Phillies vs. Mets - June 8th to June 9th

2012 Topps Archives #161

2019 Topps 1984 Topps Baseball 35th Anniversary #T84-90

Saturday 1:10 and Sunday 10:10
London Stadium - London, England

At the Ballpark:  The long-awaited and highly anticipated London Series is here, and my only hope is it doesn't slow down the Phillies' momentum.  The Mets are the home team for Saturday's game with the Phillies as home team for Sunday's game.  There are all kinds of things going on before, during and after these games with a website dedicated to the weekend's happenings.

The Phillies and Mets are the second set of teams to participate in the London Series, following the Cardinals and Cubs series last year.  MLB Ambassador and former Phillies great Chase Utley is in the middle of the action, and I'd expect to see other former Phillies pop up in London throughout the weekend.

Philadelphia Phillies 44-19
1st Place in the N.L. East, 8 games ahead of the Braves

Phillies Probables
Ranger Suarez (9-1, 1.70)
Taijuan Walker (3-1, 5.73)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Alec Bohm - .291
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 44
Home Runs:  Bryce Harper - 14
RBIs:  Alec Bohm - 50
Stolen Bases:  Bryson Stott - 17

Wins:  Ranger Suarez - 9
ERA:  Ranger Suarez - 1.70
Strikeouts:  Zack Wheeler - 91
Saves:  Jose Alvarado - 11

New York Mets 27-35
4th Place in the N.L. East, 16 1/2 games behind the Phillies

Mets Probables
Sean Manaea (3-2, 3.63)
Jose Quintana (1-5, 5.17)

Mets Leaders
Average:  Starling Marte - .276
Runs:  Pete Alonso - 36
Home Runs:  Pete Alonso - 14
RBIs:  Three tied with - 31
Stolen Bases:  Starling Marte - 10

Wins:  Reed Garrett - 5
ERA:  Luis Severino - 3.25

Strikeouts:  Luis Severino - 58
Saves:  Edwin Diaz - 5

2024 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2024 Season Summary Index / 2024 Chachi Set Checklist

Getting Closer to Games - New Numbers are Here!

2023 Topps #283

2023 Topps #209

2023 Topps #176

2023 Topps #86

2023 Topps #145

It looks as if I skipped the "New Numbers" post last year, which I'll blame on the owners' lock-out that delayed the start of spring training.  One of the many milestones I look forward to each offseason is the assignment of new uniform numbers on the Phillies' website.  This is a hit or miss process as some years the numbers have arrived in spurts, very late or not at all.  I checked the roster page on Friday morning, noticing "--" listed as the uniform number for every non-roster invitee except Francisco Morales, and for most of the non-high profile new additions to the 40-man roster.  By Friday afternoon, uniform numbers had miraculously appeared and we're now that much closer to baseball returning.

Here's a look at the new players and their uniform numbers, who wore the number previously, and a few uniform number switches.

40-Man Roster

• #2 Josh Harrison (inf) - Worn by Jean Segura since 2019.  Harrison had worn #7 when he was in summer camp with the Phillies in 2020.
• #7 Trea Turner (ss) -  Johan Camargo wore #7 in 2022, and Turner will wear it through at least the 2033 season.
• #23 Kody Clemens (inf) - Corey Knebel last year.
• #25 Matt Strahm (lhp) - Strahm took the number from Darick Hall, who switched to #24.
• #30 Gregory Sosa (lhp) - David Robertson in 2022.
• #31 Craig Kimbrel (rhp) - Last worn by Jeurys Familia.
• #37 Andrew Vasquez (lhp) - This had been Odubel Herrera's number since 2015.
• #43 Yunior Marte (rhp) - Worn by Noah Syndergaard in 2022.
• #44 Jake Cave (of) - Kyle Gibson's former number.
• #47 Erich Uelman (rhp) - Worn very briefly last season by Chris Devenski.
• #56 Luis Ortiz (rhp) - This had been Zach Efllin's number since 2016.
• #99 Taijuan Walker (rhp) - Last worn by So Taguchi in 2008.  Prior to that, the only other #99 in franchise history were Turk Wendell and Mitch Williams.

