Despite active offseasons in recent years, the Philadelphia Phillies’ postseason drought reached nine years following a disappointing 2020 season.
In many senses, the Phillies have taken turns with the New York Mets being the most disappointing team in the National League East in recent seasons.
In 2020, the Phillies finished two games better than the Mets over the course of the shortened season. In 2019, it was a healthy Mets team that finished five games ahead of the Phillies. Neither made the playoffs in either season.
These are two teams who came into this past season with seemingly similar trajectories.