Philadelphia Phillies: Ranking Who They'd Most Like to Play in the Postseason

The Philadelphia Phillies are a force to be reckoned with this season. With a rotation consisting of four aces in Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, and Roy Oswalt (and arguably Vance Worley) and an All-Star studded lineup that got even better with the July addition of outfielder Hunter Pence, there is little stopping the Phillies from going the distance and winning it all.

However, we have seen in the past that it's not always as easy as it might seem. Last season, the Phillies had the best record in the majors at 97-65, a first for the team. But in the end, they were unable to defeat the San Francisco Giants, who made the playoffs only because the Atlanta Braves defeated the Phillies on the last day of the regular season, in last year's NLCS, and the Giants went on to defeat the Texas Rangers in five games to win the World Series.

Phillies fans' memory of Ryan Howard with his jaw dropped following striking out looking to Giants closer Brian Wilson to give the Giants the NL Pennant is one that we would like not to remember, but also one we can't forget just yet. Fans last season were all anticipating reaching (if not winning) the World Series last year and becoming the first NL team to win the league pennant for three consecutive years since the St. Louis Cardinals did so from 1942-1944.

However, there is little reason to think that the Phillies have lost hope this season. They currently hold baseball's best record at 83-44 and are on pace to win 106 games this season, and they lead their division rivals, the Atlanta Braves, by 6.5 games. Having lost only a couple of series since the month of June, the Phillies have little preventing them from winning their fifth straight NL East division title, aside from a four-game road series against the Milwaukee Brewers and a series or two against the Braves in September, although there isn't a huge reason to think there would be a problem...or is there?

In recent memory, the Phillies have been a fantastic second-half team. But despite their winning ways, could the Phils face a setback sometime from now to the end of the season? They have already lost their shortstop Jimmy Rollins until at least early September, and first baseman Ryan Howard and left fielder Raul Ibanez are currently day to day. In addition, lefty ace Cole Hamels was recently placed on the DL, and while he is still scheduled to start next week on Monday, could he still be at risk of re-injuring himself?

The Phillies have 127 games in the books, but to stay on top for the remaining 35, it's worth wondering whether the Phils can hold on here and beyond. Sure, the Phillies' offense has been red-hot as of late (most likely due to the acquisition of Hunter Pence), but in past years the offense has become anemic in the postseason, which ultimately resulted in their loss to the Giants at the end of last year. There are some teams at this point that the Phillies would like to play more than others, both now and in the postseason, but it's really the postseason that counts. As a virtual lock to make the playoffs, it's worth taking note of who the Phillies hypothetically would prefer to play in October.

But before we can determine who they would like to face off against, we must look at the rest of the league and first determine who is even likely to make the postseason. 

Criteria

In this slideshow, postseason opponents will be determined by who currently leads in the standings.

If the baseball season were to end today, here's how the postseason teams would look:

MLB Standings (as of August 25, 2011)

NL East: Philadelphia Phillies (83-45)

NL Central: Milwaukee Brewers (78-54)

NL West: Arizona Diamondbacks (71-59)

NL Wild Card: Atlanta Braves (78-53)

AL East: Boston Red Sox (79-50)

AL Central: Detroit Tigers (70-59)

AL West: Texas Rangers (74-57)

AL Wild Card: New York Yankees (77-50)

This means that throughout the Divisional and Championship Series, the Phillies would play any two of the Brewers, Diamondbacks, or Braves, and in the World Series, the Phils would play any one of the Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, or Rangers. Because the Phillies could play any of the other seven teams, all options will be explored, and teams will be ranked from one to seven, with one being their team of choice, and seven being their least-preferred team to face. 

Honorable Mention: San Francisco Giants

Based upon the criteria of this slideshow, the Giants would not be considered a postseason opponent because they don't currently qualify for the postseason. As of this writing, the reigning World Champs sit two games behind the NL West-leading Diamondbacks. And as a Phillies fan, the only thing I'm thinking is...awesome!

Not because the Giants would be a tough opponent, but because as a Phils fan, I'd love to see them flat-out not make the postseason. The Phillies won four of the seven games against San Francisco this year, including three on the road and two by rookie starter Vance Worley.

