Atlanta’s crappy streak, but Phillies send franchise-record seven players to All-Star Game

The Phillies lost 2 of 3 in Atlanta and weren’t competitive Saturday or Sunday. Oh well. They still have the best record in baseball and an eight-game lead in their division. Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and JT Realmuto will be back.

Meanwhile, the All-Star rosters were announced Sunday, and the Phillies are sending a franchise-record seven players. That includes Harper, Alec Bohm, Trea Turner, Ranger Suarez, Zack Wheeler, Matt Strahm and Jeff Hoffman. Harper, Bohm and Turner are starters.

It’s a little ridiculous when you look at the MLB list and compare the bad years to 2024:

They have a hard time putting all the names in that row. But look at some of those other years. Pat Neshek. Odubel Herrera. Jonathan Papelbon. Even last year, they only had two All Stars.

If you go back 15 years to the Golden Age, there were two seasons where the Phillies had five pitchers in the ASG. In 2011, you can see it on the chart above, but in 2009, they sent Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez, Chase Utley, Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth. No pitchers. Maybe a harbinger of the World Series that year. They also had five All-Stars in 1995 – Darren Daulton, Nails, Tyler Green, Mickey Morandini and Heathcliff Slocumb. Same thing in the late 70s and early 80s. There were a few seasons with five All-Stars, guys like Bob Boone, Pete Rose and Mike Schmidt.

But first, the Dodgers. They’re 4-5 in their last nine games and haven’t played particularly exceptional baseball lately. If the Phillies can win 2 of 3 at home to go 3-3 in this Atlanta/LA stretch, with three starters down, that’s great. We’ll take it.