Do you feel good about the Phillies?

How about Aaron Nola and the team’s closer situation?

Don’t worry. It may be better than you think. The Phils may be on track for one of their better seasons, thanks to strong team chemistry.

Yes, as of this writing early Monday evening, the Phils were in first place in the NL East with a 30-18 record and a 1.5-game lead over the slumping Mets.

Nola’s current status is alarming, but the 31-year-old right-hander should be able to turn it around. Projected closer Jordan Romano will need to find his mark since former closer José Alvarado is lost until mid-August, and can’t pitch in the postseason due to a performance-enhancing drug suspension.

There seems to be plenty of turmoil circling a first-place club.

In this week’s version of my Behind the Plate column, I’ll take a look at the current state of the Phils, as well as some baseball statistics and team tidbits.

Also, I’ll look back at a former Pleasant Valley and West Point standout.

Walk Softly and Carry a Big Bat ... When you look at their overall hitting stats, the Phillies are in the top half of Major League Baseball team leaders in several offensive categories.

They are third in batting average (.264), fifth in hits (434), 17th in home runs (51), eighth in RBIs (222), and, surprisingly, 11th in stolen bases (48).

However, when you look at their hitters, you get the feeling that no one is having a banner season — yet many are enjoying above-average campaigns. Among the starters, Trea Turner is hitting a team-high .305 with five homers, 14 RBIs and a team-best 10 stolen bases.

Bryce Harper has delivered some big hits and is quietly putting together a solid season, hitting .272 with seven homers and 30 RBIs. Kyle Schwarber is tied for the major league lead in home runs (17) and ranks eighth in RBIs (37).

Like Harper, Nick Castellanos is off to a good start with four home runs, 20 RBIs and a .281 average, but still needs to find his home-run swing. Bryson Stott has been steady with a .265 average, and Alec Bohm appears to be out of his slump at .264. Johan Rojas is finding his niche at .259, and Edmundo Sosa (.386) continues to prove how valuable he is as a utility man.

Who’s slumping? J.T. Realmuto has dropped to .228, and Max Kepler has battled through injuries while hovering around .230 all season. Brandon Marsh has slowly crept back, but still has a way to go.

No one is having a Shohei Ohtani– or Aaron Judge–type season, but this team looks to be meshing well.

Through their first 48 games last season, the Phils were 34-14. It’s hard to get overly concerned about a four-game difference.

Anxious About Aaron ... Since the start of the season, Nola hasn’t looked like himself.

He opened the year 0-5 with a 6.43 ERA in his first five starts, but bounced back with two impressive outings against the Cubs and Diamondbacks, allowing just one run over 13 innings.

Then things got weird.

Nola reportedly sprained his ankle May 8 while working out in Tampa Bay. He made his next two starts before going on the injured list. He gave up four runs in five innings against Cleveland, and nine runs in 3.2 innings against St. Louis.

After those two outings, he was placed on the injured list. That brought his record to 1-6 with a 6.16 ERA.

Nola is in the second year of a seven-year, $172 million contract. There was plenty of debate about whether the Phils should have signed him to such a long-term deal. Still, he has made 30 or more starts, and thrown over 180 innings in six of his 11 MLB seasons.

Overall, Nola is 105-86 with a 3.50 ERA, and has gone 5-4 with a 4.02 ERA in 10 postseason starts.

Former IronPig Mick Abel was impressive in his recent debut, and Taijuan Walker can also fill a starter’s role. The team is also expecting top prospect Andrew Painter to join the big-league club in July.

Stay tuned.

Closing It Out ... Romano continues to struggle despite his five saves. His ERA is 7.71, and he’s blown two saves. Orion Kerkering, a possible option, has three blown saves, and Joe Ross two.

The Phillies may turn to Matt Strahm, who has pitched to a 2.89 ERA with two saves.

There’s also chatter about bringing back 40-year-old former Phillie David Robertson, a free agent who really isn’t a true closer. Robertson had a 1-4 record with a 3.30 ERA and two saves in two stints with the Phils (2019, 2022). He pitched last season with Texas, where he went 3-4 with a 3.00 ERA and two saves. Robertson has 177 career saves in 16 MLB seasons.

Differential Thoughts ... One interesting stat to track throughout the season is a team’s run differential. It’s fun to see how it correlates with win-loss records.

Heading into Monday’s games, here were the top 10 teams and their records:

• Yankees, +86 (28-19)

• Cubs, +82 (30-20)

• Tigers, +81 (32-17)

• Dodgers, +60 (30-19)

• Mets, +52 (30-20)

• Giants, +46 (29-21)

• Cardinals, +44 (27-23)

• Twins, +35 (27-22)

• Padres, +35 (27-19)

• Reds, +35 (25-26)

The Phillies were 11th at +33 (30-18).

Bottom five:

• Rockies, -163 (8-40)

• Orioles, -89 (16-32)

• Marlins, -78 (19-29)

• Pirates, -67 (17-33)

• A’s, -64 (22-27)

A few interesting notes: Only three American League teams — the Yankees, Tigers and Twins — are in the top 10, while two — the Orioles and A’s — are in the bottom five.

Also, the Yankees’ +86 run differential has only translated to 28 wins. They are 5-9 in one-run games. The Reds have a +35 differential and still own a losing record.

Seeing Red ... With the recent loss of third baseman Oswaldo Cabrera to a fractured ankle, the Yankees may again pursue Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado.

The Yankees currently have Oswald Peraza, who has struggled to stay above .200, and D.J. LeMahieu, who is trying to regain his form as a former batting champion after a strong rehab assignment. There’s also rookie Jorbit Vivas, who has also struggled to hit over .200.

Through Sunday, Arenado was batting .247 with four homers and 14 RBIs. The 34-year-old is making $38 million this year and has two years left on his current contract. He would be reunited with former teammate Paul Goldschmidt, who is having a strong season in the Bronx.

The Cardinals would reportedly want prospects in return.

The Dodgers are also said to be interested, and could offer a pitcher from their deep farm system.

Could the Phillies enter the mix? Depending on their standing at the All-Star break, it’s a possibility.

Pushing for Pete ... In a recent Times News Facebook poll, 97% of voters believed MLB made the right decision in reinstating Pete Rose for potential Hall of Fame eligibility.

Scrapbook ... Each week, I’ll look back at a former local standout who extended his game to the collegiate or professional level.

Pleasant Valley’s Justin Kashner, a 2001 graduate, was a three-year letterwinner in both baseball and football.

In his senior year at Pleasant Valley, Kashner hit .419 with 13 RBIs, six doubles, nine runs scored, a .516 slugging percentage and a .546 OBP. He was named the Times News Player of the Year.

He went on to play at West Point, finishing with a 23-14 career record and a 3.04 ERA over four seasons. Kashner appeared in 49 games (42 starts) and tossed 12 complete games.

As a senior, he went 10-3 with a 2.68 ERA, leading the Cadets to an 8-5 win over South Alabama — the program’s first NCAA Division I tournament victory.

Your thoughts are always welcome. Email them to tnsports@tnonline.com.