs and posting an .814 OPS. And shortstop was mostly a mix of Duncan and Kim Batiste (.734 OPS) until the Phillies called up 23-year-old Kevin Stocker from AAA. Expected to stabilize defense at the SS position, Stocker surprised on offense by slashing .324/.409/.417.

On the mound, Curt Schilling, Terry Mulholland, Tommy Greene, Danny Jackson, and Ben Rivera each won 12+ games. And Schilling, Mulholland, and Greene each threw seven CGs and two shutouts. Mitch Williams saved 43 games with a 3.34 ERA, while Larry Andersen (2.92 ERA) and David West (2.92 ERA) functioned as the team’s other primary relievers.

The manager was seasoned baseball veteran Jim Fregosi. When the Phillies clinched the division on September 28, Harry Kalas called him the perfect manager for “this type of team,” and noted that nobody could handle the characters on the squad better. Fregosi seemed to magically make the right moves all season long.

A number of factors make the 1993 team one of the most beloved in Philadelphia sports history. It’s partly the worst-to-first storyline, as the ‘93 Phillies added 27 wins to the 1992 total. It’s also the hot start: the team won eight of their first nine and never trailed in the division, making the summer a rare season-long party. And it’s the pure entertainment value of a team scoring more runs than any Phillies team since 1930.

Most of all, it’s the cast of characters on this team. The movie Major League was released just a few years prior, and the character-based comedy might as well have been about this group. Dykstra was a hard-charging, tobacco-spewing menace. Kruk looked like he was plucked out of the stands. Williams was a real-life Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn. And, at the center of it all, was Daulton. He was the team’s undisputed leader—respected, gritty, and sporting movie-star looks.

The ’93 Phillies defeated a heavily-favored, 104-win Braves team in the NLCS. Schilling was named the series MVP after posting a 1.69 ERA and striking out 19 batters in 16 innings.

In the World Series, they faced the Toronto Blue Jays… You already know how it ended in Game 6. The magic ran out just two wins short, and Joe Carter broke Phillies fans’ hearts with a walk-off home run against Williams.

The 1993 Phillies really could have won it all. They split two games in Toronto to open the series, and although Game 3 in Philly was a lopsided win for the Jays, the Phils led Game 4 14-9 after seven innings. Baseball Reference indicates there was a 99% chance the Phillies would win the game.

99% is not 100%. The Phillies lost, 15-14.

So much has to go right for a team to win a championship. In 1993, almost all those things happened. The talent was there. General Manager Lee Thomas put together an incredible group of players. Guys had career years. They stayed healthy. Fregosi pushed all the right buttons.

And still, it wasn’t enough.

Joe F’ing Carter.

1976

The 1976 team ushered in the first golden era of Phillies baseball.

Mike Schmidt led the majors in home runs with 38 and put up a .900 OPS. He also won the first of his ten Gold Gloves. Dick Allen had a solid year at first base, slashing .268/.346/.480. In the outfield, Greg Luzinski hit .304 with 21 HR, Gary Maddox hit .330 with 29 SB, and Jay Johnstone slashed .318/.373/.457. Larry Bowa stole 29 bases and made the All-Star Game, primarily because of his defense at shortstop. Catcher Bob Boone and second baseman Dave Cash rounded out the lineup on most days.

All five members of the starting rotation (Steve Carlton, Jim Kaat, Jim Lonborg, Larry Christenson, and Tom Underwood) posted an ERA in the 3.00s, and the bullpen boasted five pitchers with an ERA under 3.00 (Ron Reed, Tug McGraw, Gene Garber, Wayne Twitchell, and Ron Schueler).

Veterans Stadium even hosted the All-Star Game as part of Philadelphia’s bicentennial celebration.

Unlike 1993, the ’76 season wasn’t exactly a party. A 15.5 game lead in the division dwindled to just three games on September 17, and fans scarred by the 1964 Phillies collapse feared the worst. But the team closed strong (13-3 in its last 16 games), and the Phils made it back to the postseason for the first time since 1950.

Unfortunately, Cincinnati’s legendary Big Red Machine was waiting for them in the NLCS. The Reds swept the 1976 Phils in three games.

2024

Anyone reading this is likely familiar with the 2024 roster. It’s an incredible group, evidenced by the 32-14 record alone.

Can they do what the 1993 and 1976 teams did not and win the ultimate prize? Or will somebody like Aaron Judge pull a Joe Carter in the World Series? Are the 2024 Dodgers the equivalent of the 1976 Reds?

I can’t tell you the answer to any of those questions, my friends. But I can tell you that it will be fun as hell to find out. Enjoy the ride.

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We will keep you updated on your first-place Phils all season long.