The Phillies got to Kansas City this weekend in desperate need for a good series, and for some good at-bats. They got both. They won the series against the Royals. They scored 11 runs on both Saturday and Sunday. It was their first time scoring 10 or more runs in consecutive games since Aug. 6-7, 2022. It was very encouraging to see players like J.T. Realmuto, Bryson Stott, Brandon Marsh and Garrett Stubbs have big weekends. But it wasn’t just the offense. The Phillies got some good pitching fro...
Aug 26, 2024•33 min•Ep. 53
The Phillies lost two of three this week in Atlanta, which wouldn’t be such a big deal, except it is a continuation of mediocre play since the All-Star break. Only one team has a worse record in baseball than the Phils since the break: the Chicago White Sox. The offense’s continued struggles are concerning. Everybody is swinging and missing too much as teams continue to throw them breaking balls and offspeed pitches outside the strike zone. Is there a fix for this? Do the Phillies need to make s...
Aug 23, 2024•31 min•Ep. 52
You knew Whit Merrifield would have a hit or two in Tuesday night’s series opener against the Phillies at Truist Park. The Phillies released Merrifield on July 12. They were on a 106-win pace at the time. They are 12-20 since. Coincidence? Almost certainly yes. It wasn’t just Merrifield who beat the Phillies on Tuesday. The top three Phillies hitters went 0-for-12 with seven strikeouts. The Braves retired the final 17 batters they faced. José Alvarado walked four in less than an inning. Not a go...
Aug 21, 2024•40 min•Ep. 51
The Phillies had a team meeting last week before a game against the Marlins. They are 4-1 since. Is the worst finally behind them? The Phillies will find out this week, when they open a six-game road trip in Atlanta. There were plenty of good signs from the Phillies, including big weeks from Trea Turner and the rotation. But the weekend could have been better. Following fun Alumni Weekend celebrations, including the late great David Montgomery being inducted onto the Wall of Fame, the Phillies l...
Aug 19, 2024•36 min•Ep. 50
The Phillies held a team meeting before Wednesday night’s game against the Marlins. Kyle Schwarber hit a huge grand slam in the fourth inning to give the Phils a one-run lead, leading to a badly needed victory. Thursday night, Weston Wilson hit for the 10th cycle in Phillies history in a blowout win over Washington. Maybe team meetings really do help. Time will tell. Jim and Todd discuss Wilson’s historic night, the impact of team meetings, Trea Turner’s encouraging performance Thursday and the ...
Aug 16, 2024•38 min•Ep. 49
The Phillies returned from a three-city, 10-game road trip to open a six-game homestand against the lowly Marlins and Nationals. They opened the homestand on Tuesday with a massive thud against Miami. Things are really bad for the Phillies right now. Things must change. But what? Ruben, Jim and Todd discussed Tuesday night’s dud, then answered a bunch of questions from The Phillies Show viewers and listeners. As you can imagine, fans are ticked. You can watch the show on our YouTube channel: htt...
Aug 14, 2024•37 min•Ep. 48
Just last week, the Phillies won their first series is almost a month when they beat the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Things seemed to be turning around, but then the Phillies traveled to Arizona to play the team that won Games 6 and 7 of the 2023 NLCS at Citizens Bank Park, shattering the Phillies’ World Series title aspirations. It felt like Oct. 2023 all over again. The Phillies lost three of four in Arizona. The Saturday and Sunday games weren’t even competitive. The Phils are 24-30 since they...
Aug 12, 2024•28 min•Ep. 47
The Phillies did not see Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts in L.A. this week because of an injury, but they might see him in October in the postseason. Ruben Amaro Jr. coached Betts when they were with the Boston Red Sox. Betts joined The Phillies Show to talk about his experiences with Amaro, playing in Philadelphia, his podcast’s most recent guest in Aaron Nola, who’s next on his Phillies’ wish list for a guest and more. Love The Phillies Show? You can purchase your very own Phillies Show t-shirt...
Aug 09, 2024•30 min•Ep. 46
The Phillies are showing signs of life, winning two of their last three games in Seattle and Los Angeles. Maybe the turnaround is finally happening. Ruben, Jim and Todd talk about the Phillies’ recent play, then take questions from listeners and viewers, including their levels of concern about the team’s performance over the past month, Rob Thomson’s demeanor in the dugout and clubhouse, the backup catching situation, favorite ballpark foods, favorite ballpark pranks and what they love most abou...
Aug 07, 2024•45 min•Ep. 45
Zack Wheeler pitched a gem and the bats came alive as the struggling Phillies ended a six-game losing skid Sunday in Seattle. Things get no easier as the Phils move on to LA for three with the Dodgers beginning Monday night. The Phils swept the Dodgers last month in Philly but are just 5-13 since. The Phils need to win the series to maintain the best record in the NL over the Dodgers. Listen in as we look back at Bryce Harper’s three-hit game Sunday and ponder whether the Phillies are indeed get...
