Fresh off consecutive wins at Fenway, the Yankees enter their final series before the Trade Deadline with a three-game set against the Philadelphia Phillies, the team with the best record in the National League. The Yankees look on track to welcome back some power to the lineup in the form of Giancarlo Stanton, who has been out of the lineup since June 22nd with a hamstring injury. The addition of Jazz Chisholm Jr. and the return of Stanton helps lengthen a lineup that until the Boston series had struggled to find production beyond Aaron Judge and Juan Soto.
While eyes will be on a fun interleague matchup in Philly, much of the focus will be on Yankees GM Brian Cashman as he navigates a battle against the clock by filling various holes on this Yankees roster by Tuesday’s deadline.
As for the Phillies, a slump is a tough word to describe a team that is a World Series favorite, but a 4-9 record over their last 13 games—including four straight series losses—means the Yankees are facing them at the right time. The Bombers should not get too comfortable though, as the Phils still possess the best record in baseball and will parade three top-flight pitchers to face this Yankees lineup. The Phillies have also added to a strong bullpen with the addition of Angels closer Carlos Estévez.
Bryce Harper continues to be a force in the Phillies lineup, hitting .288 with 24 home runs and a .950 OPS on the season, which would make him the NL MVP if Shohei Ohtani did not exist — DH restriction be damned. However, Harper has found himself in a rut, hitting just .200 across 13 games in July following a stint on the injured list with a hamstring strain. It is not surprising that the Phillies offense has been a bit stagnant without Harper’s usual production in the lineup.
Trea Turner also missed time with a hamstring strain but has had a nice bounce-back season for the Phillies (in terms of overall numbers) despite only appearing in 65 games in 2024. His .332 average and .908 OPS was good enough to earn him his third career All-Star selection. Turner has hit 10 home runs in his last 20 games after only hitting three in his previous 45.
There are some fun pitching matchups in this rumble, so we’ll take a look at the starters for the days ahead.
