Facing Phillies’ Taijuan Walker makes every hitter Joe DiMaggio

The Athletic’s Jayson Stark was the one who pointed out the similarities. Hitters against Walker this year are hitting .353 with a 1.074 OPS. In 1941, DiMaggio hit .357 with a 1.083 OPS, which was aided by his remarkable 56-game hitting streak. No one in the 85 years since has come anywhere close to matching DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak.

DiMaggio picked up a hit in every game from May 15 to July 16, 1941. He won one of the most competitive AL MVP races in history that year, beating Ted Williams’ .406 batting average to win his lone MVP. The Phillies are not going to win many games if every single player they face is 1941 Joe DiMaggio.

Walker joined the Phillies on a four-year, $72 million deal before the 2023 season. In 89 appearances, he has a dreadful 5.12 ERA. He was a solid back-end starter in 2023, posting a 4.38 ERA in 31 starts. But since he has been a disaster, switching back and forth from the rotation to the bullpen.

Walker allowed four runs on eight hits in just four innings in Wednesday’s loss to the Cubs. Now that the Mets have broken their losing streak, the Phillies have the longest skid in the league and are tied for the worst record in the National League. Wheeler is in AA now and when he returns, Walker will almost certainly be sent back to the bullpen.

The Phillies look to break their streak in the series finale against the Cubs. Cristopher Sanchez faces Edward Cabrera in what should be a great pitching battle.