Bryce Harper rejoined the Phillies’ lineup on Monday. What should we expect from him the rest of the season? There’s less than a month before the July 31 trade deadline. Where do things stand with so much on the line? The Phillies Show is partnering with Shibe Vintage Sports to give away a different vintage Phillies hat each week! Simply visit Shibesports.com/TPS to enter for your chance to win! Shop Shibe Vintage Sports for the most stylish throwback baseball gear. Visit their 4 locations aroun...
Jul 02, 2025•41 min•Ep. 174
The Phillies salvaged a six-game road trip by winning two of three this weekend in Atlanta. They scored 13 runs on Friday, but only three runs the rest of the weekend. What can save this Phillies’ offense? It should help to get Bryce Harper back in the lineup. He could return as early as Monday night’s series opener against the Padres. But really this team is going to live and die with what they already have: Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Nick Castellanos, Alec Bohm, etc. And maybe Otto K...
Jun 30, 2025•34 min•Ep. 173
This is the biggest fear for Phillies fans. It’s October and the Phillies’ rotation dominates its opponent in the NL Wild Card Series or NL Division Series. But the offense can’t string hits together and the Phils take another early October exit, forcing difficult decisions to be made in the offseason. It could happen again. It certainly happened this week in Houston. The Phillies allowed only five runs in the three-game series, but the offense scored only one. It’s just the 10th time since 1901...
Jun 27, 2025•42 min•Ep. 172
We asked you for your Phillies questions and you delivered once again. We got a TON of questions about the July 31 trade deadline, but we also got plenty about the Phillies’ impending free agents and more. Those questions included Ranger Suárez, who allowed one run in seven-plus innings in Tuesday night’s 1-0 loss in Houston. We start with Ranger, but we get into Dave Dombrowski’s wish list. Is a closer in the Phillies’ future? If so, who? We also discuss potential bats to help the Phillies in t...
Jun 25, 2025•53 min•Ep. 171
The Phillies open a three-game series on Tuesday night in Houston. We break down an awesome pitching matching between Ranger Suárez and Framber Valdez. Then we talk to Phillies assistant general manager of amateur scouting Brian Barber. Barber joined the organization following the 2019 season, making this his sixth draft with the Phillies. His first-round picks include Mick Abel (2020), Andrew Painter (2021), Justin Crawford (2022), Aidan Miller (2023) and Dante Nori (2024). Painter, Crawford an...
Jun 24, 2025•39 min•Ep. 170
A couple weeks ago, a lot of people thought the Phillies were dead. But they have won nine out of their last 11 games, including two of three this weekend against the Mets. It gave the Phils a one-game lead over New York in the NL East. We talk about the weekend series and what it means moving forward. Are you a believer? No? Plus, we dig into Mick Abel’s longball issues, Otto Kemp’s potential in left field and more. First Pitch is powered by betPARX Sportsbook and Casino app. It’s “Best Week” b...
Jun 23, 2025•37 min•Ep. 169
Phillies manager Rob Thomson made a sound baseball decision on Monday night, when he replaced Nick Castellanos for defensive purposes in the eighth inning in Miami. Thomson wanted to improve his outfield defense with the Phillies holding a 3-1 lead. But Castellanos didn’t like it. In fact, he said something “inappropriate” to Thomson in the dugout. It was bad enough that Castellanos was benched on Tuesday night, snapping MLB’s second-longest active streak of games started. Castellanos still does...
Jun 18, 2025•33 min•Ep. 168
This past week should have reminded everybody that baseball is a long season. The Phillies followed a gruesome 1-9 stretch – a lot of people thought they were dead -- with a 5-1 homestand against the Cubs and Blue Jays. The offense came to life against two playoff-caliber teams. Brandon Marsh (1.167 OPS), Alec Bohm (1.128 OPS), Otto Kemp (.898 OPS), J.T. Realmuto (.980 OPS), Max Kepler (1.300 OPS), Trea Turner (.820 OPS), Nick Castellanos (.808 OPS) and Kyle Schwarber (.869 OPS) each had big mom...
Jun 16, 2025•41 min•Ep. 167
Never a doubt. Phillies left-hander Jesús Luzardo bounced back in a major way in Wednesday’s victory over the Cubs. His previous two starts? Nightmare fuel. But before he suffered serious struggles against the Brewers and Blue Jays, Luzardo looked to not only be a strong NL All-Star candidate, but a serious NL Cy Young candidate. We had a great conversation with Luzardo just before those two starts. Wisely, we waited to post it until he rebounded. You will learn a lot about Luzardo in this fun e...
Jun 13, 2025•47 min•Ep. 166
The Phillies needed to do something to get their struggling offense going. So, Rob Thomson on Tuesday finally made a change to the lineup. He moved Trea Turner into the leadoff spot. He moved Bryson Stott into the five-hole. Why five? Well, because Bryce Harper is injured, and the rest of the lineup might be struggling even more than Stott. The Phillies need almost perfect pitching to win these days. They didn’t get it in Tuesday night’s 8-4 loss to the Cubs, which included Mick Abel’s first stu...
