The Philadelphia Phillies’ early exit from the postseason at the hands of the New York Mets in just four games of the NLDS validated a point Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker made after a similar playoff collapse. One year after the Phillies eliminated the Braves in the 2023 NLDS, they found themselves facing the same disappointing fate.
The Phillies were motivated to avoid the same post-Wild Card fatigue that had been an issue for several playoff contenders with byes. However, Snitker’s warning from last year proved eerily accurate. After the Braves’ 2023 offensive powerhouse fell flat in the playoffs, Snitker pointed out the difficulties teams face after a lengthy layoff.
“It’s hard to hit velocity when you haven’t seen anything in five days,” Snitker explained. “That’s my biggest thing. We had a team that set all these records offensively, and we didn’t hit much in the postseason.”
While some saw this as an excuse for the Braves’ collapse, Snitker’s comment carried weight. The Phillies’ own offensive struggles in their 2024 NLDS loss seemed to follow the same trend.
Were the Phillies Wrong to Take Offense?
Back in September, when both the Braves and Phillies were battling for playoff positioning, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the Phillies took offense to Snitker’s remarks. They believed he was diminishing their 2023 NLDS win and implying that their success was due to the Braves’ layoff rather than the Phillies’ strong performance. Snitker, however, had no intention of undermining Philadelphia’s achievement but was vocal about his criticism of the postseason format.
“A number of Phillies took offense. They believe Snitker was making excuses and demeaning their back-to-back triumphs as a Wild Card over the Braves in the DS,” Rosenthal shared during a FOX broadcast.
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Snitker Had a Point About the MLB Postseason Format
Snitker’s issue was with the playoff format, which grants the top two seeds in each league up to five days off while the Wild Card series is being played. While this rest should, in theory, be an advantage, it often disrupts the rhythm of teams used to playing daily for six months. This is particularly true for hitters who rely on consistent timing to face elite pitching.
“I don’t like the system, quite honestly. We’re gonna have to deal with it,” Snitker said. “As an offensive player, when you’re not seeing velocity and you’re not in the flow of competition, it’s hard to score in the postseason.”
Ironically, Snitker’s Braves didn’t have to worry about a layoff this year, as they lost in the Wild Card series to the San Diego Padres. Having experienced the postseason pitfalls that Snitker had warned about, perhaps the Phillies will now see his comments in a new light.
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