In life, consistency should always be viewed as a good thing.
As it turns out, this extends to professional sports and, to be more specific, baseball.
Finding a consistent lineup will put the offense in a better position to succeed: everybody becomes familiarized with the spot, with his role, and with what’s expected from him.
The Philadelphia Phillies are a perfect example of this.
“The Phillies have used the same top 6 in batting order in each game this postseason: Schwarber-Hoskins-Realmuto-Harper-Castellanos-Bohm. If they do again tonight, will be 15 straight games, tying the longest such streak by a team in a single postseason — held by the ’09 Phillies,” MLB statistician Sarah Langs tweeted.
The Phillies have used the same top 6 in batting order in each game this postseason: Schwarber-Hoskins-Realmuto-Harper-Castellanos-Bohm
If they do again tonight, will be 15 straight games, tying the longest such streak by a team in a single postseason — held by the ’09 Phillies
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) November 2, 2022
The seventh, eighth, and ninth hitters may vary, but the first six are untouchable.
That’s an important development because the Phillies’ offense depends on the production of those first six batters: Schwarber, Hoskins, Realmuto, Harper, Castellanos, and Bohm.
The Phillies Offense Depends On The Top Six Hitters
The rest of the lineup might contribute from time to time, particularly Jean Segura and Brandon Marsh.
However, the Phillies’ chances largely depend on that top six, and more often than not, they produce at the plate.
As Langs states, the Phillies may tie their own record of 15 games using the same top six hitters in the lineup.
Back then, in 2009, they were Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth, and Raul Ibanez.
It’s both odd and noteworthy that they are doing it, 13 years later.
One of the reasons why Philadelphia’s offense has been so productive in the postseason is because manager Rob Thomson hasn’t tinkered with the foundation of his offense too much.
The Phils are now a couple of victories away from declaring the city an official celebration zone.
