There are some common threads between 2007 Phillies and current team, and differences

The 2021 Phillies would love to follow the path of the 2007 squad to the National League playoffs.

The ’07 Phils trailed the NL-leading Mets by seven games with 17 to play, only to go 13-4 the rest of the way to win the division by one game while New York closed out the campaign 5-12. The 89-73 Fightins to clinch the division with a 6-1 victory over the Nationals in the Sept. 30 regular-season finale at Citizens Bank Park.

While there are certainly some differences between the two teams, there are common threads, too.

For starters, the 2007 Phillies boasted the NL MVP in shortstop Jimmy Rollins. Rollins had 212 hits, 38 doubles, 20 triples, 30 home runs, 94 RBIs, 41 stolen bases in 47 attempts and batted .296. He also received the first of four NL Gold Gloves for his defense.

The 2021 Phils have a legitimate MVP candidate in right fielder Bryce Harper who, like Rollins, is a team leader. Harper headed into Tuesday with 32 doubles, 32 homers, 72 RBIs, 12 steals in 14 tries, a .307 batting average, an MLB-leading OPS (On-base Plus Slugging) of 1.032 and a Slugging Percentage of .611 (second in the majors).

The 2007 Phillies had an unquestioned ace in Cole Hamels, who finished 15-5 with a 3.39 ERA and a WHIP of 1.124. Zack Wheeler (13-9, 2.86 ERA, 1.019 WHIP) is the clear No. 1 starter on the ’21 Phils. There was/is quite a drop-off to the rest of those rotations.

Charlie Manuel’s ’07 Phillies ended a 14-year playoff drought that dated back to the heartbreaking 1993 World Series loss to Joe Carter and the Blue Jays, while Joe Girardi’s team is trying to reach the postseason for the first time since the 2011 squad was edged by the Cardinals in the divisional round.

In 2007, a starting pitcher (Brett Myers) became the Phillies’ closer out of necessity. In 2021, Ranger Suarez needed to move from closer to the starting rotation.

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The ’07 Phillies ended up second in the NL East from 2004-06, highlighted by being two games back in 2005. The current Phils missed a wild-card berth by one game in their abbreviated schedule a year ago, albeit in an expanded playoff field and with a losing record (28-32).

There are plenty of differences between the two clubs, too.

For example, the 2007 team was far more dangerous at the plate than this club, holding edges in batting average (.270 to .240), slugging percentage (.458 to .409), runs scored (892, No. 1 in the NL, to a projected 731) and striking out much less (7.44 times per game to 8.65).

There is no first baseman like Ryan Howard (47 homers, 136 RBIs in 2007) on the current club, let alone second baseman Chase Utley (.332 average, 48 doubles, 22 homers, 103 RBIs) or center fielder Aaron Rowand (.309, 45 doubles, 27 homers, Gold Glove in ’07).

While the current Phillies (72-71) have a better ERA (4.45 to 4.73), the ’07 Phillies were more reliable defensively, committing fewer errors – 89 (fourth in the NL) to a projected 99 (13th).

The 2007 trip to the playoffs, which resulted in a divisional-round sweep by the Rockies, set the stage for the Phillies’ 2008 World Series championship.

All of this isn’t to suggest the 2021 Phillies are on the verge of a strong finish to secure a playoff berth. Based on their maddening inconsistency and struggles with sub-.500 clubs, that would be a leap of faith, even though they went into the Tuesday start of a home series with the Cubs only 2 1/2 games behind the Reds in the race for the second NL wild-card berth.

The 2007 Phils produced more timely hits and supported the pitchers with better defense, which are two essential elements to winning baseball. That explains a big reason for a plus-71 run differential in ’07, compared to the current Phillies’ -19.

Still, it’s interesting that there are several similarities between the respective Philadelphia teams 14 years apart.

Tom Moore: tmoore@couriertimes.com; @TomMoorePhilly