<br><div><aside class="gnt_em gnt_em__fp gnt_em_vp__tp gnt_em__el" aria-label="Video - "This is a pivotal year" Alex Rodriguez talks about pressure on the Yankees this season"/><p class="gnt_ar_b_p" id="block-ff80a9a9-fa30-4767-806e-97faaf67d1b3">So, what happens if the <a target="_blank" href="https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/baseball/mlb/teams/philadelphia-phillies/246/" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">Philadelphia Phillies</a> are only now heating up?</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p" id="block-bacdcdaa-c496-4155-be1b-7796ed5e2b3b">The Atlanta Braves would rather not ponder that question, certainly. The Phillies, who <a target="_blank" href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/gabe-lacques/2023/10/13/philadelphia-phillies-mlb-playoffs-bryce-harper-nick-castellanos-nlcs/71165231007/" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">knocked NL East champion Atlanta out of the playoffs</a> the past two years did so only after suffering through grim and discouraging Aprils.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">This month has been anything but.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">The Phillies are closing out the month on a heater, winners of eight of their last 10, including a stirring sweep at San Diego. At 19-10, they're barely off Atlanta's major league-best 19-7 pace.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">It's a stark contrast to 2022, when the Phillies were a .500 team after a month, and last year's 25-30 start that included significant struggles from new shortstop Trea Turner. Well, Turner is producing at an MVP clip already, and no club is getting better starting pitching.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p"><strong>MLB SALARIES:</strong> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":body nav (mlbSalary)|e|auto spike click:5|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a" href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2024/03/19/highest-paid-mlb-baseball-player-2024/72469509007/">Baseball's top 25 highest-paid players in 2024</a></p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">Little wonder that the Phillies are making moves in USA TODAY Sports' power rankings.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p" id="block-dd999a4c-88ff-4b9e-b443-4e5f90423a47">A look at this week's rankings:</p><figure class="gnt_em gnt_em_img"><img class="gnt_em_img_i" style="height:440px" fetchpriority="high" data-g-r="lazy" data-gl-src="https://www.usatoday.com/gcdn/authoring/authoring-images/2024/04/29/USAT/73495725007-usatsi-23132419.jpg?width=660&height=440&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp" data-gl-srcset="https://www.usatoday.com/gcdn/authoring/authoring-images/2024/04/29/USAT/73495725007-usatsi-23132419.jpg?width=1320&height=880&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp 2x" decoding="async" alt="Trea Turner slides to score a run against the Padres."/></figure><ul id="block-f6152471-4c24-489b-b89b-0740aa371e10" class="gnt_ar_b_ul"><li class="gnt_ar_b_ul_li">Marcell Ozuna has driven in 31 runs in 26 games.</li></ul><ul id="block-21d0f75c-ac35-4722-93b8-3413267faf17" class="gnt_ar_b_ul"><li class="gnt_ar_b_ul_li">We may have reached the "and they never looked back" portion of this program.</li></ul><ul id="block-4f9aa10a-4c07-4de0-881a-81a69775ff8e" class="gnt_ar_b_ul"><li class="gnt_ar_b_ul_li">Bullpen a mess after two blown Craig Kimbrel saves – with Yankees in town next.</li></ul><aside aria-label="advertisement" class="gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al"/><ul id="block-5ec791b7-aa03-4c81-b946-6bb181ab6dfb" class="gnt_ar_b_ul"><li class="gnt_ar_b_ul_li">AL's No. 2 team ERA (3.08) clashes against No. 1 OPS (.773) in Baltimore.</li></ul><ul id="block-5f9fa214-ead5-48c7-b615-6efa6f7008fa" class="gnt_ar_b_ul"><li class="gnt_ar_b_ul_li">Impressive showing even if they should've won two of three against Atlanta.</li></ul><aside aria-label="advertisement" class="gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al"/><ul id="block-6bc0d597-a92d-49fa-85a4-92fca9107119" class="gnt_ar_b_ul"><li class="gnt_ar_b_ul_li">Alec Bohm's 1.056 OPS makes lineup a real temple of doom.</li></ul><ul id="block-5ca98496-ff1b-4f86-a506-562b0c5283ab" class="gnt_ar_b_ul"><li class="gnt_ar_b_ul_li">Gave up 30 runs in two games to Yankees.</li></ul><ul id="block-d8142fdf-1b9a-4454-a846-2f87708d032f" class="gnt_ar_b_ul"><li class="gnt_ar_b_ul_li">Center fielder TJ Friedl should start a rehab assignment this week.</li></ul><aside class="gnt_em gnt_em_anc" id="gnt_atomsnc" data-g-r="lazy" data-gl-method="loadAnc" aria-label="Newsletter signup form"/><ul id="block-b7675509-0410-4226-ab00-5f9ffbd1b29a" class="gnt_ar_b_ul"><li class="gnt_ar_b_ul_li">Cody...</li></ul></div> <style> .wrapper { text-align: center; } </style> <div class="wrapper"> <a class="button" href ="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2024/04/29/mlb-power-rankings-philadelphia-phillies/73495069007/">Read more <span>➤</span></a> </div>
