It should be duly noted that when I begin to discuss how hot the Philadelphia Phillies, a major league baseball team, is, I’m referring to attractiveness, not gameplay. Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge Phillies fan and have been since birth. I’ve been to numerous games, three this past season, and in recent years started paying more attention to the rules of baseball, how other teams are doing, and why some plays are so amazing to see. Despite all this, I am not a baseball expert. However, I believe I am an expert in men’s hotness, especially because some people (sorry to call you out) swear up and down that this or that celebrity is hot when he in fact is not. Too many people are delusional these days! All in all, the Philadelphia Phillies are for the girls, gays, and straight men who can recognize attractiveness, regardless of gender.
With the playoff season underway, it’s more important now than ever that the Phillies do what they know best. In my opinion, the team knows how to have a great come back, usually at the last possible second. And while this gives me near heart attacks every game, they have a great record of managing to pull off the win. The reason why they are able to do this so often is due to the team’s personality. Yes, 99% of them are attractive, but what makes them so hot is their calm, cool, and collected nature.
I can’t talk about the team’s calm approach in games without mentioning Phillies’ manager Rob Thomson, nicknamed Topper. This man is the definition of calm, cool, and collected. Even during the most high-pressure innings or games, Topper can be seen with a blank face watching his players on the field. This creates a comfortability and stability between the coaches and players. It’s clear Topper believes that his players can pull out the win. And when his players get heated with umpires, he walks toward the umpires with a composed energy, whereas a lot of other managers run out yelling and swearing. Topper’s calmness is more scary than any other manager yelling. To add to this thought, I’ve rarely seen him be thrown out of games. This proves that it’s not just up to the players, it’s a full clubhouse effort.
About two months ago, the official Phillies Facebook page posted a photo of left-handed pitcher Cristopher Sánchez mid-pitch with the caption “Calm, cool, and collected Cris.” In the game against the Texas Rangers, Sánchez threw 101 pitches throughout six innings with six strikeouts. However, I’d argue that his best game was against the Boston Red Sox, where he pitched a complete game in which he struck-out 12 batters. This season has been great for Sánchez as seen in his 2025 regular season ERA (earned run average) of 2.50 (the lower the better). Even with his great stats, many fans questioned why Sánchez was not among those selected for this year’s All Star Game. I believe this was a complete snub! He absolutely deserved a spot in that game. Either way, the pitcher, “calm, cool, and collected Cris,” has been great for Philly and I’m glad he’s going to be sticking around for a while.
Far too often I’m seeing clips of professional athletes crashing out on the field. And while sometimes it’s reasonable, I think it’s hard to come back from that emotion in the sports world. We’ve already seen it happen to Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm, who just a few years ago was seen saying “I fucking hate this place” after striking out. The initial impact was outrage from both the MLB and Phillies fans. Many commented that if Bohm hated Philly so much, then why doesn’t he just leave, with many more adding on how the team would be better off without him. After the game, he stated in an interview, “Emotions got the best of me. Do I mean it? No. It’s a frustrating night for me.” Years later, Bohm’s frustrated remark is barely criticized anymore, instead, it’s celebrated. Now the phrase is printed on t-shirts and hoodies that fans wear on a regular basis. I think this is largely due to Bohm acknowledging his distasteful comment and becoming more calm over the years. While he still tends to take off his helmet and protective equipment on home base after striking out, it’s great that he learned not to become too outwardly frustrated when things don’t go the way he wanted.
Now, some of these crash outs are necessary. All-Star MVP Kyle Schwarber has been completely hot this season. He had 56 home runs and 132 RBIs (runs batted in) this year. His 2025 season shows how collected he is. However, one of my favorite moments in baseball is when he lost his shit on umpire Ángel Hernández. This umpire worked for the MLB for over 20 years, and despite the amount of experience, he wasn’t that great at his job. Early in the 2022 season, the Phillies' emotions became fiery after nine shutout innings against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citizens Bank Park. After a called strike three from Hernández, Schwarber, who was getting ready to walk to first base thinking the pitch was the fourth ball, slammed his bat on the ground, flung his helmet, and went straight towards Hernández. Schwarber was immediately ejected from the game, but that didn’t stop him. The batter let profanities fly as his hand movements showcased exactly what he was saying. According to Schwarber, Hernández was calling balls strikes and strikes balls for not just the Phillies, but the Brewers too. As I’ve stated, I think it’s important for this team to stay composed, but this particular game is a special case because it wasn’t just Schwarber who was frustrated. All batters, pitchers, and coaches from both teams felt the same emotion throughout the entire game.
At the end of the day, no matter what the Philadelphia Phillies do, I will be supporting! While I can go on and on about the many crazy moments that show how truly passionate they are, the team absolutely needs to stick to this calm, cool, and collected demeanor they carried throughout the regular season. This can be a key factor in their winning the World Series, which the MLB recently predicted them to do (internally screaming, crying, praying this prediction becomes reality). There’s nothing hotter than men who know what they want and go for it. And the World Series title, ring, and glory is a clear reflection in the Phillies’ eyes.
Written by Emily Fadako
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