Phillies Could Add This Experienced Slugger in September

The Philadelphia Phillies seem to be firing on all cylinders right now as we inch closer and closer to the playoffs, but there is no question the team could still use some reinforcements.

One area in which the Phillies have had issues all year long is lineup depth, and while their offense has definitely been better lately, another bat couldn't hurt.

That's why it makes perfect sense for Philadelphia to promote experienced outfielder Tommy Pham as part of September call-ups.

The Phillies signed Pham to a minor-league contract back in late June, and he currently owns an .805 OPS over 182 plate appearances at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Pham is not currently on Philadelphia's 40-man roster, so the Phillies would have to make a cut elsewhere to get him in the mix, but it might be worth it.

The 38-year-old is obviously not the same player he was in his younger years. If he were, he would be on a major-league roster right now. But he has playoff experience and was actually productive with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2025, slashing .245/.330/.370 with 10 home runs and 52 RBI across 449 trips to the dish.

Most notably, Pham is a very strong hitter in October, boasting a lifetime .315/.331/.492 slash line with six homers and 12 RBI in 37 postseason contests.

Yes, Bryan De La Cruz has been more than admirable as a right-handed outfield bat for the Phillies over the last month. Derek Hill has also been solid since being snatched from the Chicago White Sox earlier this season.

But having another veteran hitter on the bench never hurt, especially come playoff time when you will definitely need pinch hitters.

Active rosters can expand to 28 players in September, but they do have to shrink back down to 26 once the postseason begins. So Pham might not even be able to make the Phillies' playoff roster. But Philadelphia should give him a chance to compete.

Pham owns a career .764 OPS and is known for his plate discipline, as evidenced by his 11.2 percent walk rate since entering the big leagues in 2014. It's that type of savvy that sometimes helps put teams over the top down the stretch.