With World Series in mind, Philadelphia Phillies determined to "get off on the right foot" in 2024
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Heading into Opening Day, the Philadelphia Phillies — and their fans — have their sights set on the World Series trophy, which several players said during spring training means they must get off to a strong start.
The Phillies are looking for a brighter start to the season than the last two years, with second baseman Bryson Stott telling CBS Philadelphia Pat Gallen they need to "get off on the right foot this time."
Philadelphia is slated to start the season with a three-game series at home against the Atlanta Braves, then take on the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park. The Phils then hit the road to play the Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals.
Last year, the Phils lost six of their first 10 games. In 2022, when they reached the World Series and lost in Game 6, they also won just four of the first 10.
Stott acknowledged those bumpy starts.
"We haven't started good the past couple of years," he said, "and that's a big thing — we want to start fast, and it feels like last year we started 0 and 4 … and we look up and we're 10 games back, and it's something you don't want to do."
The 2023 team went on to lose the National League Championship Series in seven games to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Stott said the Phillies have moved past that, but they haven't forgotten how it felt.
"I don't know if we'll ever get over that feeling of needing one more game three times," Stott said, "and I don't know if that feeling is ever going to go away. But the best you can do is go out and get back there and make sure that doesn't ever happen again."
Shortstop Trea Turner said the Phillies have the World Series in mind this year, but the team's mindset is to "focus on today."
"We're all trying to work on those things [that need to be improved] now, knowing that Opening Day is coming fast and that's when it starts," Turner said. "If you don't play well from day one and those first 162, then you don't even get a chance to accomplish that goal."
Turner, who struggled early in the season last year, said he is looking forward to consistently getting back to his old form.
Right-handed pitcher Orion Kerkering echoed that sentiment.
"Everyone's super hungry to get there, actually, and finish the job this year and just be able to go from the get-go instead of that slow start," Kerkering said, "but just jump from game one, ready to go all the way till probably game 180, whatever it might be."
Whit Merrifield, a new addition to the team this season, is also thinking beyond the regular season. He said he signed with the Phils for the chance to win a championship.
"Why ultimately I chose this place is because I think this team has as good a chance [as] anybody, if not the best chance, to hoist that trophy at the end of the year," he said. "And that's what our focus is, and that's what we're going to try to do."
Until then, as Stott said, "the ultimate stat is wins and losses."