Notable Non-Roster Invitees - 60 and Under

• #29 John Hicks (c) - Worn in 2022 by Nick Maton.
• #39 Vimael Machin (inf) - Worn briefly by back-up catcher Donny Sands.
• #41 Vito Friscia (c) - Belonged to Yairo Munoz last year.
• #50 Jon Duplantier (rhp) - Worn by Austin Wynns in spring training last year, and last worn in season by closer Hector Neris.
• #51 Ben Bowden (lhp) - Hans Crouse, still in the organization, wore this number for one game in 2021.
• #60 Louis Head (rhp) - Ryan Sherriff wore this number in spring training last year, Ramon Rosso wore it in 2021.

Uniform Number Switches

• #24 Darick Hall (inf) - Hall surrendered #25 to Strahm, and takes the number last worn by Roman Quinn.
• #73 Will Toffey (inf) - Toffey was active for one game in 2022 and wore #33, which now belongs to Edmundo Sosa.

Still Unofficially Retired

#6 Ryan Howard, #11 Jimmy Rollins, #26 Chase Utley, #35 Cole Hamels

Still Available - 60 and Under

#19, #48, #52, #54

#19 was worn by Matt Vierling in 2022, #48 was Vinny Nittoli, #52 was Brad Hand and #54 was Sam Coonrod.  I always suspect they're saving these for an acquisition that hasn't been  made official yet.  Coonrod was the latest departure, as he was claimed by the Mets off waivers on February 6th.

Memory Lane

2012 New Numbers

2013 New Numbers
2014 New Numbers - Part One and Part Two
2015 New Numbers
2016 New Numbers - Part One and Part Two
2017 New Numbers
2018 New Numbers
2019 New Numbers - Part One, Part Two and Part Three
2020 New Numbers

2021 New Numbers - Part One and Part Two

2022 New Numbers - Skipped it!

2023 New Numbers

Phils Ink Kimbrel for Bullpen; Jean Signs with Fish

2023 Chachi New Additions #5

2023 Chachi New Additions #4

2022 Topps Now Postseason #PS-120

2022 Topps Heritage #670

The National League Champions have been keeping busy since the holidays.  Reliever Craig Kimbrel (rhp), the major league's active saves leader with 394, was signed to a one-year, $10 million contract on January 4th, with Francisco Morales (rhp) being designated for assignment to clear 40-man roster space.  Kimbrel solidifies an already strong bullpen, and he'll join manager Rob Thomson's closer by committee program.  In 63 games with the Dodgers in 2022, Kimbrel was 6-7 with a 3.75 ERA and 22 saves in 27 opportunities.  His most recent baseball cards can be found in the Topps Heritage and Topps Update sets.

Before the Kimbrel signing was made official, the Phillies also announced they had acquired Erich Uelmen (rhp) from the Cubs for cash considerations.  Vinny Nittoli (rhp) was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.  Uelmen made his big league debut in July for the Cubs, and he'd pitch in 25 games, all in relief, earning a 4.67 ERA over 27 innings.  He had an autographed insert in the 2018 Bowman set, but he's been otherwise absent from major Topps releases.

There were also a few moves made with former Phillies, most notably with Jean Segura (2b) signing a two-year deal with the Marlins.  Segura was a key player for the team over the past four seasons, appearing in 427 games overall and batting .281 with 43 home runs and 176 RBIs.  He had a number of clutch hits last year in the regular and postseason, and made several unforgettable defensive plays as well. He'll be missed, and I'm sure he'll have a huge hit for the Marlins in the next two seasons against his former team.

Finally, Noah Syndergaard (rhp), a big acquisition for the club for the stretch drive, signed a deal with the Dodgers.  Thor appeared in just 10 regular season and four postseason games for the Phillies, going 5-2 in nine starts with a 4.12 ERA in August, September and early October.  He was the losing pitcher in Game 5 of the World Series against the Astros.

