For Major League Baseball teams, a team's culture and chemistry is paramount to gutting through the grueling season - and according to World Series champion Ryan Howard, it outweighs a team's talent.
uncertain
it → gutte → talent
MLB plays 162 regular-season games in about 180 days, from the end of March until the beginning of October.
asserted
MLB → play → October
Spring training starts in the middle of February, and if a team makes a deep postseason run, the season may not end until the end of October.
uncertain
season → start → October
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners.
uncertain
page → contain → partners
If you sign up or place a wager, FOX News may be compensated.
uncertain
News → sign → wager
This content was created by a team that works independently from the FOX newsroom.
asserted
that → create → newsroom
During the long and arduous season, players see each other more than they see their families.
asserted
they → see → families
Philadelphia Phillies legend Ryan Howard told OutKick that a strong clubhouse culture and team chemistry outweigh the team’s talent.
asserted
culture → tell → talent
"Every team has talent, but I always say if you have the culture and chemistry.
asserted
you → have → culture
That culture and chemistry will outweigh talent, any day.
asserted
culture → outweigh → talent
To where you put the two together, you're unstoppable," Howard told OutKick in a recent interview.
asserted
Howard → put → interview
Howard, who spent his entire 13-year career with the Phillies, said it was the coaches who established the clubhouse’s culture.
asserted
who → spend → culture
"I think for us, it started from the top with the coaching staff.
asserted
it → think → staff
When you have coaches that give you a positive environment every single day that you show up, it's loose, it's lax, you've got coaches that you know are gonna go and they're gonna fight for you, no matter what, on the field, off the field.
asserted
they → have → field
You create that environment and it makes it easier for the players to all want to be able to get along," Howard said.
asserted
Howard → create → environment
"When you have people that have the mindset of, hey, we want to win, not want to win, we expect to win.
asserted
we → have → mindset
So, when everybody shows up with that mindset, day in and day out, you know the work that's gonna need to go in and your coaching staff is helping to continue to grow that environment, man, it makes it so easy."
asserted
it → show → environment
The 2006 NL MVP said that when the coaches put in the same amount of work, if not more, than the players do to help them become the best they can possibly be, you can’t ask for anything more as a player.
uncertain
you → say → player
In addition to helping everyone become the best players they could be, Howard pointed to the coaching staff holding players accountable as a critical part of a good clubhouse.
uncertain
players → help → clubhouse
The three-time All-Star recalled a time when one of his managers pulled shortstop Jimmy Rollins from a game due to a lack of effort.
asserted
one → recall → effort
"The manager had to get on my man, young James, Jimmy Rollins, for not running out a fly ball, taking him out of the game.
asserted
manager → have → game
For hitting a pop fly and not running hard down to first base or something like that," Howard said.
asserted
Howard → hit → that
Howard said that in a good clubhouse, coaches aren’t the only ones holding players accountable; the players do so as well.
asserted
players → say → clubhouse
Howard said that on one occasion, Rollins got on outfielder Shane Victorino for jogging after a fly ball.
asserted
Rollins → say → ball
"It's one of those things where it's like, all it took is that one time for you to tell me.
asserted
you → take → me
And I got it.
asserted
I → get → it
And then the next play, it's like, all right, you're sprinting after the ball or you're sprinting out of the box, you're doing it, all it takes is one time because as you said, it's a long season.
asserted
it → sprint → it
So sometimes you're gonna have those little mental lulls and all that stuff," Howard said.
asserted
Howard → go → lulls
"But when you can have the people there to kind of help keep you accountable, again, all it takes is that one time or that that one kick in the butt just to kind of get you back on track and then you're back moving where we need you to go.
asserted
you → have → track
"
PHILLIES ISSUES
The Phillies were eliminated by the Atlanta Braves last week in the National League Wild Card Series, and the future looks bleak.
asserted
future → eliminate → Series
After making the World Series in 2022, they have regressed year after year.
asserted
they → make → year
In 2023, they lost in the NLCS, lost in the NLDS in 2024 and 2025, and now in the Wild Card round this season.
asserted
they → lose → round
Since 2022, the team has maintained the same core but has still not managed to get over the hump and win a World Series title.
asserted
team → maintain → title
The issue for the Phillies is that the core of first baseman Bryce Harper (33), designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (33), shortstop Trea Turner (33), catcher J.T. Realmuto (35), starting pitchers Zack Wheeler (36), Aaron Nola (33), Jesús Luzardo (29) and Cristopher Sánchez (29) is only getting older.
asserted
core → designate → Harper
"It's interesting because having been somewhat in that position where teams I was on, it's like, hey, at some point, your team continues to age, and you continue to get older, and it's like, when do you hold on?" Howard said.
asserted
Howard → continue → point
He cited the length of many of the core players’ contracts as an issue for the team because they are harder to move in a trade.
asserted
they → cite → trade
Harper’s deal runs through 2031, Schwarber’s through 2030,
asserted
deal → run → 2030
Turner’s through 2033, Realmuto’s through 2028, Wheeler’s through 2027, Nola’s through 2030, Luzardo’s through 2031 and Sánchez’s through 2032.
Compounding the Phillies’ problems, their farm system was ranked 26th in the sport by MLB.com, meaning there aren’t any immediate options to supplant struggling stars.
asserted
system → compound → stars
Howard said something has to change for the Phillies, whether players are moved or not.
asserted
players → say → Phillies
"If you can't necessarily move people, then what you gotta do is, is you gotta change.
asserted
you → move → what
…and 12 more, not listed.
The Aporia
