Hittin' Season: A Philadelphia Phillies podcast

The Phillies have two weeks left in the regular season. They're probably going to the playoffs, so how will they respond to this final push? On the latest Hittin' Season, The Good Phight's John Stolnis, Justin Klugh of Baseball Prospectus and Liz Roscher, editor of SABR's Baseball Research Journal, talk about it all. Kyle Schwarber, Luis Arraez, Jesus Luzardo's potential injury, the state of the bullpen, and lots more!

Four games out of the division lead, the Phillies will take on the Atlanta Braves this weekend—again—in a big series for the NL East—again—while facing Chris Sale, Tyler Mahle, and Grant Holmes. Again. Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher talk about the strengths and weaknesses of both teams and how, if winning the east is their goal, sweeping the Braves is the Phillies’ only option.

The Phillies enter the final game of their series against the Astros splitting the first two games, falling behind early before rallying late in each. Kyle Schwarber once again is playing the hero, but the rest of the lineup is joining in, too. John Stolnis of The Good Phight recaps the first two games of the series, and discusses one big thing happening in MLB that is driving him crazy and needs to end, forever.

The Phillies split their four-game series with the Atlanta Braves in Philadelphia over the Labor Day weekend, showcasing all the reasons why they can, and can't, succeed in October. On this episode of Hittin' Season, John Stolnis of The Good Phight, Baseball Prospectus' Justin Klugh, and Liz Roscher of SABR's Baseball Research Journal discuss the outstanding starting pitching, Jesus Luzardo's shutout, and frustrating performances by the bullpen and the offense that reminded fans all too well of the last four Octobers.

Get ready to spend the last holiday weekend of the summer with the Phillies and Braves both reaching for that NL East division title. Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher talk about how both teams have done since they last met in April, as well as the Phillies' hottest players at the moment in Jesus Luzardo, Andrew Painter, and Bryce Harper.

Finally, after five months, the Phillies and Atlanta Braves will meet again. Fresh off a 6-3 west coast road trip, the Phils return to Citizens Bank Park for a huge four-game series against the leaders of the NL East. Host John Stolnis of The Good Phight previews the upcoming series and recaps a solid week in Arizona against the Diamondbacks as well.

The Phillies do not want to see August end. Winners of 13 of 15 after sweeping the Angels in Los Angeles, the Phils begin a key week of baseball with MLB playoff implications. John Stolnis of The Good Phight and Baseball Prospectus' Justin Klugh discuss Andrew Painter's solid follow-up start, Zack Wheeler getting back on track, Cristopher Sanchez' outstanding outing and a weekend full of heroic moments for Edmundo Sosa. Also, John and Justin discuss some major moves by the Phillies' front office to revamp their player development system.

The Phillies dropped two of three in Seattle, but won the finale in a showcase of their strengths. Now they're off to Anaheim to face yet another struggling Angels team against whom they should be able to keep winning. Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher talk about the two teams' history, what's going on with Zack Wheeler, and some recent front office changes.

On this episode of Hittin' Season, powered by WHYY, host John Stolnis of The Good Phight recaps the Phillies series against the Mariners in Seattle. The Phils lost two out of three but managed to win the get-away game on Wednesday thanks to power blasts from Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, and 7 studly shutout innings from Jesus Luzardo. John also talks about the conundrum facing Don Mattingly with regard to the slumping Trea Turner's spot in the batting order, and whether we should be overly concerned about Zack Wheeler's recent performance.

Where were you when Kyle Schwarber and the Phillies shocked the world with the team's first walk-off home run in more than three years? On this episode of Hittin' Season, John Stolnis of The Good Phight and Baseball Prospectus' Justin Klugh recap an insane Sunday comeback by the Phils against the Cardinals. They also delve into "The Phillies Phive," five big takeaways and topics from the weekend, including impressive starts from Andrew Painter and Jesus Luzardo, the offense's incredible continued transformation and the suddenly razor thin NL East standings.

The last time the Phillies played the Cardinals, not much was going right. Now, with a season-high six-game win streak, they face St. Louis again at home with a chance to expand on their success—and a reborn Bryson Stott at the plate. Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher talk about the Phillies' big series on MLB Players Weekend.