Jun 11, 2025•32 min•Ep. 165
Every team has bad stretches over the course of a 162-game season, but it has been six years since the Phillies have struggled like this. They have lost 9 out of 10 following Sunday’s 2-1 loss to the Pirates in Pittsburgh. It’s the first time they have lost 9 out of 10 since June 12-23, 2019. They have been swept in consecutive weekends. They have scored only one run in four of their last five games. The offense is struggling … big time. The bullpen is shaky. The defense is shaky. Every Phillies...
Jun 09, 2025•38 min•Ep. 164
Jesús Luzardo looked not only like an NL All-Star a week ago, but he looked like a NL Cy Young candidate. So, what’s happened since then? Well, Luzardo has allowed 20 runs in just 5 2/3 innings in his last two starts. Historically, the Phillies haven’t had a pitcher do that in consecutive starts in almost 100 years. What the heck is happening? Even he doesn’t know, but he knows he’s got to fix it soon. We talk Luzardo, Taijuan Walker, Mick Abel … and the Phillies’ struggling offense. Is it time ...
Jun 06, 2025•33 min•Ep. 163
Bryce Harper is back in the Phillies’ lineup, after getting hit by a pitch on his right elbow last week. He homered in his first at-bat in the Phils’ victory in Toronto. Trea Turner homered twice, too. He’s been one of baseball’s best hitters since mid-April. We answer your questions – everything from contract extensions for Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto to prospects the Phillies might trade before July 31. We talk beer. We talk … Eddie Waitkus. Get 20% off your first Slab Pack or card purcha...
Jun 04, 2025•49 min•Ep. 161
The Phillies had a chance to sweep the Braves last week before losing Game 2 of Thursday’s doubleheader. Still, the Phillies had momentum entering this weekend’s series against the Brewers. But Milwaukee pummeled the Phillies, sweeping them at Citizens Bank Park for the first time since 2014. Almost everything went wrong. Sure, the Phils were without Bryce Harper, who is recovering from a HBP on his right elbow. But the pitching was bad at times, while the defense was arguably worse. We get into...
Jun 02, 2025•44 min•Ep. 160
The Phillies open a three-game series on Friday night against the Brewers, so we thought it’d be a great time to catch up with Rhys Hoskins. Hoskins talked about his resurgence at the plate this season with Milwaukee, playing for Phillies manager Rob Thomson and Brewers manager Pat Murphy and his most memorable moments with the Phillies, including the iconic bat spike in the 2022 NLDS, the Mets, his home-run celebration and more! They say Delco’s a lot … and they’re right. Find a full list of we...
May 30, 2025•31 min•Ep. 159
Braves right-hander Spencer Strider drilled Bryce Harper on the right elbow with a 95-mph fastball on Tuesday. Harper got lucky. X-rays were negative. He suffered only a bruise. But it’s the third time in the last four games that Harper has been hit by a pitch. Phillies fans want vengeance. But will they get it? Does it have to happen before Atlanta leaves town on Thursday? When’s the right time to do it? We also talk about Ranger Suárez’s solid effort in Tuesday’s 2-0 victory, and dissect some ...
May 29, 2025•35 min•Ep. 158
The Phillies snapped a nine-game winning streak on Sunday, but they woke up on Memorial Day with the best record in baseball (34-19) and a two-game lead over the Mets in the National League East. Since they lost to the Cubs at Wrigley Field on April 25, they are an eye-popping 21-6 (.778). Memorial Day is a traditional checkpoint of the 162-game season. You can no longer say it’s early. So, where do the Phillies stand on Memorial Day? Who’s their MVP to this point? Who’s their best pitcher? What...
May 26, 2025•42 min•Ep. 157
The Phillies are hot. They just swept the lowly Rockies in a four-game series in Colorado. They have won seven in a row. They have a two-game lead over the Mets in the NL East. They have the best record in the National League. They will try to keep it going this weekend against the A’s in Sacramento. We talk about Bryce Harper, who’s on fire since he shaved his head on May 12; Taijuan Walker’s impending full-time move to the bullpen; Bryson Stott and Edmundo Sosa platooning at second base and mo...
May 23, 2025•34 min•Ep. 156
If you listened to Monday’s show, then you heard Jim say the Phillies would be in first place in the National League East before the end of the week. The Phils moved into first place on Monday night, following a win in Colorado. They extended their lead over the Mets with a win on Tuesday night. The Phillies have the best record in the National League, and the second-best record in baseball. We talk about the offense’s recent production, Jesús Luzardo’s historic start, Kyle Schwrber’s run at 500...
May 21, 2025•35 min•Ep. 155
What a Sunday at Citizens Bank Park. Major League Baseball announced before the game that Phillies left-hander José Alvarado was suspended 80 games for using a performance-enhancing substance. He will be ineligible for the postseason. It’s a major blow to a bullpen that has leaned heavily on Alvarado, who has been its best pitcher this season. What are the short-term and long-term answers for the Phils? Mick Abel made his MLB debut on Sunday. He outdueled Paul Skenes in a 1-0 victory. A look at ...
