The next 10 games for the Philadelphia Phillies may decide who wins the National League East. Seven of those games are against their NL East rival, the Atlanta Braves.
Mike Axisa of CBS Sports wrote a prediction for how the four-game wraparound series at Citizens Bank Park will go. Axisa has the Phillies winning three of four to make the NL East race a lot more interesting. He cites Philadelphia’s rotation advantage as the key factor.
The Phillies currently trail the Braves by four games in the NL East. Should Axisa’s prediction come true, that deficit will be cut in half this weekend. That would mean the club needs to find three more opportunities to gain on the Braves for the final 18 games of their schedule.
For Philadelphia to make a run at the division, they most likely need to capture at least five of those seven games. If they can take six of those games, they’d not only erase the entire deficit, but also the tiebreaker.
Phillies Enter Critical Stretch of Games vs. Braves
Given the stakes, the star power, the two fan bases, and the venue, this series should have a postseason feel to it. Both the Phillies and Braves are sending their four best starters for this matchup.
The first game of the series is certainly one of the most anticipated games of the season. Potential 2026 Cy Young finalists Cristopher Sanchez and Chris Sale will square off, which could set the tone for how the series and division race could go.
The Phillies are fortunate to have a white-hot Bryce Harper entering this critical stretch of games. The 33-year-old is currently on a career-best 35-game on-base streak.
Harper is slashing .347/.500/.587 with six home runs over his last 35 games. He’s walked (37) more times than he’s struck out (29). He now leads all MLB players in walks this season.
Like any postseason series, the Phillies will need their marquee players to perform. All four starters scheduled for the series are signed to nine-figure contracts. In addition, they need some big hits from both Harper and Kyle Schwarber.
Phillies NL East Chances Could Be Decided This Weekend
A lot of things need to go the Phillies way to win the National League East. FanGraphs’ playoff odds are necessarily optimistic, giving Philadelphia just a 15% chance of clinching the division.
However, the Phillies should look at the seven games against Atlanta more than the odds. That’s seven opportunities to improve their chances of winning the division. They’ll have a quick series against the Houston Astros sandwiched in between two shots at the Braves.
Under interim manager Don Mattingly, the Phillies are 70-42. They’ll need to continue to play that well in order to give themselves a fighting chance.
The bare minimum for this series has to be winning three of four, as Axisa predicts. Otherwise, all they’re playing for is hosting a Wild Card series against the Chicago Cubs.
CBS Prediction for Phillies vs. Braves Series is Good News for Philadelphia