Phillies fans are rejoicing after the Phils finished off a three-game sweep of the Miami Marlins. Winners of six in a row, the suddenly red-hot club is inching closer to the Atlanta Braves in the NL East. Host John Stolnis of The Good Phight recaps an entertaining series, including Aaron Nola's outstanding start, Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott's star turns, a complete makeover by the Phillies offense, and why John's not concerned about Zack Wheeler's struggles. Also, we take a look around the Majors and investigate the crippling season by Cal Raleigh, Vlad Guerrero Jr.'s weird home run stat, the Brewers' 22-0 shutout win over the Mariners, and the Dodgers' sudden vulnerability.

For once, the Hittin' Season podcast will live up to its name. The Phils' bats broke out in sweeping the Twins in Minnesota thanks to huge weekends by first baseman Alec Bohm and third baseman Bryson Stott. On this week's edition of Hittin' Season, John Stolnis, Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher recap the series, including Andrew Painter's uneven start Sunday, Jesus Luzardo as the team's latest "ace," and answer some mailbag questions, too.

The Phillies enjoyed the kind of win they've been missing lately by taking down the Twins 7-1 at the MLB Field of Dreams game in Iowa on Thursday. Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher recap the satisfying W, including a good Aaron Nola performance, a couple of Schwarbombs, and a great night for Brandon Marsh.

After dropping another series, this one to the Cardinals in St. Louis, the Philadelphia Phillies find themselves on the outside of the National League Wild Card race. On this episode of Hittin' Season, John Stolnis of The Good Phight breaks down the final two games of the series, Zack Wheeler's worrisome last four starts, Bryce Harper's knee, the need to put Alec Bohm on the bench and previews Thursday night's Field of Dreams Game against the Minnesota Twins in Iowa.

Alec Bohm should be benched. Jesus Luzardo is the Phillies' best pitcher. The Phils are mediocre and, yet, still the biggest threat to knock off the Dodgers. Which of these statements are true? Which are false? After this weekend's series with the Blue Jays and their opener against the Cardinals Monday, hosts John Stolnis, Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher tackle the biggest questions surrounding the Phillies as they play a little "True or False" filled with questions about the hometown 9.

Luis Arraez' arrival in Philadelphia couldn't have come at a better time, playing a key role in the Phillies' series against the Washington Nationals this week. On Episode 1111 of Hittin' Season, Baseball Prospectus' Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher from SABR's Baseball Research Journal recaps the Phils' series victory over the Nats, putting the "fun" in fundamentals, Kyle Schwarber's recent slump, and the importance of Bryce Harper's move to right field.

The Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals played one of the weirdest games of the 2026 MLB season, one Phils fans would like to forget. John Stolnis of The Good Phight recaps a weird night at the ball yard and discusses the impact Luis Arraez has had, his spot in the lineup, the struggles of Kyle Schwarber and a quick thought on a new media star introduced to the world Wednesday night.

The MLB Trade Deadline has come and gone and the Phillies made some big moves, acquiring Giants infielder Luis Arraez and relief pitcher Brooks Raley and Caleb Kilian. But was it enough to keep up with the Dodgers, Brewers, Cubs and the other top teams in the National League? On this episode of Hittin' Season, hosts John Stolnis of The Good Phight, Liz Roscher, editor of SABR's Baseball Research Journal, and Baseball Prospectus' Justin Klugh recap a wild trade deadline day, Dave Dombrowski's decision not to trade for a starting pitcher, and analyze fan reaction to the day's events. Also, some conversation about Los Angeles somehow nabbing the best starting pitcher in the sport, Tarik Skubal, over the weekend.

The struggling Phillies were swept in Miami against a Marlins team that entered their series on a 12-game losing streak. Have the Phils hit rock bottom with just days to go before the MLB Trade Deadline? On a NEW Hittin' Season, powered by WHYY, hosts Justin Klugh and John Stolnis break down the off-field noise being made by Bryce Harper and Don Mattingly, how Dave Dombrowski plays into the unrest, and just what is going wrong for a Phils squad heading in the wrong direction.

All the Phillies' warts were on full display during their 3-6 homestand coming out of the All Star Break against the Mets, Dodgers and Yankees. On this episode of Hittin' Season, hosts John Stolnis, Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher discuss what's most needed with one week left until the MLB Trade Deadline.

On the day the Sixers signed LeBron James, it's time of course to talk about the topic on everyone's mind: The Phillies' struggles in thus far the second half. Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher break down the team's vibes following six games since the all-star break and discuss recent comments from Dave Dombrowski.

