The Phillies have the best record in the National League and are boasting one of the best offenses in baseball (helped in large part by their current thrashing of the Rockies in Colorado).
But for a baseball team constructed to hit home runs in the friendly confines of Citizens Bank Park, the power has not been particularly impressive — their three home runs Wednesday night not withstanding.
There are 12 teams in the majors with more home runs than the Phils have this season, and their 53 total long balls are a ridiculous 30 fewer than the Yankees currently have, and 28 fewer than the Dodgers.
Last year, the Phillies came close to hitting 200 homers (with 198) and had the seventh most of them in the majors. Their current pace is for 178, which would have been 16th in 2024.
Kyle Schwarber leads the league with 17 homers, which accounts for a whopping 32% of Phillies dingers this season. Bryce Harper is the only other slugger on the roster with more than five right now.
The relative power numbers are no better when it comes to doubles — Philadelphia's 77 two-baggers rank 15th of 30 MLB teams. Last year, for example, Alec Bohm's 44 doubles were second in the NL. He currently has just six.
And even still, the Phillies have the second-best batting average (.265) and have scored the fourth-most runs in the NL.
They're doing it the hard way.
No team in the majors has collected more singles than the Phillies' 308 this season. Trea Turner has 46 of them to lead all NL hitters. Two other Phillies hitters are in the top 20 for most singles in the majors, Bohm and Nick Castellanos.
| Category | Stat | MLB Rank |
| Singles | 308 | 1st |
| OBP | .340 | 3rd |
| HR percentage | 2.8% | 19th |
| XB percentage | 31% | 24th |
| BABIP | .311 | 1st |
There is a lot more luck involved with singles than extra-base knocks dropping in for hits, as can be seen in their MLB-best batting average on balls in play. The rule of large numbers suggests that their luck will eventually slow in that department.
But they're patient, too. Philly has the best on-base percentage in the National League. All of these base-running opportunities have also resulted in the squad stranding the most runners while also being one of the best teams hitting with runners in scoring position (.266 in those situations).
And while power is probably more exciting and a more reliable way to score runs, the Phillies' offense by multitude of hits and walks seems to be working.
In Wednesday night's 9-5 win at Coors Field, for example, the Phillies churned out eight singles to go along with their four extra-base hits. The night before, on Tuesday, they hit 12 singles in a 7-4 win.
"There's a lot of hits in this ballpark," Bryce Harper, who has been on a tear since shaving his head a few weeks ago, told reporters in Denver. "Our team, it's a lot of fun when we're hitting on all cylinders. I think we're doing that right now."
The good times should continue into the weekend facing the AL West worst Athletics in Sacramento but the Braves and Brewers will be waiting for them upon a return home to Philly next week — two teams looking to return to the postseason in 2025.
Can the 2025 Phillies win the NL East by leading the league in singles, but with mundane power numbers? So far through 48 games a proof of concept suggests they can.
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