Are Philadelphia Phillies The Best Team In Baseball?

The Philadelphia Phillies have exceeded expectations with their fast start.

May 6, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (28) and Bryce Harper shake hands. / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies finally lost on Wednesday, wrapping up their six-game homestand with a 5-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Despite seeing their seven-game winning streak come to an end, the Phillies still entered Thursday's off day with the best record in baseball at 26-12 -- half a game better than the Los Angeles Dodgers. Philadelphia has been on an absolute tear over the last three weeks, going 18-4 since starting the year 8-8.

The Phillies are dominating the competition and are almost a quarter of the way through their schedule. It's fair to wonder -- are they the best team in baseball?

Are the Phillies the best team in baseball?#MLBNow | #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/0iReTpksuh

— MLB Now (@MLBNow) May 9, 2024

Before the season started, many fans and pundits considered Philadelphia just a tick below the top teams in baseball like the Dodgers, Atlanta Braves and Baltimore Orioles, all of whom won at least 10 more games than the Phillies last year. Philadelphia didn't add much in the offseason, either, losing closer Craig Kimbrel in free agency and missing out on top free-agent target Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

But despite getting another year older, the Phillies have gotten off to their best start ever. After blowing the NLCS against an inferior Arizona Diamondbacks squad last fall, Philadelphia is playing like a team on a mission this season.

Led by the red-hot Bryce Harper and breakout star Alec Bohm, the Phillies boast one of the most potent lineups in baseball. Among National League teams, they rank top 3 in runs, hits, homers, walks, AVG, OBP, SLG, OPS and total bases.

Meanwhile, the pitching staff has been lights-out. Anchored by the best rotation in baseball, Philadelphia ranks second in ERA and first in strikeouts among NL teams. The bullpen's been more of a mixed bag, but the Phillies still have plenty of time to upgrade there before the trade deadline.

Other teams may have more talent, but Philadelphia's stellar starting pitching and powerful lineup has proven to be a successful combination. If the Phillies keep playing like this, there's no reason they can't make another deep playoff run and be the last team standing in October.