Phillies trade acquisition could be an unexpected postseason X factor

When the Philadelphia Phillies acquired Harrison Bader from the Minnesota Twins, no one could have expected an All-Star performance from their new defense-first outfielder. 

The Phillies traded for him out of necessity. Bader brought two things to Philadelphia that their outfield sorely lacked: a solid bat and a reliable glove. At the time he was traded, during the waning minutes of the trade deadline, the former Gold Glover was hitting .258/.339/.439 with 12 home runs. 

Now, Bader is the Phillies lead-off hitter, batting .331/.389/.500 with four home runs since the trade. If the season were to end today, Bader would post career highs across his slash line and tie his career-high 16 home runs. More importantly, his late-season surge couldn’t come at a better time for the first-place Phillies as they are set to enter the postseason. 

Bader’s bat has certainly been a notable X factor for Philadelphia during the brief time he has been there. But for the Phillies and their World Series pursuit, Bader could soon play a pivotal role. 

A look back at Harrison Bader’s 2022 postseason rampage 

In five trips to the postseason, Bader saw more than 12 at-bats only once. In 2022, as a member of the New York Yankees, Bader reached what has, thus far, been the pinnacle of his career. In that postseason, he saw a total of 30 at-bats, hitting five home runs with a .333/.429/.833 slash line. The Yankees would ultimately fall short, suffering four-game ALCS defeat at the hands of the Houston Astros and ending a brilliant stint for Bader.

The stars haven’t always aligned for Bader like in that postseason. Still, his current trajectory heading into this postseason is very encouraging. And whether it was the bright lights of the playoffs or just a hot streak at the right moment, Bader’s previous postseason success equates to valuable experience the Phillies can benefit from. If he can replicate what he did in his only postseason with the Yankees – or even if he can keep doing what he is already doing – this postseason could be a good one for the Phillies.

Bader’s bat and glove have already added a whole new dynamic to one of MLB’s most potent teams. This postseason, the outfielder who was acquired as a replacement-level player might just be the surprising X factor that drives the Phillies to the World Series.