The Giants are only eight games above .500 in the weak NL West this year, standing at 69-61. With injuries to key players such as catcher Buster Posey and second baseman Freddy Sanchez, everlasting slumps by Aubrey Huff, Cody Ross, and Miguel Tejada, and underwhelming performances by pitchers Tim Lincecum, Madison Bumgarner, and Barry Zito and Jonathan Sanchez (whose are really due to injury but that doesn't change anything in my mind about it), the Giants just haven't been the same team as the team that won it all in 2010.

And with closer Brian Wilson and his beard now on the DL, there really isn't anything to be afraid of on the Giants squad (if the bear was scary at all).

Sure, starters Matt Cain and especially Ryan Vogelsong have been bright spots for the Giants as well as acquired second baseman Jeff Keppinger, but the team as a whole hasn't played like a team that should be trying to defend its crown. And since they acquired right fielder Carlos Beltran from the New York Mets, the team has gone 9-16. Ouch.

If the Giants were a true part of this slideshow, I would probably rank them as the team the Phils would like to play the most—one, because we played them well earlier in the season, and two, because I'd love to see the Phils stick it to the Giants and let them know that the Phillies are still the team to beat.  

1. Detroit Tigers

There isn't too much to say about the Tigers because they really can't take too much pride in what they're doing right now. Granted, they have AL Cy Young Award candidate (and likely winner) Justin Verlander on their team, who leads the majors with a 19-5 win-loss record, 212 strikeouts, and a 0.88 WHIP, and is second in the AL with a 2.28 ERA. He's been the backbone of the team, and could be a serious MVP candidate should the Tigers make the postseason.

But aside from Verlander, the only real stars on the Tigers' squad this season have been first baseman Miguel Cabrera (who's batting over .300 as always), All-Star catcher Alex Avila, shortstop Jhonny Peralta, center fielder Austin Jackson, closer Jose Valverde, and (arguably) primary DH Victor Martinez. Rookie reliever Al Albuquerque was fantastic while he pitched, but he's been out due to a concussion sustained during batting practice, where he threw a pitch while rehabbing another injury and was struck by a come-backer in the head. He most likely won't be back for at least another five days or so.

The Tigers lead the lowly AL Central with a 70-59 record. While they are 11 games over .500, the second place team in the division, the Cleveland Indians, are a game below .500, standing at 63-64 and just six games out of first place.

Having made a statement by sweeping the Cleveland Indians in this past weekend's three-game series, the Tigers do have a very strong offense. But when it comes to pitching, behind Verlander, there isn't anyone who's a standout star. Max Scherzer has shown promise at times, but he also carries a high 4.23 ERA on the year and has a high WHIP at 1.33, so his 13-7 record most likely comes from run support. And it's often been said that pitching wins games. Well, the Phillies are stacked with pitching all right.

If the Phillies face the Tigers in the World Series (and the odds of that are slim), the Phillies would have a good shot at sweeping the Tigers. Their offense is just as good, if not better than that of Detroit, and their pitching as a whole is more dominant than that of the Tigers as well.

The Tigers may have arguably the best pitcher in the majors right now, but that's only one pitcher out of five. The Phillies have more starting pitching depth with their four aces, and the Tigers would be an easy opponent if they faced them at all.   

2. Arizona Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks currently lead the NL West by two games over the Giants, sitting at 71-59. However, while they do lead their division, not all has gone well for them this season.

They do have many standout players, such as starting pitcher Ian Kennedy (who is tied for the NL lead in wins with 16), MVP-candidate right fielder Justin Upton, center fielder Chris Young, closer J.J. Putz, breakout rookie first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, and third baseman Ryan Roberts. Recently-acquired former All-Star second baseman Aaron Hill and shortstop John McDonald aren't bad players either, but are both past their prime, although they are sure upgrades over traded second baseman Kelly Johnson.

The big issue at hand for the Diamondbacks has been their injury woes. First baseman Xavier Nady recently broke his hand after being hit by a pitch and is out until mid-September. Additionally, starting shortstop Stephen Drew and acquired starting pitcher Jason Marquis are both done for the season.

Like the Tigers, the D'backs lead a weak division, and by less than the Tigers do in the AL Central. Unlike the Tigers, though, the Phillies have squared off against the D'backs this season, once at home and once on the road.

