The Philadelphia Phillies have a team that is capable of going far in the postseason.
Last season they did just that by going from the final Wild Card spot to the World Series.
One concern with the Phillies this year is their bullpen.
It has not been as dominant of late and that could cause them problems in the postseason.
Phillies closer Craig Kimbrel has had a resurgence this year.
But, he still has one weakness that many teams are exploiting.
Kimbrel is slow to the plate and opposing baserunners are having no problems stealing bases on him.
According to Matt Gelb, baserunners are 11-11 on stolen bases this year against Kimbrel.
Every base matters in the postseason and, even more than the pitch timer violations, teams will take note that runners are 11-for-11 on stolen bases against Craig Kimbrel. Three in two days now.
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) September 22, 2023
As Gelb mentioned, every base matters in the playoffs.
If you reach first against Kimbrel, there is a good chance that the runner will be on second a few pitches later.
That is something the Phillies must find a way to correct.
Kimbrel cannot have runners stealing bases freely on him.
He must do a better job holding runners on and not being so predictable.
It almost seems like Kimbrel does not even bother paying attention to them.
Some runners are leaving before he even picks up his leg to throw the pitch.
Every opposing team realizes Kimbrel is easy to run on.
So they will take every chance they get.
That is why it is important that the Phillies help Kimbrel fix this issue for the playoffs.
The Phillies have a chance to do something great again this year in October.
But, they cannot have any small details holding them back.
NEXT: Nick Castellanos Saved The Day For The Phillies
