Phillies clinch NL East: Philadelphia wins division title for first time since 2011, vying for best record

For the first time since 2011, the Philadelphia Phillies are National League East champions. The Phillies clinched their first division title in 13 years with Monday’s win over the Chicago Cubs (PHI 6, CHC 2). Philadelphia clinched a postseason berth with Friday’s win. Now they have the NL East title locked up as well.

“Any time you’re able to get into the postseason, no matter what the clinch is like, it’s huge,” Phillies star Bryce Harper said Friday (via MLB.com). “This game is hard. It’s hard to go wire to wire, and I think our team has done a great job obviously this whole season. We’ve got bigger goals and things like that, but it’s a great moment.”

The Phillies moved into sole possession of first place on May 3 and never looked back. Their lead swelled to 10 games several times over the summer, and it was never smaller than five games after May 18. Philadelphia’s division title has been inevitable for weeks. The Atlanta Braves had won each of the previous six NL East titles. That reign is over. 

Although they’ve clinched the NL East, the Phillies still have work to do. They want to finish with one of the National League’s two best records, which would secure a Wild Card Series bye. Philadelphia is 3 1/2 games up on the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers, the current No. 3 seed. 

Also, the Phillies are a half-game behind the Dodgers for the best record in baseball at 93-63. They won the season series against L.A., so the Phillies hold the tiebreaker. Finishing with baseball’s best record locks in home-field advantage throughout the postseason. The race for the best record could go down to Game 162.

The Phillies are a well-rounded team that entered Monday ranked fourth in runs scored per game and eighth in runs allowed per game. Their rotation has been outstanding:

Philadelphia’s top four starters — Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sánchez, Ranger Suárez, Zack Wheeler — are averaging 5.99 innings per start with a combined 3.13 ERA, and that’s who they’ll start in the postseason. The parade of No. 5 starters (Kolby Allard, Taijuan Walker, etc.) have pitched poorly, but the Phillies won the division anyway, and those guys won’t see the mound in October.

The offense has power (Harper, Kyle Schwarber, etc.) and speed (Bryson Stott, Trea Turner, etc.), and the Phillies quietly turned themselves into a solid defensive team. They’re middle of the pack in both defensive runs saved (plus-17) and outs above average (plus-14), which is miles better than the last few years. Top to bottom, the Phillies have been the best team in baseball in 2024.

The Phillies last won the World Series in 2008. They won the National League pennant in both 2009 and 2022, but lost the World Series in six games both times. There is no powerhouse team in baseball this season. The Phillies are very good and they’re also healthy. This might be the best chance for their current core to parade down Broad Street.