It feels like just yesterday Bryce Harper was being introduced as a Phil down in Clearwater, Florida during Spring Training. It’s hard to believe the season is already a month old. For a team with much anticipation and excitement surrounding it going into Opening Day, how have the Phillies fared so far?

 The season started off with a bang. In front of a sell-out crowd of 44,469, the Phillies’ bats backed ace Aaron Nola’s strong six innings in a 10-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Fans got to see the debuts of offseason acquisitions Harper, Andrew McCutchen, Jean Segura, and J.T. Realmuto in the new-look Phillies lineup, as well as David Robertson out of the bullpen.

 The Phillies got out to a hot start, sweeping the Braves in their opening series and going 7-2 through their first nine games. They have cooled off a bit, but the Phillies still find themselves on top of the NL East as they look to win the division for the first time since 2011. Through March and April, the Phillies have already played 21 games against divisional opponents, in which they have gone a solid 13-8. If they are to capture that division crown, they must keep up the solid play against their rivals.

 Pacing the Phillies in batting average, RBIs, and home runs so far is Rhys Hoskins. The Harper acquisition has done wonders for the Phillies first baseman, as he is seeing more hittable pitches batting cleanup and is on pace for a career year. Speaking of Harper, he is not off to a bad start himself, as he sits third on the Phillies in RBIs and home runs, and as many expected, first in walks.

 Also off to a hot start is third baseman Maikel Franco. Franco is currently second in RBIs and home runs, and has done so batting primarily out of the eight hole in the lineup. McCutchen, Segura, and Realmuto have all also been great additions to the top of the Phillies lineup and have helped revitalize an offense that finished 22nd in runs scored in 2018.

 The pitching staff needed to improve this year as well, and so far, the results have been a mixed bag. So far, the Phillies sit 14th in team ERA, a slight improvement from 18th last year. For all the changes, the team started the year with the same starting rotation they had for the majority of last year in Nola, Jake Arrieta, Zach Eflin, Vince Velasquez, and Nick Pivetta. However, Pivetta’s early season struggles have resulted in him being optioned to the minors in favor of Jerad Eickhoff. After spending nearly all of last season in the minors trying to rehab from a lat strain, Eickhoff has been solid since his return to being a regular in the Phils rotation, posting a 2.50 ERA in three starts.

 Arrieta, Velazquez, and Eflin have all played well in their first starts of the season, while surprisingly Nola, who finished third last year in voting for the NL Cy Young award, has struggled. The Phils ace sits with an ERA above five through seven starts. Look for him to return to form as the season progresses.

 As for the bullpen, the most notable headline comes from Adam Morgan, who just set a franchise record for most consecutive appearances to start a season without giving up a run with 16. The pen has had some shaky moments, but for the most part has been held down by the likes of Seranthony Dominguez, Pat Neshek, Héctor Neris, and the aforementioned Morgan. They should also get a boost in the coming weeks and months with the returns of Victor Arano, David Robertson, and Tommy Hunter from the injured list.

 Looking ahead, the Phillies will face some NL playoff contenders in the coming month in the St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, and Chicago Cubs. The first weekend in June also features a trip to Los Angeles to take on the Dodgers, who won the National League pennant last year. After a solid start to the year, the new look Phils will look to show they belong in the category of World Series contenders.