The Phillies dropped the final two games of their series against the Dodgers in Philadelphia thanks to some brain dead baserunning gaffes and errors that show the gap between Los Angeles and the Phils. John Stolnis of The Good Phight breaks down the final two games of the series and runs through the latest MLB Trade Deadline rumors involving the Phillies.

Trea Turner had one of the weirdest games of his career Monday night in the Phillies' 10-7 win over the Dodgers in Philadelphia. John Stolnis of The Good Phight, Justin Klugh from Baseball Prospectus and Liz Roscher, Editor of SABR's Baseball Research Journal, break down the wacky first game of the Phils' three-game tilt with L.A. Then, they break down various Trade Deadline scenarios by playing a game of "Would You Rather?" featuring seven different options.

In a cloud of wildfire smoke, the Phillies and Mets started the second half of their seasons at Citizens Bank Park. Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher recap the All-Star festivities in Philadelphia, and talk about Aaron Nola, Trea Turner, and a 4-1 loss, as well as MLB's recent ban of AI use in the dugout.

Phillies fans are the talk of the sports world once again after dominating the headlines at MLB's All Star Game and Home Run Derby this week! Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo, Brandon Marsh and Jhoan Duran may have been the stars participating in the game, but Phillies fans made the week electric. Host John Stolnis of The Good Phight breaks down everything we saw at the Derby and the Midsummer Classic, including Jordan Walker's walk-off HR derby victory over Schwarber, and the AL's 4-0 blanking of the NL squad. Also, John sets up the Phils' second half, with a challenging homestand facing the Phillies out of the break.

Where are the Phillies as they enter the All Star break? Hosts John Stolnis of The Good Phight, Baseball Prospectus' Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher, Editor of SABR's Baseball Research Journal hand out grades for the Phils' first half, and preview the All Star Game in Philadelphia this week, with Cristopher Sanchez starting, Zack Wheeler staying home, and Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber gearing up for Monday's Home Run Derby. Will a Phillie win in front of their home crowd?

After a split and a loss, the Phillies won a series again in Cincinnati, despite the offense sputtering and the lefties in the bullpen struggling to get outs. Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher talk about the series and Bryce Harper's appearance in a video for FanDuel, then Leo Morgenstern of MLB Trade Rumors discusses the Phillies' outlook at the trade deadline.

Zack Wheeler was robbed of a spot on the NL All Star roster thanks to a stupid rule that everyone now understands must be eliminated. But will that happen in time for his inclusion next week in Philadelphia? On Episode 1100 of Hittin' Season, John Stolnis of The Good Phight breaks down the first two games of the Phils-Reds series with a starting lineup of 9 topics for discussion including: The hard-charging Marlins now tied with the Phillies in the NL East Don Mattingly tells ESPN he wants to return as manager in 2027! Jesus Luzardo DOES make the All Star team Tanner Banks and Jose Alvarado are leaving the Phils with no left-handed relief options Should the Phils focus on a 5th starter or reliever help at the trade deadline? Baseball America ranks the Phillies farm system 2nd-WORST in MLB Baserunning controversy in Tuesday night's victory with Elly de la Cruz' overrun of 2nd base Fun stats involving Derek Hill and Justin Crawford Buy Justin's NEW book, "Summer of the Cheap Weiners: What the 1941 Phillies Were Up To While Joe DiMaggio Was Making History" at Brookline Books! https://www.brooklinebooks.com/978195... Subscribe to the Hittin' Season podcast on Apple Podcasts here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Subscribe on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/show/6fMSJlk... Follow all WHYY podcasts here: https://whyy.org/radio-podcasts/ Follow John on X: https://x.com/JohnStolnis Follow John on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/johnstolnis.... Follow Liz on X: https://x.com/lizroscher Follow Liz on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/lizroscher.b... Follow Justin on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/justinklugh.... Read John at The Good Phight: https://www.thegoodphight.com Read Justin at Baseball Prospectus: https://www.baseballprospectus.com/au.... Become a Member: https://whyy.org/membership.

