Hittin' Season: A Philadelphia Phillies podcast

On Episode 1098 of Hittin' Season, John Stolnis of the Good Phight runs down a starting lineup of Phillies topics, 9 topics in all, for you as you celebrate the 4th of July. Happy 250th anniversary, gang!

Don't look now, but after winning their series against the Mets this weekend, the Phillies have cut the Braves' lead in the NL East to 3 games. John Stolnis of The Good Phight runs down the top storylines from the weekend, including the Race to 400 for Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, the divergent paths taken by the Mets and Phils since early struggles, and the legend of Derek Hill. Also, some thoughts about Tommy Pham, Andrew Painter and the putrid American League.

The Phillies took care of business in dramatic fashion against the Nationals and now head to New York, where those terrible, terrible Mets just fired their manager. Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher break it down, as well as the Phillies' somewhat surprising All-Star vote finalists.

After losing Monday's opener, the Phillies made MLB history with two incredible 9th inning comebacks against the Washington Nationals in DC. The Good Phight's John Stolnis recaps an incredible week in the nation's capital. So many heroes! Is this team channeling the 2022 NL champs? Also, Justin Klugh joins the show to talk about his book, "Summer of the Cheap Weiners," and Hittin' Season Nationals Insider Ethan Stolnis (yep, they're related).

What a weekend it was as the Phillies destroyed the Mets at CBP over the weekend. John Stolnis, Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher discuss Harper's cycle and monster weekend, Schwarber's FOUR home runs, outstanding pitching performances and the Phils' upcoming schedule which features a lot of road games but a number of cupcakes along the way, too.

On Episode 1093 of Hittin' Season, John Stolnis of The Good Phight and Liz Roscher, Editor of SABR's Baseball Research Journal, discuss this week's most pressing Phillies topics. Trea Turner's struggles, grading Aaron Nola on the Nola Curve, Jose Alvardo's issues, and how you should feel about MLB's stances on the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

After another abysmal outing against the Marlins on Wednesday, Andrew Painter was sent down to AAA. Host John Stolnis of The Good Phight analyzes the decision, what Painter needs to work on and what the Phils will do to fill his slot in the rotation. Also, the Phillies took two out of three from Miami, an update on how Phillies players are faring in the All Star Game fan vote, and changes coming to the Home Run Derby.

If Jacob Misiorowski wanted to make a statement against the Phillies over the weekend, he made it, cementing himself as the front-runner for NL Cy Young Award and All Star Game starter. Cristopher Sanchez, well, not so much this time. On the latest Hittin' Season, John Stolnis of The Good Phight and Baseball Prospectus' Justin Klugh discuss the contrasting performances from the two stars, addressed the Phillies' outfield situation, and the continuing slump of shortstop Trea Turner.

The hot-hitting Phillies take on the Milwaukee Brewers this weekend, who currently lead the NL Central. Steve Drumwright of Pitcher List and Brewer Fanatic stops by to deliver a Brewers scouting report, and Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher talk about the Phillies' recent trade for a center fielder.

Ho hum, just another series win for the Phillies, who are now 28-12 under Don Mattingly following their victory on Wednesday over the Blue Jays. On Episode 1089 of Hittin' Season, the Good Phight's John Stolnis recaps the series. Also, is Mattingly overusing closer Jhoan Duran? And John opens the X and Blue Sky mailbag for a lot of trade deadline questions as the deadline draws ever closer.

Don't look now, but Brandon Marsh is suddenly one of the best hitting outfielders in baseball. But will there be a spot for him in the outfield in the All Star Game in Philadelphia next month? Hosts John Stolnis of The Good Phight, Justin Klugh from Baseball Prospectus and Liz Roscher of SABR's Baseball Research Journal discuss the All Star case for 6 key Phillies, Andrew Painter's future, and the offense's middle class finally starting to produce.

With the trade deadline on the distant horizon, let's talk about big, crazy ideas that aren't even close to reality yet: Like how according to some national baseball media members, the Phillies could be a potential landing spot if the Tigers decided to trade their ace, Tarik Skubal. Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher also discuss the Phillies' weekend opponent, the Chicago White Sox.

It had to end sometime and, in Wednesday night's 3-2 win over the Padres, Phillies starter Cristopher Sanchez' consecutive scoreless innings streak ended at 50 2/3 innings, 5th-most in MLB history. Host John Stolnis of The Good Phight breaks down the incredible numbers of his historic run. Also, a recap of the first two games of the Padres series, Nick Castellanos is DFA'd in Philly, and an update on top prospect Aidan Miller's balky back.

