It’s September, and baseball will begin to separate the contenders from the pretenders.

As for the Phillies, they are in contention for the NL East title and the top Wild Card spot. They began Wednesday’s play as the league’s top Wild Card team.

They just posted a 21-7 record in August, their best monthly mark since going 22-8 in September 1983. That season, they ended up in the World Series.

The way the Phillies have been playing overall, with their collective hitting and stellar pitching, it’s easy to envision them making a run to the World Series. If the postseason opened today, the Phils would face the Cubs.

Is it far-fetched that the Phils can get to the World Series? It’s not as crazy as one may think.

The road ahead will be a challenge with Atlanta twice, along with Washington, Milwaukee, the Mets and Tampa Bay. But for the past month, the Phillies arguably have been the best team in baseball.

Yes We Can: In the Phils’ last seven games, their starting staff has allowed three runs or fewer and has a combined ERA of 1.68. Offensively, the team has hit .271 with six homers during that span.

During their 2008 championship run, the Phillies were 76-63 through 139 games, compared to 79-60 at the same point this year. In 1983, they were 72-67, and in 1980 they were 76-63.

The Phillies, four games behind the Braves, can put themselves in a much better position in the NL East when they open a four-game set in Atlanta Friday night.

Can You Say MVP?: Since August, Bryce Harper has been playing at an MVP pace. If he continues, he should receive serious consideration for his first MVP award since 2021.

In his last 31 games entering Wednesday, Harper was hitting .336, and had reached base in 34 straight games. He had five homers, 19 RBIs and 33 walks during that stretch.

Overall, Harper was hitting .270 with 27 homers, 80 RBIs, 100 walks and a .903 OPS.

Mixed Feelings: In a recent Times News Facebook poll, the question was posed whether Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has done a good job building the bench and bullpen.

The overwhelming majority believed Dombrowski had done a somewhat good job with both, while 13 percent liked the job he had done and seven percent didn’t care for his moves.

The Re-al Deal: One Phillie who may get overlooked is catcher J.T. Realmuto. The 35-year-old’s back has bothered him, and he has dealt with other nagging injuries, but has remained a steady presence behind the plate.

Entering Wednesday’s game, Realmuto was hitting .312 in his last nine games with two homers and five RBIs. He hit .221 in August, after batting .292 in July.

On the basepaths, Realmuto has thrown out 41.2 percent of attempted base stealers.

His overall numbers — a .224 average with 10 homers and 45 RBIs — aren’t overwhelming, but Realmuto continues to be a steady force in the lineup.

Cort-ing Nestor: The Phils may have an ace in the hole with veteran starter Nestor Cortes, who was signed as a free agent Aug. 19 and has been working at Single-A Clearwater.

Cortes, who spent parts of five seasons with the Yankees, was traded to the Brewers in December 2024. He struggled to stay healthy and produce in Milwaukee before eventually landing with the Padres.

With the Yankees, Cortes was 33-20 with a 3.61 ERA over 85 starts and 126 appearances. He’s also remembered for giving up Freddie Freeman’s walk-off grand slam in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series.

The 31-year-old lefty gives the Phillies another insurance policy for the stretch run and could see time in September. Cortes initially was viewed as a possible fifth-starter option, but Andrew Painter has emerged in that role.

An All-Star in 2022, Cortes had a strong four-year stretch with the Yankees from 2021-24, posting a 3.33 ERA and 1.076 WHIP across 489 innings.

Here Comes The Judge: Aaron Judge could return from his rib injury next week when the Yankees begin a homestand with the Rockies and Mets.

Judge has been out since May 31, and the Yankees have managed to remain in the playoff hunt without him, due in large part to their pitching.

For the season, the 34-year-old Judge is hitting .248 with 17 homers and 38 RBIs in 59 games with a .907 OPS and .375 on-base percentage.

Judge could be the difference in helping the Yankees get past the Rays for the division, but it will again come down to his performance in the postseason.

Mets Musings: Since manager Carlos Mendoza was fired with a 34-47 record on June 26, the Mets have tried to find some stability under interim skipper Andy Green.

There seems to be a strong bond between Green and his players, although questions remain about who will manage the club next season.

Rookie outfielder Carson Benge has made a strong impression with his combination of power, speed and defense. Fellow rookie A.J. Ewing has also shown promise.

Meanwhile, longtime prospects Brett Baty and Mark Vientos could be running out of opportunities, as neither have lived up to expectations.

The Mets also have some promising young arms who could figure prominently in their future plans.

If you’re a Mets fan, there are at least some reasons to feel good about next season.

Plenty Brewing: Except for diehard fans, many may have overlooked the Brewers this season, who entered Wednesday’s play with the best record in baseball.

The Brew Crew have an abundance of young talent led by pitching phenom Jacob Misiorowski, who entered Wednesday with a 14-4 record, 1.73 ERA and 222 strikeouts.

Milwaukee also has received contributions throughout its lineup, with Brice Turang, William Contreras, Jackson Chourio and others helping fuel one of baseball’s best teams.

Manager Pat Murphy began his coaching career at Notre Dame, where he posted a 318-116-1 mark from 1988-94. He also had a stop at Arizona State before eventually reaching the major leagues. He has guided the Brewers since 2024.

This Brewers bunch is for real, and cannot be overlooked.

Scrapbook: In each column, I will look back at a former standout from our area.

Charlie “Chink” Connely manned the helm of Marian’s baseball program for 15 years, and also served two years as an assistant coach.

He compiled an overall record of 192-101, and a league mark of 154-53. His teams qualified for districts in 14 seasons, and captured several championships along the way.

In 1980, ’81 and ’82, his teams won the Hughie McGeehan League championship. The 1981 Colts also won the District 11 Class 2A championship, and advanced to the final eight in the state tournament.

In the Hughie McGeehan League, Connely’s Colts were Southern Division champions in 1980, ’81 and ’82. After moving to the Schuylkill League, Marian won Division II South titles in 1984, ’88, ’89 and ’90.

Your thoughts are always welcome and will be published; email them to tnsports@tnonline.com.

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