Cristopher Sanchez, the Phillies' ace, suffered the worst start of his career in a 15-1 loss to the Royals on Monday. Are the Phils running out of gas with the All Star Game just a week away? John Stolnis of The Good Phight, Liz Roscher of SABR's Baseball Research Journals and Baseball Prospectus' Justin Klugh recap a disappointing weekend in KC, discuss Trea Turner's future at shortstop, and analyze the All Star rosters, with five Phillies making the squad. Will Zack Wheeler find a way onto the team? keywords Phillies, MLB All-Star, Christopher Sanchez, Trey Turner, Kyle Schwarber, Brandon Marsh, baseball analysis, Phillies road series, All-Star game key topics Phillies' recent series performance and road struggles Impact of Christopher Sanchez's game on All-Star selection Defense issues with Trey Turner and positional changes Brandon Marsh's standout season and All-Star selection Kyle Schwarber's ejection and umpire interactions Team strategies heading into the All-Star break Player performance analysis and future outlook Rules and decisions affecting game outcomes takeaways Christopher Sanchez's poor outing may affect his All-Star start prospects. Trey Turner's defensive struggles are reaching a critical point. Brandon Marsh's season has been exceptional, earning him an All-Star spot. Kyle Schwarber's ejection was influenced by umpire frustration. The Phillies face a tough schedule on the road before the break. Player performances and team decisions will shape the trade deadline. Umpiring decisions and their impact on game flow and player relations. Chapters00:00 Introduction and Overview of Recent Games 02:37 David Beckham and Soccer Culture in America 05:45 Phillies' Disastrous Game Against the Royals 08:52 Christopher Sanchez's All-Star Game Chances 10:27 Trey Turner's Defensive Struggles 13:19 Future of Trey Turner and Team Dynamics 22:58 Analyzing the Game: Errors and Pitching Performance 29:25 Defensive Struggles: The Case of Trey Turner 34:55 Umpiring Decisions: The Ejection Controversy 40:17 All-Star Selections: Celebrating Phillies' Achievements

On Episode 1098 of Hittin' Season, John Stolnis of the Good Phight runs down a starting lineup of Phillies topics, 9 topics in all, for you as you celebrate the 4th of July. Happy 250th anniversary, gang!

Don't look now, but after winning their series against the Mets this weekend, the Phillies have cut the Braves' lead in the NL East to 3 games. John Stolnis of The Good Phight runs down the top storylines from the weekend, including the Race to 400 for Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, the divergent paths taken by the Mets and Phils since early struggles, and the legend of Derek Hill. Also, some thoughts about Tommy Pham, Andrew Painter and the putrid American League.

The Phillies took care of business in dramatic fashion against the Nationals and now head to New York, where those terrible, terrible Mets just fired their manager. Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher break it down, as well as the Phillies' somewhat surprising All-Star vote finalists.

After losing Monday's opener, the Phillies made MLB history with two incredible 9th inning comebacks against the Washington Nationals in DC. The Good Phight's John Stolnis recaps an incredible week in the nation's capital. So many heroes! Is this team channeling the 2022 NL champs? Also, Justin Klugh joins the show to talk about his book, "Summer of the Cheap Weiners," and Hittin' Season Nationals Insider Ethan Stolnis (yep, they're related).

What a weekend it was as the Phillies destroyed the Mets at CBP over the weekend. John Stolnis, Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher discuss Harper's cycle and monster weekend, Schwarber's FOUR home runs, outstanding pitching performances and the Phils' upcoming schedule which features a lot of road games but a number of cupcakes along the way, too.

On Episode 1093 of Hittin' Season, John Stolnis of The Good Phight and Liz Roscher, Editor of SABR's Baseball Research Journal, discuss this week's most pressing Phillies topics. Trea Turner's struggles, grading Aaron Nola on the Nola Curve, Jose Alvardo's issues, and how you should feel about MLB's stances on the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

After another abysmal outing against the Marlins on Wednesday, Andrew Painter was sent down to AAA. Host John Stolnis of The Good Phight analyzes the decision, what Painter needs to work on and what the Phils will do to fill his slot in the rotation. Also, the Phillies took two out of three from Miami, an update on how Phillies players are faring in the All Star Game fan vote, and changes coming to the Home Run Derby.

If Jacob Misiorowski wanted to make a statement against the Phillies over the weekend, he made it, cementing himself as the front-runner for NL Cy Young Award and All Star Game starter. Cristopher Sanchez, well, not so much this time. On the latest Hittin' Season, John Stolnis of The Good Phight and Baseball Prospectus' Justin Klugh discuss the contrasting performances from the two stars, addressed the Phillies' outfield situation, and the continuing slump of shortstop Trea Turner.

