Why the Phillies' Attitude and Culture Need to Change in 2022

Just under two weeks ago, on Sept. 18, the Philadelphia Phillies were just 0.5 games back of the Atlanta Braves for first place in the National League East.

They had narrowly defeated the New York Mets 5-3 at Citi Field, and won their fourth straight game.

Philadelphia had 14 games remaining, plenty of time to make up even more ground in the division standings, and the offense seemed to be clicking at the right time.

But the Phillies dropped the final game of their last series with the Mets in 2021, 3-2, unable to complete the sweep.

Next up was the lowly Baltimore Orioles, in which the Phillies showed up looking utterly lifeless in the first of a three-game series, in which they got shutout 2-0. The two runs scored by Baltimore came in the first inning, and the Phils offense was unable to make it up.

The second game was largely uninspiring, Philadelphia was able to pick up the win on a J.T. Realmuto RBI-triple in the tenth. The final game of the series they also won by just one run.

Although it was a series win, it was just not very encouraging, as the Phils just barely snuck by a team with 100 losses. But we've learned that it's all too common for the Phillies to come up short against teams they should logically beat, especially in September.

Then was the Pittsburgh Pirates, another team with nothing to play for, but also nothing to lose. The Phillies were able to take three of four from them, mounting two comeback wins in which the offense actually looked alive.

They scored 20 runs in their first two games against the Pirates. And in their four games since? A combined six runs.

So, what gives? Why are the Phillies, year after year, unable to piece it together in light of a tangible playoff push?

They were just a 0.5 game back from first place. Bryce Harper was doing MVP things. Zack Wheeler kept his Cy Young case rolling. Realmuto seemed to finally show some pop at the plate. The team knew this series with Atlanta was sure to be crucial regardless, so why are they unable to perform offensively?

It's incredibly frustrating to watch to say the least. And the Phillies of the now decade-old playoff drought knew that September was the time to turn it up a notch. They took advantage of a crumbling Mets team in 2007 and 2008.

Why are they incapable of doing the same in the present day?

Because the team as a whole never believed that they could. The NL East, predicted to be one of, if not the, toughest division in the majors, ended up being the most pathetic. And yet, the Phils could still not capitalize on it. In fact, they haven't been able to capitalize on any opportunities presented to them for quite some time.

Sure, you can cite injuries, poor managerial decisions, and 34 blown saves for the Phillies disappointing season and September collapse.

But ultimately, a lot of it comes down to attitude, which I believe is something the Phillies teams of old did not struggle with, but this current one does.

While the Phillies have a lot to figure out for next season in terms of personnel, roster, and more, my biggest hope for the Phillies come 2022 is that they reevaluate or adopt an entirely new outlook and clubhouse culture because whatever they are preaching now is clearly not sticking.

Something needs to change, and aside from the moves you can make or the money you can put out, the demeanor of the players and the vision for the team and organization as a whole desperately need to be reformed.

Because right now, all of the team's expressions of wanting to bring playoff baseball back to Philadelphia just feel like empty statements.

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