Away from Philadelphia, the Phils lost two of three to the D'backs, including Ian Kennedy's first career complete game (and respective shutout) and also Roy Oswalt's last game before announcing his leave of absence from the team for personal issues, which was later revealed to be damage in his hometown from tornadoes in the area. At home, the Phils took two of three from Arizona, only losing the first game in the ninth inning when Roy Halladay gave up two runs to the D'backs to give them the lead and eventually the win, amounting to 3-3 on the season against Arizona.

If these two teams face off in the postseason, it could be an interesting series. However, since they have faced off, the Phils have improved their home and road records, whereas Arizona's home record is average at best and their road record is just two games over .500. Having defeated Ian Kennedy as well last Thursday also shows that his one shutout was a fluke against the then-struggling Phillies, but now that they have Hunter Pence, they should be able to breeze by Arizona in the postseason.

3. Boston Red Sox

Surprise!

At a glance, you might be thinking that I'm nuts, and if today was March 31, I would agree with you. However, let's keep in mind that we're now over halfway through the season; in fact, we're close to 80 percent finished.

And much has happened since Opening Day on March 31. The Red Sox, who started out 2-10, have since risen to the top of the AL and are tied with the Yankees for the AL East lead. The Red Sox led the division for quite some time, but injuries to David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis have caused the team to slump for the time being.

The Red Sox are loaded with offensive weapons who are all a threat at any point in any game. Sluggers such as Adrian Gonzalez and Ortiz are sentimental parts of the Red Sox lineup, as are the speedy (and somewhat powerful) Jacoby Ellsbury, the consistent Dustin Pedroia, and the temperamental Kevin Youkilis. Starting pitchers Josh Beckett and Jon Lester are always tough to beat, and as of late, starter John Lackey has shown he's not the complete dud he's been made out to be.

The Red Sox are the complete package. They have an offense that is always dangerous, defense consisting of a handful of potential perennial Gold Glovers, and a pitching staff that contains two of the game's many great pitchers. However, their revamped lineup hadn't met the Phillies until June, and when they met in what was deemed a potential World Series matchup by some, the Phillies took two of three games and made a statement that they are the team to beat in the majors.

The first game of the three-game series was Cliff Lee against Beckett, a matchup for the ages...or at least the season. Lee won the duel, pitching a complete game shutout and adding to his magical month of June. The next day, rookie Vance Worley silenced the Red Sox's bats, allowing just one run in a 2-1 victory. Going for the sweep, the Phillies did lose to Jon Lester, but taking down the former two was still quite an accomplishment.

If the storied World Series matchup between these two teams does occur, the Phillies have already shown that they're the ones on top. Now that their offense has been bolstered with Pence, they're practically unstoppable. They're better in pitching depth, they're arguably better offensively, and their defense is just as good, if not better, than Boston's. The series would go to the Phils.

4. New York Yankees

Placing the Yankees into this slideshow was somewhat difficult, but I ended up putting them smack dab in the middle.

At the beginning of the season, it was thought that the Yankees could struggle due to lack of pitching depth behind ace CC Sabathia and Phil Hughes. And boy, could it have been any more the opposite.

The Yankees have received many surprises within their pitching rotation. Starting out the season with a rotation consisting of Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Phil Hughes, Sergio Mitre, and Ivan Nova, things have since changed. Nova was sent down to the minors for a while and Mitre was traded, allowing the re-emergence of two former aces, Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon. And with backup starter and reliever Joba Chamberlain eventually out for the year, the Yankees were thought to go after a big name starting pitcher at the trade deadline, such as Ubaldo Jimenez.

While talks between the two occurred, they didn't go far, and Jimenez unexpectedly went to the Cleveland Indians. But what was more surprising was that the Yankees did something at the trade deadline that they hadn't done since 1998: nothing. And that has benefited them greatly.

The Yankees have surprised most everyone and have remained at the top, currently a game behind the division-leading Red Sox. The rotation as a whole has made the baseball world wonder how it has been done, and the offense remains the same with the exception of a few players. Veterans Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada have gone downhill a bit despite Jeter collecting his 3,000th hit on a home run this season, and first baseman Mark Teixeira and right fielder Nick Swisher's consistency has decreased, but much else has remained the same. Robinson Cano is still hitting fairly well, as is Alex Rodriguez.

But perhaps the biggest surprises offensively have been Curtis Granderson and Brett Gardner. Granderson leads the majors in RBI and is among the league leaders in home runs, and having stolen his fair share of bases to go along with that, he is a huge consideration for the AL MVP Award this season.