The hot-hitting Phillies take on the Milwaukee Brewers this weekend, who currently lead the NL Central. Steve Drumwright of Pitcher List and Brewer Fanatic stops by to deliver a Brewers scouting report, and Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher talk about the Phillies' recent trade for a center fielder.

Ho hum, just another series win for the Phillies, who are now 28-12 under Don Mattingly following their victory on Wednesday over the Blue Jays. On Episode 1089 of Hittin' Season, the Good Phight's John Stolnis recaps the series. Also, is Mattingly overusing closer Jhoan Duran? And John opens the X and Blue Sky mailbag for a lot of trade deadline questions as the deadline draws ever closer.

Don't look now, but Brandon Marsh is suddenly one of the best hitting outfielders in baseball. But will there be a spot for him in the outfield in the All Star Game in Philadelphia next month? Hosts John Stolnis of The Good Phight, Justin Klugh from Baseball Prospectus and Liz Roscher of SABR's Baseball Research Journal discuss the All Star case for 6 key Phillies, Andrew Painter's future, and the offense's middle class finally starting to produce.

With the trade deadline on the distant horizon, let's talk about big, crazy ideas that aren't even close to reality yet: Like how according to some national baseball media members, the Phillies could be a potential landing spot if the Tigers decided to trade their ace, Tarik Skubal. Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher also discuss the Phillies' weekend opponent, the Chicago White Sox.

It had to end sometime and, in Wednesday night's 3-2 win over the Padres, Phillies starter Cristopher Sanchez' consecutive scoreless innings streak ended at 50 2/3 innings, 5th-most in MLB history. Host John Stolnis of The Good Phight breaks down the incredible numbers of his historic run. Also, a recap of the first two games of the Padres series, Nick Castellanos is DFA'd in Philly, and an update on top prospect Aidan Miller's balky back.

Through 59 games, the Phillies are sporting their lowest batting average in franchise history and their 5th-lowest on-base percentage. How low can they go? Will it get better? On Episode 1085 of Hittin' Season, John Stolnis of The Good Phight, Baseball Prospectus' Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher, editor of SABR's Baseball Research Journal, discuss why the Phils' recent 4-2 west coast road trip to San Diego and Los Angeles felt less than great. Also, as Nick Castellanos makes his return to Philly for the first time this week, what level of booing should he expect?

After a clean sweep of the Padres, the Phillies' road trip goes through Dodger Stadium for three games against the league's toughest team. Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher discuss the Phillies' recent history and potential future L.A., as well the CBA negotiation proposals submitted by MLB owners and the MLB Players Association this week.

Cristopher Sanchez is now the Phillies' all-time leader in consecutive scoreless innings, a remarkable achievement for the best left-handed pitcher in baseball. On Episode 1083 of Hittin' Season, John Stolnis of The Good Phight breaks down Sanchez' historic achievement with some eye-popping statistics and retells the legend of how Sanchez developed into a Cy Young contender. Also, the Phils swept the Padres in San Diego thanks to solid starting pitching, great bullpen work, and an offense that did just barely enough to squeak by. Up next, the Dodgers!

After losing two out of three games to the Guardians over the weekend, the Phillies are a team of two sides. Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sanchez and Andrew Painter were tremendous. The offense, however, was in deep hibernation. On Episode 1082 of Hittin' Season, John Stolnis of The Good Phight and Liz Roscher of SABR's Baseball Research Journal discussed the highs and lows of this Phillies team, why they're both ready to trade for Mike Trout, and whether they would trade offenses with the Washington Nationals right now.

The Phillies dropped their first series of the Don Mattingly era and will look to bounce back against the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians this weekend. Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher talk about it, as well as some might-have-been's and a couple of never-will-be's.

Well, it happened. After six straight series wins since Don Mattingly took over as manager, the Phillies finally lost a series, to the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park. On Episode 1080 of Hittin' Season, The Good Phight's John Stolnis recaps how it happened. Also, have you heard about the Tarp's Off craze that's sweeping MLB? And John previews a tough stretch of 12 games coming up against some of the best teams in MLB.

The Phillies, perhaps baseball's hottest team, had a spectacular weekend in Pittsburgh. John Stolnis, Justin Klugh, and Liz Roscher talk about Cristopher Sanchez's start, Kyle Schwarber's Schwarbombs, Bryce Harper going to dead center, and more!