The Phillies were expected to have a high-scoring lineup in 2019. Remember how good they looked in the first week of the season when they systematically dismantled the Braves, and there was all that “The top of the lineup is now the bottom!” talk?
The good times did not last. Andrew McCutchen got hurt, Odubel Herrera flamed out both on and off the field, and many of the hitters disappointed to some degree. The result was an offense that ranked somewhere in the middle of the National League in just about every major category, and most importantly, finished eighth in runs scored.