Guest Feature from Pat Huggins

A position-by-position comparison of the 1980, 2008, and 2023 Phillies teams

The Phillies head into a doubleheader with the Braves today with a record of 78-64 in this star-crossed 2023 season.

It is enough to give them the lead in the NL wild card race but not nearly enough to threaten Atlanta (93-49) in the NL East. It's also similar to the pace set by the 1980 and 2008 World Series champions from Philadelphia.

As a result, much of the fan base is divided on what the ceiling is for the Fightins this year.

Are they headed for a bullpen-aided collapse that knocks them out of the playoff race entirely?

Will they repeat last year's thrilling drive to the National League pennant only to fall short in the World Series?

Or, will they join the 1980 and 2008 clubs and assure themselves of immortality with a memorable world title run?

In my opinion, all three of those scenarios are in play, although I think most people believe that the 2023 Phillies are much too flawed to go all the way.

Ah,  but remember, not everything went smoothly in '80 and '08 either. In 1980, the veteran stars fought like cats and dogs with manager Dallas Green before reaching the precipice, while the '08 bunch trailed the Mets for most of the summer in NL East race, before a September surge doomed New York (LOL Mets) to another late-season collapse.

So can the 2023 Phillies go all the way? You bet they can. To prove it, let's compare each of the teams, position by position. Everyday players this time. I'll compare pitchers and managers next time.