Philadelphia Phillies Main Strengths and Weaknesses In 2010

This year has been a crazy year for the Phillies.  There have been many ups and downs, and there may be many more to come.  The team has had some injuries, they have had some slumps, they have had some winning streaks, etc.  To sum it all up, they've basically had everything.  And for the most part, they have still done good throughout it all.  Here are some of their main strengths and main weaknesses.

Strength No. 1: Three Aces In Starting Rotation

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There has been a lot of talk about the Phillies starting rotation this year. From trading pitchers to getting pitchers from the minors, their starting rotation has gone through a lot of renovation this year.  And they have ended up with what they have now, which is probably one of the best starting rotations in the league.  And it is led by their three aces: Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay, and Roy Oswalt.

Strength No. 2: Clutch Hitting

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LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 31: Carlos Ruiz #51 of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a base hit that scores two runs in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on August 31, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. The Phillies defeated th

This year, the Phillies have had some great clutch hitting.  And in the heart of it all is Carlos Ruiz.  He has led many comebacks, got many walk-offs, and really powered the Phillies to many wins this season.

Strength No. 3: Players Are Heating Up

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NEW YORK - AUGUST 14: Jimmy Rollins #11 of the Philadelphia Phillies bats against the New York Mets on August 14, 2010 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

This year the Phillies have had some slumping players.  Jimmy Rollins was slumping, Shane Victorino was slumping, and a lot of others were too.  But one of the main advantages for the Phillies now is that a lot of those players who were slumping before are now heating up.  If this team was good when these players were slumping, then just think about how they will play when the payers are hot.

Strength No. 4: Baserunning and Speed

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HOUSTON - APRIL 09: Jimmy Rollins #11 of the Philadelphia Phillies dives back into first base as Geoff Blum #27 awaits the throw at Minute Maid Park on April 9, 2010 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

The Phillies have a lot of speed on their team.  They have some very fast runners like Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, and Jayson Werth.  Their players are also very good base runners, and that could be a big advantage as the season is coming to a close.

Strength No. 5: Fan Base

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PHILADELPHIA - NOVEMBER 01: The Philly Phanatic, mascot for of the Philadelphia Phillies performs against the New York Yankees in Game Four of the 2009 MLB World Series at Citizens Bank Park on November 1, 2009 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by C

The Phillies have a a very good fan base, and this could really influence the way that they play.  The fans stay with them and have faith in them whether they are in first place or last place.  And you just have to admit it.  The phans in Philly are phenomenal.

Strength No. 6: Experience

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CLEARWATER, FL - FEBRUARY 26: A new on-deck mat celebrates the Philadelphia Phillies 2008 World Series Championship as spring training play begins against the Toronto Blue Jays February 26, 2009 at Bright House Field in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Al

The Phillies have had a lot of experience in the playoffs and under pressure.  They have won two consecutive National League titles and three consecutive division titles.  This could be an important factor in the playoffs, or even in a division race where there is a lot of pressure.

Weakness No. 1: Inconsistency

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WASHINGTON - AUGUST 01: Brad Lidge #54 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on August 1, 2010 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

This year the Phillies have had a lot of inconsistency.  They have Brad Lidge, who (luckily) has recently been good, but is still very inconsistent.  They have Joe Blanton and Kyle Kendrick, who have both been inconsistent all year.  And they have many other inconsistent players, which could be a big weakness to the team.

Weakness No. 2: Bad Pitchers At The End Of Starting Rotation

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NEW YORK - JUNE 17: Kyle Kendrick #38 of the Philadelphia Phillies delivers a pitch against the New York Yankees on June 17, 2010 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

The end of the Phillies starting rotation may be the main weakness of the team.  After their three aces they have Kyle Kendrick and Joe Blanton.  Blanton has not been having a very good season, but has recently been doing very well.  So that just leaves Kendrick.  Kyle Kendrick has been inconsistent all year, but has recently been showing signs of being just plain bad.  He has not had a very good start in a while, and the end of the rotation might be a major factor for the division race or in the playoffs.

Weakness No. 3: Good Competition

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PITTSBURGH - SEPTEMBER 06: Derrek Lee #27 of the Atlanta Braves is congratulated by teammate Nate McLouth #24 after scoring in the second inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the game on September 6, 2010 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

This year, instead of the Mets being the Phillies competition in the East, it is the Braves.  The Atlanta Braves have been doing very good, and are pretty equal to the Philies.  There is also competition outside of the East, but luckily the other good teams in the National League have been recently slumping, making the Phillies the best team in the league.

Undecided No. 1: Playing Atlanta In Last Series Of Season

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ATLANTA - SEPTEMBER 01: Brian McCann #16 of the Atlanta Braves against the New York Mets at Turner Field on September 1, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

This event may be good or bad, it just depends on the situation when it comes to this series.  They also play in the fourth from last series, which also could be good or bad depending on what the standings are.  If the Phillies are down by a couple games as October starts, it could be good that they play.  If the Phillies are ahead by a couple games, it could be bad that they play.  As I said in the last slide, the Braves are a good team, and they have done very good against the Phillies this year.

Undecided No. 2: A Bit Of Overconfidence...maybe

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PHILADELPHIA - MAY 06: Jayson Werth #28 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates his first inning three run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park on May 6, 2010 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

This may be a strength or a weakness, if they even have overconfidence.  After all of the Phillies success, they are kind of used to winning.  I don't know if this has created a bit of overconfidence or not.  It probably would for most teams, but maybe the Phillies are different than most teams and they don't have overconfidence.  I don't know, but let's assume they do.  If they have overconfidence, that could be a bad thing because it could lead to them not playing as well because they think they can easily win.  But it could also be a good thing because overconfidence might make them think they are better than they really are, and that could make them play better.  Because in baseball, if you think you can be good, than you really can be good.