Oct 21, 2009; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Jayson Werth (28) spays champagne in the locker room after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers during game five of the NLCS at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies defeated the Dodgers 10-4. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
The Phillies clinched a postseason berth on Friday night with a 12-2 win over the New York Mets.
Anything short of a World Series championship will be a disappointment for this team, but we should take a moment to appreciate the Fightins reaching the playoffs for a third consecutive year. It's a feat they accomplished just twice before (1976-1978 and 2007-2011).
Think that's crazy? Here are nine more Phillies postseason facts that are hard to believe.
1. The 74-year wait for a second postseason win.
The Phillies have been around since 1883, and some form of postseason baseball has been in place since 1903. But as of 1977, the Phils had won just a single postseason game (in the 1915 World Series). One postseason win in 74 years!
After 1915, the Phillies didn't play in another World Series until 1950, when the Whiz Kids were swept by the Yankees. They made the playoffs in 1976, but were swept by Cincinnati's Big Red Machine in the NLCS. 1977 was another disappointment, of course, but at least the Phils finally won a televised postseason game.
2. Fred Luderus, Phillies postseason hit king for most of team history.
From 1915 through 1975 the Phillies' all-time postseason hits leader was first baseman Fred Luderus (with seven knocks). In 1976, outfielder Jay Johnstone joined Luderus with seven hits of his own. And in 1977, Johnstone picked up an eighth hit to take Luderus' title.
In contrast to Luderus' 60-year reign at the top, Johnstone wore the crown for just one season. By 1978, Greg Luzinski held the record with 13 postseason hits. Larry Bowa took over in 1980, with 24 career postseason hits to his name when the Phillies lifted their first World Series trophy.
Mike Schmidt became the Phillies postseason hit king with 33 in 1983. Shane Victorino tied Schmidt in 2009, then Ryan Howard passed them both in 2010 with a total of 42 hits. By 2011, Victorino and Jimmy Rollins were tied at 47, and they remain the co-leaders to this day.
Bryce Harper has the most Phillies postseason hits of any currently active player, with 34.
3. Beat LA.
The road to a Phillies World Series in 2024 may go through the Los Angeles Dodgers. If so, it won't be much of a surprise. The Phils have played LA in 22 postseason games, more than any other opponent.
They've played 14 postseason games against Atlanta, 11 against Houston, and 10 against the Yankees.
4. Two Phillies postseason home run kings on one team.
Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Jayson Werth are tied for the most home runs in Phillies postseason history, with 11 apiece. 42 different Phillies have at least one postseason dinger.
5. Cole Hamels and Steve Carlton made the same number of postseason starts.
Two left-handed franchise icons are tied for the most postseason starts in Phillies history with 13.
Hamels went 7-4 in his starts with a 3.09 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 81.2 innings.
Carlton went 6-5 with a 3.32 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 89.1 innings.
6. The surprising franchise leader in postseason triples.
Mariano Duncan hit three triples in nine games during the 1993 postseason. That's more triples than anyone else in team history, including some guys who played close to 50 playoff games.
Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth are tied for second place with two triples each. 17 other Phillies hit one three-bagger.
7. Bryce Harper is even better in the postseason than you remember.
The Phillies' all-time postseason batting average leader (min. 100 ABs): Bryce Harper, .324.
The Phillies' all-time postseason on-base % leader (min. 100 PAs): Bryce Harper, .432.
The Phillies' all-time postseason slugging % leader (min. 100 PAs): Bryce Harper, .705.
The Phillies' all-time postseason OPS leader (min. 100 PAs): Bryce Harper, 1.137. That's significantly higher than second-place Kyle Schwarber (.987), third-place Jayson Werth (.966), fourth-place Chase Utley (.902), or fifth-place Ryan Howard (.845).
8. Phillies postseason pitchers who rake.
Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels have three postseason hits apiece. That's the same number of hits as Richie Ashburn. And it's more than Dick Allen, Matt Stairs, Eric Bruntlett, and Edmundo Sosa (among countless other Phils).
Steve Carlton and Joe Blanton have postseason home runs.
9. The new Phillies golden era?
The Phillies have 19 postseason wins since 2022, the most in baseball. Houston (17 wins), Texas (13), Arizona (10), and San Diego (6) round out the top five.
With 11 more playoff victories in 2024, the Phils would not only be World Series champs, but also a certified postseason juggernaut.
Can you imagine?
