Wank's World: What You Can Expect to See From Phillies Down the Stretch

These are the major players of internet sports websites. They offer insight from "experts" and "insiders" of sports.

And if you visited any of these popular sites over the last three of four days, you most certainly came across a second-half preview of the baseball season, with an emphasis on what missing ingredient each team needs in order to make a run, some bold predictions, etc. 

Blah, blah, blah. 

Essentially every website on the face of the planet regurgitated the same stuff we've been hearing for most of this season.

Allow me to summarize, just in case you missed it.

The Phillies could use a right-handed bat to protect Ryan Howard. 

They could use an experienced arm in the bullpen.

And the names mentioned were the same ones we've been hearing for awhile now—Heath Bell, Jeff Francouer, Ryan Ludwick and Josh Willingham.

But, truthfully, nothing said or written matters right now. Nobody has an inkling as to what Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro plans to do at this point. Hell, Ruben Amaro probably isn't even certain about what is going to unfold between now and the trade deadline.

Sure. The Phillies could acquire one or two of these players, but it's also just as likely that the club isn't interested in some of them. The point is, anything written at this point is mere speculation, foolishly accepted by readers as Gospel. It's not.

So, I'll make an admission that most sportswriters seem to avoid this time of year—I have no idea what's going to happen. I can't tell you what positions the Phillies will upgrade or who they are looking at. But, damn, it sure is fun to guess. So here we go ...

1. The Phillies will win the NL East by more than five games.

We hear so much about the Phillies' futile offense, and rightfully so. They are too often held under three runs and need to find a level of consistency, but their offensive statistics across the board have risen over the last month. 

And while this starting unit is a far cry from the potent offenses of 2007-2009, it is still better than that of the Atlanta Braves. Nobody outside of Brian McCann and Chipper Jones strikes fear in opponents, and frankly, I'd much rather have three seasoned veterans in their collective primes when the air turns crisp than unproven commodities like Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson. Jurrjens has been terrific this season and has traditionally given the Phillies fits. But his secondary numbers suggest that he won't continue to pitch to the tune of a sub-2.00 ERA in the second half. I think it's fair to say the Braves are likely to regress than the Phillies in the second half.

2. The Phillies will not add a big-time bat before the trade deadline.

I'd love to see Hunter Pence or someone of that caliber come to Philly in late July, but I just don't see it. If anything, I think the Phillies are more apt to add a shutdown reliever and roll into the playoffs on the belief that dominant pitching can best dominant hitting. Not only would a reliever theoretically cost less in terms of salary, but in prospects, too. Again, just a hunch. 

3. Brad Lidge will rise from the dead.

Lidge gets roasted for delivering close to nothing after the 2008 season. And,let's be honest, he's been virtually useless. He's been both injured and ineffective, but for some reason, I don't think he's done quite yet. Lidge is currently close to wrapping up his rehab stint in the minors and has thrown the ball with conviction, something he's rarely done since waking up from his dream season in '08. While the Phillies bullpen has held up in the wake of crucial injuries, it needs veteran reinforcements. While I don't expect Lidge to be locking games down in the ninth, I think he can provide some valuable innings down the stretch. 

4. Mayberry up. Francisco down.

I'm not in love with John Mayberry. He's a flawed hitter with several holes in his swing, but he hits with some power and provides more versatility than his counterpart. Ben Francisco is a more seasoned player, but unfortunately even the best seasoning can't hide the poor quality of a product. When Shane Victorino returns next week, it won't be Mayberry who gets sent down. 

5. The Phillies will win the World Series. 

Best starting staff. Playoff experience. Less complacency after last year's early exit in the NLCS. I'd be wary of the Braves in a short series, but since both teams reside in the NL East, they can't meet in the NLDS.

Meanwhile, the Giants haven't scored more than six runs at home in any game this season. If a team hasn't scored more than six runs at home this late in the season, I'm sorry, the baseball gods have to intervene and prevent this squad from winning back-to-back titles. It's just not possible.

Who else scares you? The Cardinals? Brewers? Sorry, I just don't see it.