After a treacherous schedule in June, the Phillies managed to stay afloat during a tough stretch. Now, a week into July, the Phillies have managed to climb atop the NL East. Tied for the division lead, 85 games into the season, things are starting to get real and it is time to believe.

One thing Gabe Kapler does not lack is confidence. After a less than encouraging start, he proclaimed his belief that the Philadelphia Phillies would make the postseason. This kind of statement has worked out well for Philly sports teams in the past.

Who could forget Jimmy Rollins’ prophetic “team to beat” message in 2007? As you might remember, the Phillies won the NL East that year, proving Rollins remarks true and clinching Philadelphia’s first postseason berth since 1993.

Claude Giroux boldly announced that the Philadelphia Flyers would make the playoffs in 2016 after one of the worst starts imaginable for a hockey team. Just a few short months later, the Flyers beat their rival Pittsburgh Penguins and marched on into the postseason.

When Kapler made these comments in late March, people scoffed at the notion. Not because the Phillies lack young talent but because in their first series the Phillies looked immature and incapable of even going 500. An inexperienced manager with a young team is not exactly the blueprint for success.

Major League Baseball is now 85 games into their 162 game season, just past the halfway point, and the Phillies remain in the divisional race. Scratch that, not just in the race, but tied for first place with the Atlanta Braves and claiming the third best winning percentage in the National League.

162 games provide a long season. It’s not uncommon for young teams to get off to hot starts then fade during the summer months. This could have been the fate of the Philadelphia Phillies. However, the team survived a difficult June and proved they are here to stay.

Last week, the Phillies improved their record to 44-37. In 2017, all eight teams that achieved 44 wins through 81 games made the postseason. This should encourage Philly fans, it’s now July 6 and there is a big enough sample size to believe this team can win the division.

The biggest positive that can be drawn is the Phillies plate patience. Led by veteran Carlos Santana, the Phillies lead the league in walks per game. This is rare for such a young team. Philadelphia does not have anybody that you can count on for a batting average in the 300s. However, this high level of walks makes up for that and gives the Phillies much needed baserunners.

How do the Phillies capitalize on these walks? Professional hitting. They rank 11th in sacrifice flies and sacrifice hits per game. They also are in the top half of the league in least runners left in scoring position per game. This means the Phillies plate runs at a slightly above average rate when given the opportunity.

The Phillies offense will not light the world on fire. They are not the New York Yankees but their analytical approach has paid great dividends at the plate, leading to timely hitting. This professional approach has also somewhat masked the Phillies’ high strikeout rate problems.

If the Phillies did not possess such great plate patience, we would be looking at a sub-500 team, not a contender.

The other positive is that the Phillies can justifiably buy at the trade deadline later this month. The Phillies have not been in position to do this since they traded for Hunter Pence in 2011. It is a great thing when you can give up some prospects and not feel like you are mortgaging the team’s future.

Having said this, the Phillies are not in a position to trade for Manny Machado. Nonetheless, they could try to upgrade at third base or right field and try to sure up their bullpen. Sometimes it’s the small move that leads to the postseason. See “Joe Blanton; 2008.”

Matt Klentak sees an opportunity to give his team a real chance at winning the division, you can bet he will try to make a move too increase that chance.

With a less than difficult schedule in July, the Phillies have a real opportunity to grab the division lead and give themselves an edge over the Braves. This would encourage the front office to buy at the deadline and make the postseason a reality.

Lastly, the Philies young guys can keep learning from the veteran acquisitions. It’s easy to see what the hitters have learned from Carlos Santana. It’s also fair to say that the rotation has benefited greatly from Jake Arrieta. An experienced reliever would teach and improve the young bullpen as well.

Odubel Herrera, Maikel Franco, Aaron Nola, and Cesar Hernandez have all been here for a few years. These are not young prospects anymore; these are guys ready to win.

Behind great starting pitching, good plate presence, and above average managing, Phillies baseball is fun again. Gabe Kapler was not being irrational, he knew what he had here and injected life into his ball club. He knew this team was capable of success, and now they are proving it. It’s now time to believe.

Charles Carbonetto