The Phillies are already in Playoff Form as the final month of the Season Approaches

A mix of timely hitting, solid starting pitching, and a deep bullpen has Philly fans already thinking about a World Series trophy

Aug 15, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber (12) celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a three-run home run against the Washington Nationals during the seventh inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

In many ways, the Philadelphia Phillies have become the bridesmaids of the National League. Always in contention, always a threat to win the East Division, but never able to make it to the Holy Grail. Despite winning it all in 2008, the past 17 seasons have been stacked with a lot of Philly squads that have fallen short of expectations

While there's no guarantee that the 2025 Phillies can take the crown, especially considering they likely have to go through the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Diego Padres (or both) just to claim a spot in the October Classic. And that doesn't even factor in the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers, who have been playing like men on a mission for the past month.

Even as great as their fellow contenders are, the Philadelphia Phillies have shown balance in almost all facets of the game. Of course, they have hitting stars like future Hall of Famer Bryce Harper and NL MVP candidate Kyle Schwarber, but their lineup extends far beyond those two marquee names. Teammates like Trea Turner, Bryson Stott, and others have chipped in with timely hitting.

The Phillies' Pitching Staff will be the Difference in the Playoffs

Aug 10, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jhoan Duran (59) reacts after the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

With a rotation that currently features Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suarez, Taijuan Walker, and Cristopher Sánchez, Philadelphia has a lot of depth. That's always at a premium when the playoffs roll around, especially if the team pares things down to a four-man rotation for the postseason.

But perhaps the 'X factor' for the Phillies is their stacked bullpen. Closer Jhoan Duran has looked superb since being acquired from the Minnesota Twins at the trade deadline. He's converted five of five save opportunities thus far, posting a 0.00 ERA.

Behind Duran are some pitchers who have experience closing out games themselves. Dominating lefthander José Alvarado (4-1, seven saves) had been Philly's closer, but that ended when he was suspended for 80 games in May 2025 due to a positive test for performance-enhancing drugs. But, he's an option to close out victories if Duran happens to falter.

The Phillies are led by handful of marquee players, but it seems as if their team has more than is fair share of players who could shine with clutch performances when October rolls around. Whie they may have struggled mid-way through the seson, everything seems to be falling in place for Philadelphia now. It will be interesting to see how they play in September, as they attempt to lift the veil and be baseball's bride again.

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