Departures - 2022-2023 Offseason

• Johan Camargo - inf (10/7/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Minnesota Twins, 11/27/22.
• Michael Kelly - rhp (10/14/22) - Elected free agency.
• Chris Devenski - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Los Angeles Angels, 11/28/22.
• Kyle Gibson - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Baltimore Orioles, 12/5/22.
• Brad Hand - lhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency.
• Corey Knebel - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency.
• David Robertson - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the New York Mets, 12/9/22.
• Noah Syndergaard - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, 12/16/22.
• Zach Eflin - rhp (11/7/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Tampa Bay Rays, 12/13/22.
• Jean Segura - 2b (11/7/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Miami Marlins, 1/4/23.
• Mark Appel - rhp (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.
• Jorge Bonifacio - of (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.
• Nick Duron - rhp (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.
• Yairo Munoz - inf (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.
• Bubby Rossman - rhp (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.

New Additions - 2022-2023 Offseason

• Luis Ortiz - rhp (11/9/22) - Claimed off waivers from the San Francisco Giants.
• Andrew Vasquez - rhp (11/9/22) - Claimed off waivers from the San Francisco Giants.
• Jake Cave - of (12/2/22) - Claimed off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles.
• Noah Song - rhp (12/7/22) - Selected from the Boston Red Sox in the annual rule 5 draft.
• Trea Turner - ss (12/8/22) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
• Matt Strahm - lhp (12/9/22) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Boston Red Sox.
• Taijuan Walker - rhp (12/16/22) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the New York Mets.
• Erich Uelmen - rhp (1/4/23) - Acquired from the Chicago Cubs for cash considerations.
• Craig Kimbrel - rhp (1/4/23) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Game 122 - Thor Drops the Hammer on Reds

2022 Topps Now #638

Phillies 4, Reds 1
Game 122 - Monday Night, August 22nd in Philadelphia
Record - 67-55, 3rd Place, 11 games behind the Mets

Post-Vacation Catch-Up II, Post 2 of 11

One Sentence Summary:  Thor pitched his best game yet in a Phillies uniform and Nick Castellanos drove in a pair of runs in this 4-1 win over the Reds.

What It Means:  The Phillies quickly put the Sunday night debacle against the Mets behind them with this relatively relaxing win over the Reds.

What Happened:  Noah Syndergaard allowed a solo home and three hits overall in his seven strong frames, with the unlikely duo of Sam Coonrod and Andrew Bellatti pitching the final two scoreless innings.  Castellanos and Bryson Stott hit back-to-back home runs in the second inning, with Castellanos adding an RBI-double in the third.  Alec Bohm continued to swing a hot bat, collecting three more hits and raising his season average to .292.

Featured Card:  Not including his Chachi card, Syndergaard has appeared on one Phillies baseball card so far, although he's pictured in an Angels uniform.  This is his Topps Now card released following his trade from the Angels in early August.

Transaction:  Tyler Cyr (rhp) was designated for assignment and Michael Plassmeyer (lhp) had his contract selected from Lehigh Valley.

2022 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2022 Season Summary Index / 2022 Chachi Set Checklist

2022 Chachi #59 Noah Syndergaard

#43
Noah Seth Syndergaard
Starting Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'6"  Weight:  242
Opening Day Age:  29
Born:  August 29, 1992, Mansfield, TX
How Obtained:  Acquired from the Los Angeles Angels for Jadiel Sanchez and Mickey Moniak, August 2, 2022
Contract Status:  Signed through 2022
Major League Teams:  New York Mets 2015-2019, 2021; Los Angeles Angels 2022; Philadelphia Phillies 2022

First Phillies Card:  N/A
Newest Card Added:  N/A
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (8):  2015-2022

0 - Syndergaard baseball cards in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 8/13/22.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2022 Chachi #59

2015 Topps Update #US157

2016 Topps #43

2018 Topps #600

2019 Topps #359

2022 Topps #584

2022 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2022 Season Summary Index / 2022 Chachi Set Checklist

2022 Chachi #58 Brandon Marsh / 2022 Chachi #60 Sam Coonrod

Phillies Add Marsh, Robertson, Thor at Busy Trade Deadline

Like most baseball fans, I spent a lot of the day Tuesday refreshing my Twitter feed at an unhealthy clip, waiting for any news of a Phillies trade.  I actually resigned myself to the fact the Phillies might not make any moves, and they'd be one and done with the minor trade on Sunday for shortstop Edmundo Sosa.  But as the clock moved closer to the 6pm deadline, and as I continued to refresh my browser, the Phillies made one move, then immediately another and then finally one last move with about 40 minutes to go.  I'm way more excited about these moves than I was about the deals made last year, and here's a look at the newest Phillies, former Phillies, and some of their baseball card offerings.