If a rematch of the 2009 World Series were to occur, the Phillies would have the pitching edge by a landslide, but who would have the offensive edge? The Phils have rocked CC Sabathia in the past, both as a Brewer and a Yankee, and while Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay have dealt against the Yankees in the past, these are two of the best offenses in baseball. The edge would have to go to the Phillies, only because as we've covered, pitching wins games. The Phils should theoretically be able to dominate Yankees pitching and their pitching should be able to overpower the Yanks' sluggers. The rematch would go to the Phillies. 

5. Texas Rangers

If only last year would have gone as planned...the Phillies would have won the NLCS and made their third consecutive World Series appearance, and Game 1 of the series would have been Roy Halladay against Cliff Lee. It would have been perfect, a series to remember, Cliff Lee against his former team...

Unfortunately, it didn't turn out that way, and both the Rangers and Phillies aren't so happy about it.

However, this season, the Phillies have a good reason to be happy, and I'd assume the Rangers do as well. They currently sit 2.5 games up on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (I liked Anaheim Angels better...) in the AL West, and behind the Angels there is virtually no competition.

With sluggers Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, Adrian Beltre (who's on the DL) and (occasionally) Mike Napoli and consistent infielders, including veteran Michael Young and Elvis Andrus, the Rangers have a very solid lineup. Their pitching rotation isn't bad either, with C.J. Wilson at the top and Colby Lewis, Matt Harrison, Alexi Ogando, and Derek Holland behind him.

What's their greatest strength is their bullpen. It was already good with sophomore closer Neftali Feliz leading the way, but with acquisitions Koji Uehara and Mike Adams at this year's trade deadline, the Rangers' bullpen became deadly.

A World Series between the Phillies and Rangers could be a good one to see, with Cliff Lee and the Phils facing off against his former team, the team he spurned to sign with the Phillies. However, the Phillies have faced the Rangers this season already, having taken two of three in the series back in late May. Halladay and Lee took games one and two, while Roy Oswalt lost to Matt Harrison in the final game of the series. A precursor to a potential World Series matchup? Maybe, but should the Phillies face the Rangers, they could struggle.

The Phillies were once known for their comeback wins, but that is no longer the case. In later innings, the Phillies have struggled to hit when necessary, and while they have done a good job holding leads past the seventh inning, that more reflects the pitching and defense, not the offense. With Feliz, Uehara, and Adams on the hill in the later innings, those three pitchers could shut down the Phillies' offense, and should the Rangers obtain or already hold a lead, it would be difficult for the Phils to regain it.

The Phillies starting pitching should be able to hold off the Rangers offense long enough that it wouldn't be an issue, but a possibility such as the one above is always possible. The Phillies would probably win a World Series between the two teams, but it might not be so easy. 

6. Atlanta Braves

Wondering when you'd see the Braves? Well, here they are.

In the playoffs, the only time the Phillies would see the Braves would be in the NLCS, due to the rule that calls for two teams in the same division not to play each other in the first round of the playoffs. Because the Braves would win the Wild Card in this slideshow's situation, the Phils would not play them in the first round since they would hold the one seed.

The Braves and the Phillies weren't always the rivals they are now. As members of the same division, there was always a slight rivalry, but it has sure heated up in recent years. After losing their streak of 11 straight NL East division titles back in 2006 to the Mets, the Phillies weren't yet in the big picture, but since 2007, the Phillies have yet to lose the division, currently riding a four-season winning streak and are going for their fifth straight division title.

The Phillies against the Braves would be a very intriguing pennant series. In the season series, the Phils and Braves are tied with six games apiece, including three at home and three on the road per team. Cliff Lee has struggled against the Braves, Hamels has been above average, and Halladay has been just average. With another home and road series to come in September, it will be interesting to see which team will trump the other this season—if there is a winner at all.

The Braves are determined to beat the Phillies and want the division title more than anything. However, it has been difficult for them to gain games on the Phillies—whenever the Phillies lose, the Braves tend to do the same, so it isn't very common for the Braves to gain a game on the Phils anymore.

