Maybe next year, that’s what fans of the Philadelphia Phillies are hoping for. But this year got them pretty close. Game six of this season’s World Series finished off the baseball season. With a score of 4-1, the Houston Astros took the win for the title of the 2022 World Series.

The Phillies season took off on a rocky start. Under Manager Joe Girardi, the Phillies got off to a rough start with a 22-29 record not even a third through the season. This caused an abrupt change leading to the firing of Girardi, and the promotion of bench coach, Rob Thomson, to interim manager for the Phillies.

The team was previously built over the past years through trades (e.g. Eflin, Marsh, Realmuto, Segura), the draft (Hoskins, Nola), free agents (Castellanos, Harper, Schwarber, Wheeler), and international free agency (Dominguez, Suárez), but it was Thomson that put two and two together to form a formidable team.

With the 40-man roster, and 26-man postseason roster, these players were selectively picked, and while some got benched, and others traded, they were put onto the team and are large contributors.

Overall, though, the team as a whole has done a good job this season, minus a few bumps in the road.

On June 25th, at the San Diego Padres stadium, Bryce Harper was hit by a fastball on his hand which caused him to break his thumb. This led him to be unable to hit or catch a ball, which generated issues as he was a designated hitter for the Phillies. Another issue that came up for the Phillies was when Nick Castellanos had a side strain, or an oblique, and was put on the 10-day injured list.

No matter the hiccups caused through the season, in the end, it led the Phillies to the World Series. They landed a third seed wildcard placement into the National League Division Series (NLDS), and in winning the last game to the Atlanta Braves, 8-3, they made their way to the National League Championship Series (NLCS). The regular season had some great moments also including the team winning their first nine games under Thomson.

Not every moment this season was the greatest, but there were some recognizable ones that will be remembered by fans for a long time to come. These key plays in the season were made by players who have aided their team to many victories. Whether it was Harper’s game-winning home run in Game 5 of the NLCS which sent the Phillies to the World Series, or J.T Realmuto’s game winning home run in the 10th inning of the first game of the World Series. Either way, they created impressive marks for the team which helped in their victories.

The Philadelphia Phillies may not have had the best season, but they ended with an impressive postseason. Whether or not they lost the World Series, that doesn’t change the fact they made incredible strides, and made Phillies history, because, in the narration of a letter to the Phillies, Larry Bowa said, “I have seen a lifetime’s worth of baseball, but I’ve never seen anything like this,” and if they continue like this, then maybe next year.