May 19, 2025•40 min•Ep. 154
Everybody should want Phillies infield coach Bobby Dickerson on their coaching staff. He is a long-time coach and manager in the big leagues and minor leagues, including stints with the Orioles, Padres and Phillies. He first joined the Phillies in 2019, then returned before the 2022 season. Dickerson is smart, enthusiastic, knowledgeable and tough. It’s what makes him a great coach. We ask him about Trea Turner’s future at shortstop, Alec Bohm’s remarkable progress at third base and more. They s...
May 16, 2025•47 min•Ep. 153
It looked like Aaron Nola’s early-season struggles were been behind him. After starting the season 0-5 with a 6.45 ERA, he had a 3.33 ERA in his last four starts. But in Game 2 of a doubleheader against St. Louis on Wednesday night, Nola suffered the worst start of his career. He allowed a career-high 12 hits, a career-high nine runs and tied a career-high three home runs allowed in a 14-7 loss. How concerned should we be about Nola? Why did Rob Thomson have Nola start the fourth inning after he...
May 15, 2025•35 min•Ep. 152
The Phillies have won five consecutive series following Sunday night’s 3-0 victory over Cleveland. They are 11-3 since they lost their series opener in Chicago late last month. It’s the best record in baseball in that span. Kyle Schwarber is a big reason why. He hit two homers Sunday against the Guardians. He has hit 14 homers this season, which is tied with Aaron Judge for the most in baseball. He has a 46-game on-base streak. The Phillies are not only hitting, but they’re pitching well and pla...
May 12, 2025•35 min•Ep. 151
The Phillies have won four consecutive series following Wednesday night’s 7-0 victory over the Rays. Trea Turner homered, Johan Rojas dropped a nice bunt on a safety squeeze, Cristopher Sánchez tossed six scoreless innings and Taijuan Walker recorded a three-inning save. It’s the first save of his career. We talk about the game, but then get into your Phillies questions. Everything from Walker’s potential as a high-leverage reliever, trade chips for July, favorite managers we’ve covered, what Ji...
May 08, 2025•50 min•Ep. 150
The Phillies beat the Rays in Tuesday night’s series opener in Tampa, 8-4. We talk about Zack Wheeler’s fastball in another dominant performance, but we dig into three hot Phillies hitters, too. Everybody knows Kyle Schwarber is swinging a hot bat. He hit his fifth homer in seven games on Tuesday. Everybody knows Trea Turner is swinging a hot bat. He’s batting .391 in his last 15 games. But how about Alec Bohm? He hit his first homer of the season on Tuesday. He is batting .327 with three double...
May 07, 2025•31 min•Ep. 149
The Phillies won two of three from Arizona this weekend at Citizens Bank Park. They have three consecutive series since getting swept in New York late last month. The offense is heating up. It is batting .276 with 13 home runs and an .806 OPS in the last eight games. But physical and mental errors keep popping up, and you wonder what might have happened in Sunday’s series finale if the Phillies played cleaner in the field. It’s “Best Week” by Manco & Manco Pizza ! Manco’s is the Best of the ...
May 05, 2025•45 min•Ep. 148
The Phillies are 17-14 following Thursday night’s loss to the Nationals. If the season ended today, they’d be tied with Arizona for the third and final NL Wild Card. We talk about where the Phils are, and where they might be going in the coming months. Where is Taijuan Walker going? He’s probably going to the bullpen, even though he has pitched well in his first six starts. That’s because Ranger Suárez is rejoining the rotation on Sunday. We discuss how the Phillies should handle Suárez and Walk...
May 02, 2025•39 min•Ep. 147
Where do we even start? The Phillies won an absolutely crazy game on Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park. They won on their first walk-off wild pitch since April 1993. A Phillies pitcher struck out the side after loading the bases with no outs in the eighth inning or later for the first time since 1968. There were big hits and big mistakes in the field. We get into everything. We talk a little Sluggball , too. Nutrafol is offering our listeners $10 off your first month’s subscription and free sh...
Apr 30, 2025•39 min•Ep. 146
The Phillies bounced back in a major way this weekend against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Now, can they build off it? The Phils lost on Friday, giving them a five-game losing streak and dropping them to .500. But they won the final two games of the series to head home at 15-13. The offense came up big on Saturday, scoring 10 runs. Aaron Nola came up big on Sunday, allowing only one run in seven innings. Ruben, Jim and Todd get into everything good that happened on Saturday and Sunday and what it ...
Apr 28, 2025•34 min•Ep. 145
MLB Network’s Mark DeRosa is one of baseball’s best analysts. His insights weekdays on “ MLB Central ” are must-see TV. DeRosa played college football and baseball at Penn, then spent 16 years in the big leagues. Those experiences brought him to MLB Network, then to twice manage Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, including next year. DeRosa spent time on Thursday with Ruben, Jim and Todd, discussing the Phillies’ slow start and why he isn’t necessarily worried about it. He also talks about ...
Apr 25, 2025•37 min•Ep. 144
