Sometimes it's hard to really appreciate the good times until they're gone.
The Phillies are in the midst of one of the best stints of baseball in franchise history, as they prep to chase a fourth straight playoff berth this coming season.
Yes, they didn't upgrade the outfield much during the offseason and yes, Alec Bohm is still playing third base. There are definitely some potential weaknesses on the 2025 Phillies roster. But they're also going to be one of the best teams in baseball, and they will have a real opportunity to win every game this season thanks to one of the best pitching staffs in the sport.
It wasn't always like this.
Over the course of this week, we're going to look back at some of the worst lineups the four major Philly sports teams have sent to play over the last 10 years. And you'll be reminded of how good you have it right now.
Here are six such batting orders, littered with names you've either forgotten all about, or never even knew played for the Phillies:
September 15, 2015: Phillies lose 4-0
With Chase Utley recently traded and Carlos Ruiz and Ryan Howard still on an extremely disappointing and underachieving team (with Howard sitting on this particular day), Philly lost to the Nationals at home 4-0, and were actually held to just one hit — a Cody Asche single. On the mound for the Phils that day: David Buchanan, Luis García, Adam Loewen and Colton Murray.
Stephen Strasburg struck out 14 Phillies, but it wouldn't have taken his electric stuff to handle this lackluster lineup:
- Darnell Sweeney, LF
- Freddy Galvis, SS
- Odúbel Herrera, CF
- Andrés Blanco, 2B
- Cody Asche, 3B
- Darin Ruf, 1B
- Brian Bogusevic, RF
- Carlos Ruiz, C
- Pitcher spot
August 23, 2016: Phillies lose 9-1
The Phillies mustered just one run against Carlos Rodón and two relievers you've probably never heard of by the then equally lowly White Sox. Meanwhile Jake Thompson allowed seven runs to drop to 1-3, with David Hernandez, Michael Mariot and Edubray Ramos appearing in relief. Howard and Ruiz were still with the team, at 36 and 37-years-old respectively. Two days after this loss Chooch was traded to the Dodgers to join Utley, who was traded there a year prior. Galvis had the lone RBI on the day. The lineup:
- Peter Bourjos, RF
- Aaron Altherr, CF
- Maikel Franco, 3B
- Tommy Joseph, 1B
- Cameron Rupp, C
- Carlos Ruiz, DH
- Freddy Galvis, SS
- Tyler Goeddel, LF
- Emmanuel Burriss, 2B
July 15, 2017: Phillies lose 3-2
The Phillies finally embraced the necessity of a post-2008 era rebuild about five years too late, and bottomed out with their worst finish in 20 years — 31 games behind the Nationals. In this mid-season loss, Aaron Nola pitched well enough to win, allowing two runs in six frames, but Joaquín Benoit blew the save in the 8th allowing a solo shot to Travis Shaw. To say the Phils' offense that day was lacking in star power is an overstatement:
- Daniel Nava, LF
- Freddy Galvis, SS
- Maikel Franco, 3B
- Tommy Joseph, 1B
- Odúbel Herrera, CF
- Cameron Rupp, C
- Nick Williams, RF
- Ty Kelly, 2B
- Pitcher spot
September 1, 2018: Phillies lose 7-1
Kyle Schwarber had two RBI for the Cubs as they slaughtered the Phillies one year before the team added Bryce Harper and turned the page to contending. Perhaps the most notable and in hindsight comical part of the lineup below is that manager Gabe Kapler thought it was a good idea to bat pitcher Zach Eflin eighth in the batting order. Remember those days? Also of note is Carlos Santana leading off. This lineup has four players who were All-Stars on it, can you guess which four?
- Carlos Santana, 1B
- Rhys Hoskins, LF
- Odúbel Herrera, CF
- Wilson Ramos, C
- Nick Williams, RF
- Asdrúbal Cabrera, SS
- Maikel Franco, 3B
- Zach Eflin, P
- Cesar Hernández, 2B
September 24, 2019: Phillies lose 6-5
On the second game of a doubleheader — both of them losses to the Nationals — the Phillies sat Harper and Hoskins and fielded its worst batting order of the season. Brad Miller and his bamboo hit two home runs, and Harper hit a third homer as a pinch hitter but future Phillie Trea Turner his a grand slam off Nola to life the Nats to victory. They went on to win the World Series this year.
- Cesar Hernández, 2B
- Logan Morrison, 1B
- Jean Segura, SS
- Brad Miller, LF
- Scott Kingery, CF
- Adam Haseley, RF
- Maikel Franco, 3B
- Andrew Knapp, C
- Pitcher spot
May 3, 2021: Phillies win 4-3
Does it count if the Phillies win? We'll call this a bonus lineup — it's probably the least exciting starting nine the Phils have trotted out in the last five seasons. With Harper and Hoskins taking an early season breather, it's remarkable that these hitters did enough to beat a pretty good Brewers team. J.T. Realmuto hit a first inning two-run homer, and Hector Neris walked a tight rope in the ninth, earning a save with the bases loaded.
- Matt Joyce, LF
- Brad Miller, 1B
- J.T. Realmuto, C
- Didi Gregorius, SS
- Alec Bohm, 3B
- Nick Maton, 2B
- Odúbel Herrera, RF
- Roman Quinn, CF
- Pitcher spot
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