Through 59 games, the Phillies are sporting their lowest batting average in franchise history and their 5th-lowest on-base percentage. How low can they go? Will it get better? On Episode 1085 of Hittin' Season, John Stolnis of The Good Phight, Baseball Prospectus' Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher, editor of SABR's Baseball Research Journal, discuss why the Phils' recent 4-2 west coast road trip to San Diego and Los Angeles felt less than great. Also, as Nick Castellanos makes his return to Philly for the first time this week, what level of booing should he expect?

After a clean sweep of the Padres, the Phillies' road trip goes through Dodger Stadium for three games against the league's toughest team. Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher discuss the Phillies' recent history and potential future L.A., as well the CBA negotiation proposals submitted by MLB owners and the MLB Players Association this week.

Cristopher Sanchez is now the Phillies' all-time leader in consecutive scoreless innings, a remarkable achievement for the best left-handed pitcher in baseball. On Episode 1083 of Hittin' Season, John Stolnis of The Good Phight breaks down Sanchez' historic achievement with some eye-popping statistics and retells the legend of how Sanchez developed into a Cy Young contender. Also, the Phils swept the Padres in San Diego thanks to solid starting pitching, great bullpen work, and an offense that did just barely enough to squeak by. Up next, the Dodgers!

After losing two out of three games to the Guardians over the weekend, the Phillies are a team of two sides. Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sanchez and Andrew Painter were tremendous. The offense, however, was in deep hibernation. On Episode 1082 of Hittin' Season, John Stolnis of The Good Phight and Liz Roscher of SABR's Baseball Research Journal discussed the highs and lows of this Phillies team, why they're both ready to trade for Mike Trout, and whether they would trade offenses with the Washington Nationals right now.

The Phillies dropped their first series of the Don Mattingly era and will look to bounce back against the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians this weekend. Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher talk about it, as well as some might-have-been's and a couple of never-will-be's.

Well, it happened. After six straight series wins since Don Mattingly took over as manager, the Phillies finally lost a series, to the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park. On Episode 1080 of Hittin' Season, The Good Phight's John Stolnis recaps how it happened. Also, have you heard about the Tarp's Off craze that's sweeping MLB? And John previews a tough stretch of 12 games coming up against some of the best teams in MLB.

The Phillies, perhaps baseball's hottest team, had a spectacular weekend in Pittsburgh. John Stolnis, Justin Klugh, and Liz Roscher talk about Cristopher Sanchez's start, Kyle Schwarber's Schwarbombs, Bryce Harper going to dead center, and more!

The Phillies took two out of three in Boston thanks to some great pitching and timely Schwarbomb-ing—though Bryson Stott found a couple of ways to come up big, too. Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher recap the games as the team heads to Pittsburgh, where ace Paul Skenes is waiting.

The Phillies have split the first two of their three-game series with the Red Sox in Boston, with outstanding starting pitching from Zack Wheeler and Andrew Painter and a quiet few days in Beantown from the bats. Host John Stolnis of The Good Phight recaps all the action, and chats with baseball writer Tim Brown, author of a new Nolan Ryan biography "Nolan: The Singular Life of an American Original."

Buy Tim's book here: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/tim-brown/nolan/9781538726525/

Kyle Schwarber. Alec Bohm. Bryce Harper. Cristopher Sanchez. In yet another series win under Don Mattingly against the Rockies, the reborn Phillies featured many heroes over the weekend. But who was the star of the show? John Stolnis, Liz Roscher and Justin Klugh peruse those questions and wonder whether Justin Crawford possesses the gift of "clutch." Also, they make fun of the Mets a little.

Some of the most comforting starting pitching of the season led to the Phillies taking a series from the A's—even if Andrew Painter couldn't get them to stop smashing his fastball in the finale. Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher talk about the series and what to expect this weekend against the Rockies.

Don Mattingly's magical ride as Phillies manager continued as the team returned to Philadelphia for a three-game series against the Athletics, winning the first two games and earning their third straight series win since firing Rob Thomson. On Episode 1074 of Hittin' Season, host John Stolnis of The Good Phight discusses outstanding outings from Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sanchez, heroics by Bryce Harper, Bryson Stott, Brandon Marsh and Edmundo Sosa, and a challenge from Harper to Mattingly about playing time for his teammate.

The Phillies are 6-1 under new manager Don Mattingly after winning three of four games against the Marlins in Miami over the weekend. On Episode 1073 of Hittin' Season, John Stolnis, Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher break down some terrific starting pitching performances, a big weekend from Bryson Stott and Bryce Harper, and why the Phillies would be nuts to trade for Mike Trout. Yes, we're having this conversation again, apparently.

