Nine games.
That's all it took for this fanbase to cycle through every possible emotion. Championship confidence. Full-blown panic. A walk-off that made us cry. A slump that made us want to throw our TV off the roof. And somehow, the subreddit is now about Wawa.
We are nine games into the season and Philly baseball fans are already completely unhinged.
Honestly? Wouldn't have it any other way.
The Kids Are Running This Thing
Let's start with the best part.
Justin Crawford is 22 years old. He's the youngest Opening Day starter in center field since 1972. And through his first six games he's hitting .412 with a walk-off RBI single against the Nationals that had Citizens Bank Park sounding like it was October.
Twenty-two. Walk-off. First week.
Then there's Andrew Painter. Also 22. Made his big league debut and struck out 8 in 5.1 innings. Fastball touching 98.7. Three different pitches generating whiffs. Stopped the team's first losing streak of the season like it was nothing.
These two weren't supposed to be the story this early. They were supposed to ease in, get their feet wet, figure it out.
Instead they're carrying us.
And we are completely fine with that.
The Bryce Harper Roller Coaster (Already)
Bryce started the year 2-for-24.
Two. For. Twenty-four.
The reaction was exactly what you'd expect from a fanbase that pays 35-75% more for tickets than they did three years ago. Season ticket prices went from $2,854 on the low end to... well, let's just say some people are paying five figures to watch a .083 batting average through five games.
One fan told Axios: "I kind of feel robbed. I want an elite result. That's what we're paying for."
That's the energy right now. We're financially AND emotionally invested. This isn't casual. This is leveraged.
Then Bryce went and launched a 424-foot bomb to right-center against the Nationals and suddenly everything was fine again.
That's the thing about Philly. We will write your obituary at 7:15 PM and name our firstborn after you at 7:16.
Opening Day Was Actually Electric
Before the spiral started, Opening Day was legitimately great.
Cristopher Sanchez went 6 scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts and 3 hits allowed. Ten Ks on Opening Day. That's ace behavior and we should talk about it more.
Schwarber did what Schwarber does — two-run opposite-field homer, his third Opening Day bomb in five years as a Phillie. At this point it's tradition. Like the Phanatic riding the ATV. Like your first overpriced beer of the season. Like throwing on something fresh for Opening Day.
Bohm added a three-run shot. Rangers got handled 5-3. The vibes were immaculate.
And then the team went and made it complicated. Because of course they did.
The Wawa Situation
If you're not on the Phillies subreddit, you're missing one of the greatest coping mechanisms in the history of sports fandom.
The team started slow. The subreddit responded by converting the entire page into a Wawa fan subreddit. Different banner. Different content. Full commitment. The rule is simple: it stays Wawa-themed until the Phillies go on a winning streak.
This is the most Philly thing that has ever happened on the internet.
Two beloved institutions. One acts up, so you redirect your emotional energy to the other. It's not even a protest. It's therapy.
We're 5-4 with a $250 million payroll and the subreddit is debating hoagie rankings. This is fine.
A Rangers Broadcaster Chose Violence
Quick side note: a Texas Rangers broadcaster decided to take a shot at Philly fans for leaving games early.
Brother.
We have been here through 10,000 losses. We watched this team lose 100 games and still showed up. We tailgate in parking lots when it's 28 degrees.
A broadcaster from a team whose stadium is half empty in the playoffs wants to talk about US leaving early?
That's not a take. That's a declaration of war. And Philly fans treated it exactly like one.
We're still here. We're always here. Even when the subreddit is about Wawa.
Where This Season Is Actually Going
Look. It's April 6th. The team is 5-4. That means absolutely nothing and also everything, depending on what minute of the day you ask a Philly fan.
Here's what actually matters:
The pitching looks real. Sanchez is an ace. Painter looks like the future arrived early. The rotation has depth.
The power is still there. Schwarber's going to hit 40-something homers. Bohm came in hot from spring training. Harper's 424-foot reminder was exactly that — a reminder.
The rookies are legit. Crawford isn't a feel-good story. He's a starter. And he might be the most exciting player on the roster right now.
And Citizens Bank Park is hosting the All-Star Game this summer. The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. In Philadelphia. At our ballpark. With new food spots, a GHOST Energy Deck in left field, LaScala's FIRE bringing South Philly Italian-American cooking to the concourse, and Wilt's Chocolate Smothered Berries from Reading Terminal.
This season has everything it needs to be special.
We just have to survive April without burning it all down first.
The Bottom Line
We're nine games in. The vibes are chaotic. The emotions are irrational. The subreddit is about convenience stores. A 22-year-old is our best player. And somehow, despite everything, the feeling underneath all the noise is this:
This team is going to be really good.
We might lose our minds getting there. But that's never stopped us before.
Grab some game day gear and settle in. It's going to be a long, beautiful, emotionally devastating season.
And we wouldn't want it any other way.