An NLCS between the two teams would have both dominant pitching staffs and All-Star lineups. The Phillies have their ace-studded staff led by Halladay, and the Braves have their staff led by ace Tim Hudson, followed by veteran Derek Lowe, breakout pitchers Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson (when healthy), and rookie Brandon Beachy. The Phillies' rotation has a slight edge on the Braves on paper, but the offensive side of things can vary. The Braves have more hitters for average, whereas the Phils have more sluggers. Which one of the two would come out on top? I'd give consistency the edge over power, so the Braves win for the offense.

But, as we've covered time and time again...pitching wins games. The Phillies and Braves are evenly matched to date this season, but will that continue? Who will take the lead in the season series? Pitching is practically matched, as is offense. So who would win in a seven-game playoff series?

Hopefully it won't come down to that, but it would be difficult to predict who wins this one. I might give the Phils the edge only because they now have Hunter Pence (they didn't when they last faced the Braves), and despite the Braves acquiring Michael Bourn, he isn't the same impact player Pence is for the Phillies. With the pitching edge over Atlanta as well, I'd give the Phillies the win here, but if they would face off in the playoffs, I wouldn't be surprised to see a series go to seven games.

7. Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers are one of baseball's hottest teams right now. They've won 24 of their last 29 games and there is little in their way. They lead the NL Central by 10 games over the St. Louis Cardinals. And they have one of the best overall teams in the majors.

They are a threat to anyone who comes in their way and put in 110 percent effort to beat down their opponents, all to maintain their division.

At the beginning of the season, many predicted that the Brewers could win the NL Central, but not many believed that they would run away with it like they have this season. Last year's division winner, the Cincinnati Reds, are nowhere to be found near the top of the divisional leaderboard, and the Cardinals, who possess sluggers Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, and Lance Berkman, are not in discussions to make the postseason for the second straight year.

They have the pitchers in Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia, and Edwin Jackson, among others. And although ace Adam Wainwright hasn't thrown a single pitch this year due to Tommy John surgery, they have the offensive pieces they need, and they have the bullpen that they've coveted for so long...yet why do they not lead the division?

Well, to answer that question, the Brewers have put together a very similar squad in terms of depth. They traded for Kansas City Royals ace Zack Greinke this past offseason, and he came at a high price. They also traded for Toronto Blue Jays starter Shaun Marcum, giving away highly-touted Canadian prospect Brett Lawrie in the prospect. In addition, they already have some of the game's best hitters in Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, and a pitcher who's close to ace quality in Yovani Gallardo.

That, along with a desire to win, has led the Brewers to their current position atop the NL Central. Except there's one thing: they don't plan on stopping there.

At this point in the regular season, the Brewers would play the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS, and if the Brewers and Phillies won in the divisional round, they would face off in the NLCS unless things change from now. However, the Brewers could be the Phillies' toughest opponent down the road, for a few reasons.

To start, the Brewers have baseball's best home record at 47-16, slightly better than the Phils' 46-21 record at Citizens Bank Park. It doesn't help that the Phillies face the Brewers in a four-game road series next month, and it also doesn't help that the Brewers took two of three in a Phillies home series back in April, a series in which Roy Halladay was shelled alive, giving up six runs (all earned) on 10 hits in 6.2 innings in a game that resulted in Randy Wolf and the Brewers shutting out the Phillies 9-0. Cliff Lee also was unimpressive the game afterwards, despite not receiving a win or loss in the Phillies' 4-3 win.

At this point in the season, the Phillies have home-field advantage all throughout the postseason, including the World Series should they make it there. But will the Brewers stop them? The Phillies didn't even face Zack Greinke in April since he was on the DL at the time, but with Greinke leading a rotation that also contains Gallardo and Marcum, along with an offense that has Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, both players who can change the game at any moment at the plate, the Phillies could be in for it if they encounter Milwaukee in the playoffs.

In 2008 the Phillies handled CC Sabathia and the Wild Card-Brewers to eventually win the World Series. This season, in 2011, the Brewers are back from their three-year absence in the postseason and have a full intent of making it there, and then some. Will the Phillies be able to beat baseball's hottest team in September and beyond?

Now that they have Hunter Pence, it could be a bit easier, but it will still be challenging. The Phillies or the Brewers could win the series, but I'd give the Phils the advantage only because the Brewers have a sub-.500 record on the road (31-38), whereas the Phillies are 37-24 away from home. It could boil down to a game seven in a series, but because the Phillies are the overall better team despite the Brewers' winning ways, the Fightins get the edge, and ultimately, there shouldn't be anything that stops this Phillies team from winning it all.