The Don Mattingly Era got off with a bang as the Phillies wiped out the Giants at Citizens Bank Park this week, including two walk-off wins and a doubleheader sweep! Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher talk about the big moments of that series, and then Ely Sussman of Fish on First comes by to give a little insight into the Phillies' weekend opponent, the Miami Marlins.

Phillies legend and Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt joins host John Stolnis on this edition of Hittin' Season, discussing the Phillies' slow start to the season and what it means to the players in the clubhouse when a manager is fired in-season. Also, Mike shares his thoughts on whether he would have liked to play in an era when six teams, not two, make the playoffs from each league, and how he sees the labor situation in MLB shaking out this off-season. Also, the Don Mattingly era is officially underway. Can he right the ship?

After a 9-19 start, the Phillies have fired their manager, Rob Thomson. Hosts John Stolnis, Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher react to the news many had anticipated, their reported failure to hire Alex Cora to replace him, and how Don Mattingly can help the team try to claw their way back from a disastrous first month.

After another series loss in Atlanta, the Phillies entered their off-day Monday with serious questions about the future of their coaching staff and their manager, Rob Thomson. Will Dave Dombrowski make major changes after a disastrous week against the Cubs and Braves? And does the Red Sox' firing of Alex Cora increase the odds of Thomson being let go? Hosts John Stolnis, Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher discuss on an all new Hittin' Season, powered by WHYY.

Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher look back at the Phillies' current nine-game losing streak, an increasingly and historically awful start to the 2026 season. From unique pitching statistics to endless offensive plummets, there's not much going right for the Phillies so far.

The Phillies have lost 8 games in a row heading into Thursday's series finale against the Cubs in Chicago, and show no signs of pulling out of their early season slump. Is Rob Thomson in trouble? How desperate are the Phillies? Host John Stolnis is joined by Jeff Warren of the Philadelphia Sports Table to discuss the team's awful start and whether it has already submarined their chances of reaching the postseason.

The Phillies were swept by the Braves at Citizens Bank Park over the weekend, the continuation of a brutal homestand. What's going wrong? Is Rob Thomson's job in jeopardy? John Stolnis, Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher run down their favorite terrible Phillies stats of the season's first three weeks. Also, who is more likely to pull out of their early funk, the Phils or the Mets, losers of 11 in a row?

The Phillies have had some problem areas to start the 2026 season ... but stats indicate they may not be problems forever. Try some medical-grade coping as Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher talk about how (and when) the Phillies might turn things around while the hot, hot Braves come to town for a weekend series.

Jesus Luzardo got blown up again, the offense continues to be mostly MIA and injuries are making their way through the bullpen. Other than that, the Phillies are doing great! John Stolnis and Justin Klugh recap another Phils series loss, this one to the Cubs at home, and discuss whether Justin Crawford and/or Andrew Painter should get contract extensions sooner rather than later.

Another series loss in which the offensive went limp, the starting pitching was inconsistent and the bullpen blew a late lead Sunday. All in all, a typical 2026 Phillies series thus far! John Stolnis and Liz Roscher discuss the Phils' series against the Diamondbacks. How much rope does manager Rob Thomson and hitting coach Kevin Long have? Is the fanbase the unhappiest it's been since the beginning of the rebuild?

The Phillies had a rough final two games in San Francisco. Will a return to Citizens Bank Park get them going again? On a new Hittin' Season, hosts John Stolnis and Liz Roscher discuss their level of concern and potential fixes, including lineup changes and the validity of moving on from their hitting coach. Also, Justin Klugh previews this weekend's series against Arizona with Diamondbacks beat writer Nick Piccoro.

The Phillies won a series against the Rockies in Colorado over the weekend, thanks to an offensive outburst on Friday and solid pitching throughout. Up next, a trip to San Francisco and the struggling Giants. Is this the year the Phils finally win a series at Oracle Park? Join John Stolnis, Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher as they discuss Jesus Luzardo, Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler's rehab and Jo Adell's insane home robberies over the weekend as well!

Bryce Harper homered, Edmundo Sosa did it all, and Justin Crawford walked it off to finish the Phillies homestand. Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher talk about some Phillies progress at the plate, the Mets' three-game slide, and how Aaron Nola has pitched at homer-happy Mile High Stadium.

The Phillies win their first series of the season thanks to the contributions of their two prized rookies, Justin Crawford and Andrew Painter. On this edition of Hittin' Season, host John Stolnis of The Good Phight recaps the series against the Washington Nationals and how the kids saved the Phils from a nightmarish result against one of baseball's worst teams. Also, Rob Friedman, a.k.a., the creator of Pitching Ninja, stops by to talk about his new book "Unhittable," and discuss who his favorite Phillies pitchers to watch are.