Aug 05, 2024•38 min•Ep. 44
The Phillies have lost 11 out of 15 as they open a grueling three-city, 10-game road trip against Seattle, Los Angeles and Arizona. Phillies fans are worried about the team’s recent play. How worried should they be? Ruben, Jim and Todd offer perspective on good teams having bad stretches, why the Phillies have struggled like they have and how they can finally break out of their funk. You can watch the show on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePhilliesShow Keep up with the show her...
Aug 02, 2024•27 min•Ep. 43
The Phillies didn’t get a superstar player before Tuesday’s trade deadline, but did any team? No, not really. But the Phillies believe they addressed their areas of weakness. Less than an hour before the deadline, the Phils acquired White Sox left-hander Tanner Banks for infield prospect William Bergolla. Banks will replace left-hander Gregory Soto, who was traded to the Orioles for Double-A right-hander Seth Johnson and High-A righty Moisés Chace. The trades capped a bullpen reconstruction that...
Jul 31, 2024•23 min•Ep. 42
The Philadelphia Phillies needed a right-handed bat before the July 2011 trade deadline, so Ruben Amaro Jr. picked up Hunter Pence from the Houston Astros. Pence became an immediate fan favorite. While Phillies fans wait to see if Dave Dombrowski, Sam Fuld and Co. will make another move before Tuesday’s 6 p.m. ET trade deadline, take a stroll down memory lane with Pence, who put up huge numbers for the Phillies on their way to a franchise-record 102 games in 2011. Pence remembers the good times,...
Jul 30, 2024•30 min•Ep. 41
The Phillies made another trade over the weekend, acquiring Angels closer Carlos Estévez for a couple pitching prospects. It seems to be a perfect fit for the Phillies, who have been looking for more stability in the late innings. But is this it? Are the Phillies really finished making moves before Tuesday’s 6 p.m. ET trade deadline? Ruben and Jim aren’t convinced, with Jim hearing that the Phillies continue to monitor the starting pitching market. Bryce Harper was asked Sunday how he feels abou...
Jul 29, 2024•29 min•Ep. 40
The Phillies have been looking for a right-handed-hitting outfielder for months. They got their man on Friday, when they acquired Austin Hays from the Orioles for Seranthony Domínguez and Cristian Pache. First reactions following the deal? Well, the Phillies didn’t give up a single prospect, meaning they still have plenty of quality players to deal to get a big bullpen arm. By trading Domínguez, the Phillies opened the door to acquiring more than one bullpen arm for the stretch drive. By acquiri...
Jul 27, 2024•19 min•Ep. 39
Every baseball fan growing up in the Delaware Valley dreams of playing for the Philadelphia Phillies one day. Tyler Phillips’ dreams came true. The South Jersey native and Bishop Eustace graduate grew up a diehard Phillies fan. He joined the organization in July 2021 and worked his way into a big league promotion earlier this month. How has Phillips done? Well, he struck out seven batters in relief in his debut against the Braves on July 7. He is 2-0 as a starter. He has struck out 15 and walked...
Jul 26, 2024•37 min•Ep. 38
The Phillies opened the second half of their season with a 2-4 road trip through Pittsburgh and Minnesota. It should have been 4-2, but the bullpen blew a couple late-inning leads. The Phillies already had been looking for a late-inning reliever before the July 30 trade deadline, but the pen’s recent struggles only reinforced the idea that they must find somebody, not only to help them in the regular season, but in the postseason, too. How far do the Phillies go? A half-season rental, which will...
Jul 25, 2024•34 min•Ep. 37
There are eight days remaining before the July 30 trade deadline, and the Phillies have needs One of them popped up on Friday, when José Alvarado blew a save in Pittsburgh. Alvarado hasn’t been as sharp as seasons past, perhaps reinforcing the front office’s belief that it needs to fortify the bullpen with another late-inning veteran reliever. The Phillies need a right-handed-hitting outfielder, too. Weston Wilson has played well since he replaced Whit Merrifield. Could he actually step up and f...
Jul 22, 2024•30 min•Ep. 36
The Phillies won a franchise-record 62 games before the All-Star break. They sent a franchise-record eight players to the All-Star Game. There’s 11 days until the July 30 trade deadline. There’s less than 11 weeks before the postseason. Ruben, Jim and Todd discuss a few storylines to follow for the Phillies in the second half: Zack Wheeler and Ranger Suárez returning to dominance following recent back issues. Just keeping everything healthy and effective entering the postseason. Who do the Phill...
Jul 19, 2024•42 min•Ep. 35
The Phillies finished the first half with a stinker on Sunday against the A’s, but with a franchise-record 62 wins at the All-Star break. It couldn’t have gone much better. Ruben, Jim and Todd spend the first day of the All-Star break looking back at the Phillies’ historic first half. They dig into the special performance from the rotation, but they can’t help but express concerns about its health. They name the Phillies’ first half MVP and Cy Young. No surprises there. They discuss first-half d...
