Philly Leader

Trea Turner recalls the fall of 2019 vividly. He won the World Series with the Nationals that year. The Nationals secured a Wild Card win over Milwaukee, triumphed against the Dodgers in the NLDS, and swept the Cardinals in the NLCS. They then faced Houston in Game 1 of the World Series seven days later.

A layoff like that is often believed to disrupt a hitter's timing and hinder an offense. This belief was echoed by the Braves after losing to the Phillies in both the 2022 and 2023 NLDS. However, despite their break, the Nationals won their first two World Series games and ultimately claimed their first championship.

Turner believes that postseason layoffs are not necessarily detrimental. “I think it’s just an excuse if you want it to be,” Turner said. “It’s a good time to rest if you want it to be.”

The Phillies concluded their regular season on Sunday and will play Game 1 of the NLDS at Citizens Bank Park six days later.

“We’re going to be prepared,” Turner stated. “It’s going to come down to who plays better baseball at the end of the day.”

Following a day off on Monday, Phillies players will resume training on Tuesday. Pitchers will throw, hitters will practice, and some may face live pitching or use high-velocity machines for simulation.

“We’re going to do everything we can,” Bryson Stott mentioned.

An intrasquad game is scheduled for Wednesday with umpires, crowd noise, and walkup music included. When asked about adding incentives beyond bragging rights, Phillies manager Rob Thomson remarked, “I’m thinking about that because I think there should be a carrot out there.”

However, he humorously dismissed offering cash prizes: “You know how much these guys make?” Thomson said with a smile.

The team plans further workouts on Thursday and Friday to ensure they remain sharp during their layoff period.

“Even though you’re not playing games, just be locked into the work that you are doing,” Nick Castellanos advised his teammates.

Under MLB's latest postseason format, teams with first-round byes have had mixed results over two years: eight teams have gone 3-5 in Division Series matchups; two reached Championship Series; one won the World Series—the 2022 Astros.

Phillies president Dave Dombrowski has experienced long postseason layoffs before with mixed results from his previous teams—the Tigers lost both times after extended breaks between ALCS wins and World Series starts in 2006 and 2012.

“I've had other clubs call me because when they've had it, they know I've been through it,” Dombrowski shared. He emphasized maintaining batting sharpness as crucial during such periods: "That's a challenge."

Dombrowski pointed out hitting coach Kevin Long's experience with Washington's successful handling of layoffs and assistant hitting coach Rafael Pena’s experience with Houston's effective performance post-layoff.

“We've had a lot of conversations about it," Dombrowski noted. "Some guys will benefit more by resting, but I do think that you have to put a focus on still keeping your intensity levels up.”

Reflecting on past experiences might help maintain focus for this year's playoffs: “I would think it'd be a very big reminder,” Dombrowski said.

Turner reiterated that success boils down to fundamentals: “Just the technology and drills... should be good enough to keep us sharp,” he said. “It’s still going to come down to playing good baseball.”