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The Phillies lost 99 games this year. They finished with the worst record in baseball and finished 27 games out of first place in the National League East.
The Phils' run differential of -183 was the second-worst in baseball (only the Atlanta Braves' -187 was worse). They were 27th in runs scored, 28th in home runs, and 29th in OPS.
They had no starting pitcher finish with more than six wins, the first time in baseball history that's happened. Their team ERA was 29th in baseball. Jerad Eickhoff finished the season with the most fWAR among Phillies starting pitchers, and he pitched only eight games.
The 2015 season was very, very bad, at least as far as the wins and losses are concerned. But of the four major Philadelphia sports teams, their performance this season has been the best so far.
In 2015, the Philly team (4 major pro sports) with the best win pct is the Phillies, who had worst record in MLB pic.twitter.com/88UHqCoBV9
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 27, 2015
Yep, that's right. Following the Eagles' 45-14 loss to the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day, the Eagles, Sixers and Flyers all have a lower winning percentage than the Phils during the 2015 calendar year.
It has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad season of professional sports in Philadelphia.
But not only do the Phillies have the best record among the four major sports teams, they also have the most momentum, and hold the most promise that better days are ahead, sooner rather than later.
The Eagles could soon be saying goodbye to their head coach, who has put together a disaster of a roster and has seen his players stop playing for him. The Sixers are 0-16 to start the season and are one loss away from setting the record for most consecutive losses in pro sports history, having lost 26 straight dating back to last season. And the Flyers are in a rebuilding mode of their own, but, like the Phillies, have a number of young players in the minors that offer hope.
The Phillies will have the No. 1 pick in the draft this year. They have a farm system that is generally regarded as one of the 10 best in baseball, and perhaps a top-five system. They have already seen some encouraging play from some of their youngsters at the Major League level, with Aaron Nola, Maikel Franco, Aaron Altherr, Odubel Herrera, Ken Giles and Eickhoff all turning in solid performances this year.
The Phils have a new general manager and, for the first time in a long time, a front office that seems to understand how baseball is played in the 21st century.
In short, there are good vibes surrounding the Phils, even if they are headed for another 85-90 loss season in 2016.
As we watched the Phillies mercifully end their season in early October, it certainly didn't seem like they could be regarded as the city's best sports franchise.
But after this disaster of an Eagles season, the continued tanking of the Sixers, and the rebuilding Flyers, it is the Phils that appear to be the closest to returning to relevance.
Perhaps that speaks more to low expectations than anything else.