2022 Topps Variations #243

2022 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #1

Trade #1

Phillies acquire Brandon Marsh (of) from the Los Angeles Angels for Logan O'Hoppe (c)

I think this was the most questionable trade, as O'Hoppe is going to be a fine major league catcher soon and Marsh has struggled mightily at the plate.  But O'Hoppe is blocked by J.T. Realmuto for the next three seasons, and the Phillies have Marsh under control for I believe the next five seasons.  He slides into the everyday center fielder role and he's one of the top defenders in the game.

Marsh has cards dating back to 2017 with the Angels, and he's appeared in a bunch of sets so far this year including Topps flagship, Topps Gypsy Queen and Topps Heritage.  O'Hoppe has appeared in Phillies minor league sets dating back to 2019, and I'll be rooting for him as he progresses through the Angels' system.  To make room for Marsh on the 40-man roster, Odubel Herrera (of) was designated for assignment.

2020 Topps Total #274

2021 Choice Jersey Shore BlueClaws #4

Trade #2

Phillies acquire David Robertson (rhp) from the Chicago Cubs for Ben Brown (rhp)

This will be a shot at redemption for Robertson, who signed a big two-year deal before the 2019 season with the Phillies, and was limited to just seven games with the clubs due to an arm injury.  Robertson, Seranthony Dominguez and Brad Hand will all get work in the late innings for the Phillies.  He's already received more than a few Phillies cards, and he's not shown up in any mainstream baseball card releases since 2020.

Brown had recently been promoted to Reading, and he was one of the club's top pitching prospects.  The only card of his in my collection is from last year's BlueClaws team set.  To make room for Robertson on the 40-man roster, Jeurys Familia (rhp) was designated for assignment.

2022 Topps Variations #584

2021 Topps Heritage #653

Trade #3

Phillies acquire Noah Syndergaard (rhp) from the Los Angeles Angels for Mickey Moniak (of) and Jadiel Sanchez (of)

And finally, as a replacement for Bailey Falter in the starting pitching rotation, the Phillies went back to the Angels to acquire Syndergaard, the former Mets All-Star who is absolutely going to look strange in red pinstripes.  Syndergaard has made 15 starts for the Angels so far this year, going 5-8 with a 3.83 ERA. He has thousands of baseball card appearances, including his 2022 cards in the Donruss and Topps flagship sets.

Moniak, the Phillies' #1 pick in the 2016 amateur player draft, will look to reboot with the Angels.  In 47 games with the Phillies over the past three seasons, he batted .129 (12 for 93) with a double and a home run.  I have more cards of his in my collection than I care to admit here in public.  Sanchez had been player in Low-A Clearwater and I don't believe he's appeared on any baseball cards to date.

	Arrived During the 2022 Season	Date	Transaction
	Roman Quinn - of	4/9/22	Signed as a free agent formerly with the Miami Marlins.
	Oscar Mercado - of	6/27/22	Claimed off waivers from the Cleveland Guardians.
	Edmundo Sosa - ss	7/30/22	Acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals for JoJo Romero.
	Brandon Walsh - of	8/2/22	Acquired from the Los Angeles Angels for Logan O'Hoppe.
	David Robertson - rhp	8/2/22	Acquired from the Chicago Cubs for Ben Brown.
	Noah Syndergaard - rhp	8/2/22	Acquired from the Los Angeles Angels for Mickey Moniak and Jadiel Sanchez.
	Departed During the 2022 Season	Date	Transaction
	Ronald Torreyes - inf	4/26/22	Released.
	Roman Quinn - of	6/5/22	Granted free agency, singed with the Kansas City Royals, 6/9/22.
	James Norwood - rhp	6/18/22	Traded to the Boston Red Sox for cash considerations.
	Kyle Dohy - lhp	6/23/22	Released.
	Oscar Mercado - of	7/4/22	Claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Guardians.
	JoJo Romero - lhp	7/30/22	Traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for Edmundo Sosa.
	Mickey Moniak - of	8/2/22	Traded to the Los Angeles Angels with Jadiel Sanchez for Noah Syndergaard.