Not many expected the Philadelphia Phillies to pull off a run to the World Series after they went through a roller-coaster first half of the season. From being eight games under .500 to president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski’s decision to fire manager Joe Girardi and replace him with Rob Thomson, the first few months for Philadelphia were quite hectic.

Fast-forward to October, and the Phillies are set to meet the Houston Astros in the 2022 World Series. Multiple factors played into the Phillies’ turnaround in the regular season and their run to winning the National League. For one, Thomson, as he told MLB insiders Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman on “The Show” podcast, opted to roll with a “consistent batting order” in an effort to up the production on offense.

“We went to a kind of a consistent batting order,” Thomson said. “We kept guys in the same spots. I thought that our experienced guys felt that they were more comfortable knowing the night before where they were going to hit, who was hitting around them. They could talk through situations.”

Related NewsArticle continues below
Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) gestures as he rounds the bases on a solo home run in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.
Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber jokes about 500 home runs after mammoth No. 300
Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) is interviewed after the game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.
Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber makes trade to get 300th home run ball back
Texas Rangers pitcher David Robertson (37) reacts after getting the games final out against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.
Phillies rumors: Philadelphia linked to David Robertson amid Jose Alvarado suspension

Girardi regularly mixed up his lineups during his run as Phillies manager earlier this season. He called on four different players to bat leadoff and also moved multiple veteran hitters around in the lineup, including his call to have Harper slot into the No. 2 hole in back-to-back games.

After Thomson was named the Phillies' interim manager on June 3, he pushed to keep it simple with the team's go-to lineup. Among the changes that he made during the regular season, he elected to have Kyle Schwarber, Rhys Hoskins, and Harper regularly fill the top three spots in the batting order.

The Phillies are now looking to cap off the campaign with their first World Series title in 14 years.