“Is this heaven? No, it’s Philadelphia.”
Happy New Year- and what a year it’s been for the Phils. Many call it the year of destiny, some call it luck, but with a bittersweet postseason end, fans are most definitely craving 2023 baseball. That being said, let’s take a look at some of the best moments of the 2022 season.
10. Opening Day
Opening day sets the tone for the rest of the season, and this one sure did. In a 9-5 win over the A’s, Kyle Schwarber hit his first home run as a Phillie, followed closely with RBIs by Hoskins, Gregorious, Castellanos, Stott, Harper, and Vierling. Along with a standout appearance from Nola, if we learned anything from Opening Day, it was that these guys can play, and they were ready to show up for 2022.
9. The Darick Hall Experiment
After losing Bryce Harper to a thumb injury, Rob Thomson was forced to reach into the farm system for a replacement. From the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, we acquired Darick Hall. In just his second game in the majors, he had a two home run game versus the Braves, followed by a month in which he batted .333/.333/.852 with four home runs and seven RBIs. He was the instant success the Phillies needed to keep their momentum going under new leadership.
8. Alec Bohm’s Love-Hate Relationship
Four games into the 2022 season Alec Bohm had the worst game of the season, and possibly of his life. Posting 3 errors in 3 innings, cameras caught him mouthing “I f**king hate this place” to Didi Gregorius after fans gave him a sarcastic cheer for a routine play to first. Social media dragged Bohm; yet, in a post game interview, he owned up to what he said, squashed it, and by the next at bat cemented himself as one of the Phillies’ most relatable players. Needless to say, he cleaned up his game and made some HUGE plays throughout the season worthy of a highlight reel itself.
7. Bryson Stott’s Walkoff
After a dominating performance by Zack Wheeler, Stott blasted a 3-run-homer to walk it off in a 9-7 win June 5th against the Angels. According to Elias Sports Bureau, it was the first time in franchise history the Phillies hit a game-tying grand slam in the eighth and a walk-off home run in the ninth. This was the first of many clutch moments we would see from the Rookie, who cemented himself as a key player and everyday starter from there on out.
6. Josh Hader Take Down
Milwaukee Brewer Josh Hader posted 40 straight scoreless appearances when he was faced to holding a one-run lead against the Phillies in early June. But two members of the so-called Phillies Daycare had other plans. Alec Bohm was the first batter he faced, who launched a solo homer to left-center, only to be followed closely by Matt Vierling, who sent a pinch hit homer to left-center as well. This helped lead the Phillies to a fourth straight win under Rob Thomson, and denied Josh Hader a record setting 41 scoreless appearances.
5. NLCS SchwarBOMB
The NL Home Run Champion, Silver Slugger Kyle Schwarber stepped up to the plate for Game 1 of the NLCS. Blasting a 488 foot, 119 mph moonshot to the upper deck at Petco Park, the Fightins were in awe. Schwarber, along with the rest of America, saw fellow teammates with their jaws dropped and in disbelief about just how hard he hit that ball. A legendary moment, for sure.
4. JT’s Inside the Park Homer
The 1st post-season inside the park homer by a catcher? Say less. Realmuto pranced around the bases in 15.4 seconds for just the 18th inside-the-park home run in postseason history and the first since 2017.
3. The BCIB
If you thought one highlight was enough to speak for the Best Catcher in Baseball, you are sadly mistaken. JT Realmuto lived up to the title this season, and day after day, simply showed up and showed off. 2x Golden Glove recipient led all catchers in regular season play with 1131 2/3 innings caught and only two passed balls. Not to mention, he can hit and boasts a pop time of 1.82 and a 44 percent caught-stealing rate, which led all qualified catchers in Major League Baseball. What. A. Guy.
2. Postseason Clinching Game
Aaron Nola pitched the best game of his life against the Astros, clinching a wild-card spot, and painting it a Red October for the first time in 11 years. After a full tear down and rebuild, along with what felt llike a lifetime of losses, the Phillies were finally headed back to the postseason.
1. Bryce Ends the Drought
Seeing this happen in person was likely one of the best moments of my life, and Citizens Bank Park was electric. I mean chills. Chills everywhere. After 11 brutal seasons, Bryce put the entire city of Philadelphia on his back and… well, I simply can’t express how clutch this shot heard round the world is, so here’s a video just in case you missed it:
Honorable Mentions:
Phillies ‘Daycare‘:
Matt Vierling, Darick Hall, Nick Maton, Bryson Stott, Bailey Falter, Alec Bohm, Seranthony Dominguez, Brandon Marsh, Edmundo Sosa, and more. Young guys= Big moments. These guys made all the difference to the season when given the chance.
Dancing on My Own:
Some love it, some hate it, but I deem this song the perfect anthem to the 2022 Philadelphia Phillies season. (Yes, I know, the Red Sox did it first; however, I love to see everyone connecting over a single catchy song, it’s undeniable chemistry between the players and fans).
Firing of Joe Girardi:
WE RIDE WITH PHILLY ROB. Enough said.
