Franchise-record 8 All-Stars reflection of what Phillies have done, not what they want to be

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Having a franchise-record and MLB-high eight All-Stars is a reflection of what the Philadelphia Phillies have done so far this season, not what they expect to be when it is all done.

Especially after how they finished each of the last two seasons.

“Our goal as a group is very straightforward, and that’s to win the World Series,” reliever Jeff Hoffman said Monday before the All-Star Game workout. “Obviously this is a nice accolade on the way there, but our goals are more lofty than this.”

These Phillies have a 62-34 record that is the best in baseball, and their most wins ever at the All-Star break. They have an 8 1/2-game lead over the Atlanta Braves in the NL East.

“We definitely had a pretty dang good first half,” first baseman Bryce Harper said. “I think when you have a good team, you have depth. Just a lot of fun as a group, from the top down.”

Harper, shortstop Trea Turner and third baseman Alec Bohm were all voted by fans as All-Star starters. The Phillies then became the first team to have five All-Star pitchers, with three from their starting rotation that leads the majors with a 3.22 ERA.

“I don’t think we think we deserve anything. I think it’s just more so, it’s a pretty hungry group,” Bohm said. “I think we’ve gotten close enough two times to where there’s some hunger there for sure.”

Philadelphia in 2022 made its first World Series since 2009, and lost in six games to Houston.

The Phillies didn’t make it back last October, even after winning the first two games of the NL Championship Series and then returning home for Game 6 with a 3-2 lead and postseason standout Aaron Nola on the mound. They instead lost twice at home to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“No one’s going to talk about the eight Phillies that made the All-Star Game unless we win the World Series,” reliever Matt Strahm said. “It’ll be remembered when they won the World Series and had eight All-Stars, so it’s we all have one goal in mind, and this is just a stop along the way.”

Strahm wasn’t with the Phillies during their World Series run two years ago, but was signed with them as a free agent right after that.

“Last year being with the team, you could feel feel it from the guys that came up short the year before, and I mean just feed off it,” he said. “Day one spring (this year), it didn’t even feel like we said hi. Like we were just let’s go, and we all knew. ... It’s just an open wound until we fix it.”

Neither Zack Wheeler or Ranger Suárez will pitch in Tuesday night’s game, though both have 10-4 records. Left-handed Cristopher Sánchez (7-4, 2.96 ERA) is a first-time All-Star pick, as are relievers Hoffman and Strahm.

Wheeler skipped his scheduled start Sunday and is using the break to recover from nagging back issues, while Suárez is being held out as a precaution after experiencing tightness and spasms in his lower back after his start Friday night.

That leaves the Phillies with six players available to take part in the All-Star Game at the home of the Texas Rangers, who last year had six players in the Midsummer Classic — then went on to win its first World Series title in five games over Arizona.

“We’re just as good as anybody. We’ve got that that grind and hard work with us, you know, from our fans and our city,” Turner said. “But we also know that we’re really, really good, and we can compete with anybody on the biggest stage, so we’re confident and we’re hungry.”