Jul 15, 2024•34 min•Ep. 34
The Phillies entered the week believing they are the best team in baseball. Their sweep of the Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park only reaffirmed those beliefs. “We don’t care who’s coming,” Johan Rojas said. “We don’t care who we are playing. We’re just going to beat them.” So many good things happened this week against L.A. Trea Turner continued to swing a hot bat, drawing comparisons to Jimmy Rollins’ 2007 NL MVP season. Phillies pitchers held Shohei Ohtani to three singles, striking him out in a ...
Jul 12, 2024•33 min•Ep. 33
Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber were back in the Phillies’ lineup for Tuesday night’s 10-1 victory over the Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park. The lineup looked like a completely different animal with them in the No. 1 and 3 spots, respectively. But then Zack Wheeler left the game after the fifth inning because of left lower back tightness. Is there any reason to be concerned? Should he make his next start on Sunday against the A’s? Should the Phillies start somebody else and bring him back after th...
Jul 10, 2024•27 min•Ep. 32
The Phillies lost two of three this weekend in Atlanta, but they still have an eight-game lead in the NL East. Also, help is on the way. Kyle Schwarber will be activated from the injured list before Tuesday night’s series opener against the Dodgers. There is a chance Bryce Harper is activated, too. If not Tuesday, then perhaps before the end of the series. Ruben, Jim and Todd talk about getting Schwarber and Harper back before the break. The Phillies have a franchise-record seven players going t...
Jul 08, 2024•35 min•Ep. 31
The Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves open a three-game series on Friday night at Truist Park in Atlanta. It feels like a big one, even with the Phillies holding a significant lead in the NL East. Who better to talk about the Phillies and Braves than Jeff Francoeur? Frenchy played for both the Braves and Phillies in his 12-year MLB career. These days, he is an analyst for Braves TV and for national baseball games on TBS. Frenchy is one of baseball’s great personalities, so The Phillies Sh...
Jul 05, 2024•51 min•Ep. 30
The Phillies lost Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber to injuries late last week. They won two of their first three games without them. They won Friday following a brilliant pitching performance from Cristopher Sánchez. They won Sunday, overcoming a five-error afternoon to enjoy their biggest comeback victory of the year. They'll have to win any way then can until Harper and Schwarber return, possibly before the All-Star break. Ruben, Jim and Todd talk about life without Harper, Schwarber and J.T. R...
Jul 01, 2024•45 min•Ep. 29
The Phillies reached the halfway point of their season on Thursday night with the best record in baseball. They are on pace to win a franchise-record 106 games. But here come the injuries. Before Thursday's game, the Phillies placed Spencer Turnbull on the 15-day injured list with a strained right lat. He is expected to miss 6-8 weeks. Michael Mercado is expected to take his place in the short term. Then late in Thursday's game, Kyle Schwarber left with tightness in his left groin, while Bryce H...
Jun 28, 2024•25 min•Ep. 28
The Phillies just signed left-hander Cristopher Sánchez to a four-year contract extension with two club options that could keep him in the Phils rotation through 2030. Ruben and Todd talk about Sánchez’s journey, from struggling big leaguer to bona fide stud in arguably Major League Baseball’s best rotation. Of course, once one deal is done, it’s natural to think about the next. Could an extension be coming for Ranger Suárez? Could the Phillies really sign another starter to a multiyear extensio...
Jun 24, 2024•29 min•Ep. 27
The Phillies don't win the 2008 World Series without Cole Hamels. He went 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA in five postseason starts, winning World Series MVP and NLCS MVP honors in the process. He lived up to the hype as the 17th overall pick in the 2002 Draft, giving the Phillies a homegrown ace they desperately needed for years. Is Hamels one of the greatest Phillies ever? Absolutely. The old-school stats say so, but so do the new ones. Hamels ranks 11th all-time in WAR by a Phillies player, according to ...
Jun 20, 2024•50 min•Ep. 26
The Phillies are finally home after a grueling 20-game stretch in which they played 14 on the road, including two in London, three in San Francisco, three in Colorado and six in the AL East. The Phillies lost two of three over the weekend in Baltimore, which culminated in Rob Thomson getting ejected in Sunday’s series finale. It was the angriest anybody has ever seen the typically mild-mannered Canadian, who astutely picks and chooses his spots to send messages to his players. This seemed like o...
Jun 17, 2024•34 min•Ep. 25
The Phillies returned from London and dropped two of three to the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Now, they have an even bigger test: a three-game series this weekend against the Orioles in Baltimore. The Phils are just 9-8 since May 23. Any reason to worry? The offense has cooled, but help is on the way. Trea Turner and Brandon Marsh could both be back before the end of the weekend. Does Marsh move to center field upon his return? If so, what happens to Johan Rojas? The guys answer some listener questi...
Jun 14, 2024•37 min•Ep. 24
