2018 was a long and climactic year for the Phillies. They entered the year with heightened expectations as the team looked much better in the second half in the 2017 season. They had new manager Gabe Kapler on board and made some intriguing moves during the offseason. In a National League East race largely wide open, they had the chance to do some damage in the division or in the wild-card race.
The season couldn’t have opened much worse for the team, but they quickly turned things around and held first place in the division through July.