Exclusive: Matt Vasgersian explains why Phillies could be Dodgers’ kryptonite

The Philadelphia Phillies are an intriguing team. While they did not accomplish what many expected them to do at the MLB trade deadline given their need of a right-handed hitting outfielder, the Phillies still gave their lineup a boost by adding All-Star Luis Arraez. Did the Phillies do enough to be in a position to upset the Los Angeles Dodgers in a potential postseason series? MLB media personality and broadcaster Matt Vasgersian recently shared his thoughts on the subject and more.

Vasgersian is part of Netflix’s broadcast crew for the upcoming MLB Field of Dreams Game in Iowa on August 13 between the Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins. The MLB media star took some time before the upcoming matchup to discuss a number of topics in an exclusive interview with ClutchPoints. In the following interview, Vasgersian shared his thoughts on the Phillies and Twins, the National League MVP race between Shohei Ohtani and Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Dodgers’ biggest challenger this season and more.

ClutchPoints’ exclusive interview with Matt Vasgersian

Joey Mistretta (ClutchPoints): “Beginning with the Phillies, a lot of people felt that they needed a right-handed bat, an outfielder, that type of thing. They get Arraez, they’re going to move someone to first base, probably (Alec) Bohm and move (Bryce) Harper to the outfield. What are your thoughts on the Phillies’ outlook after the trade deadline, competing in a very competitive National League?

Matt Vasgersian: “Yeah, well they had to do something. They didn’t get the right-handed outfielder that everybody thought they were going to get. This, by the way, is three straight years of the same straight discussion, ‘We need help.’ It was Austin Hays one year, I know they kicked the tires on some other players last year that they didn’t end up pulling the trigger on. Pretty smart baseball front office… They couldn’t get the right-handed fix so the next best play is to go get the best available bat and they got an elite bat into kind of a strikeouty lineup. Like the perfect fit. Bryce goes back to right, as you mentioned Bohm to first. It feels like a really abrupt change, but it isn’t. I think they had to do something to shock the system internally a little bit because their lineup just hadn’t executed the way we all thought it was going to all year long. We always think (Kyle) Schwarber is going to hit 60 homers, Bryce is going to hit 30 and hit .300… It’s too much to ask of those two guys. By the way, (Bryson) Stott at third base looks real nice. I just think everything about this is positive for the Phillies.”

Matt Vasgersian shared his thoughts on the Phillies’ outlook after the trade deadline with me.

“It feels like a really abrupt change, but it isn’t… They had to do something to shock the system internally a little bit.” pic.twitter.com/08usMXm1H6

— Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) August 8, 2026

Mistretta: And then going with the Twins, the American League is obviously, kind of a joke right now if we’re being honest. There’s only a few teams that are looking really good. The American League Central, wide open. Do you think this Twins team, after not selling, do you think they can win this division or at least compete for a Wild Card spot?

Vasgersian: I do. I absolutely do. Lot of parity in the American League, in the Central in particular. Cleveland has fallen on really hard times here of late. The White Sox, as great a turnaround story as they are, it’s a young team. To go from 110 losses to a winning season is a big deal. From 110 losses to a postseason berth is almost unheard of. So even if they get there, their add of (Luis) Castillo, helpful, maybe not a finishing piece for a World Series team. By no means is that division under lock and key with the White Sox on top, it’s winnable for three times. You know what, I’m not taking the Tigers out of it either. They get rid of (Tarik) Skubal, they can still win the division.

Mistretta: Yeah I actually wrote a story about that, about the Tigers still being in the conversation, so that’s interesting for sure… PCA (Pete Crow-Armstrong), he’s been incredible… Do you think he can win the (NL) MVP? It seemed like Shohei (Ohtani), it was his to lose. Now PCA is in that conversation.

Vasgersian: The betting markets reflect a lot of split-decision there, right? Six weeks ago if we were looking at that number, the number on Shohei would have been so cost prohibitive, nobody’s going there on it. Now they’re both at like -110. It might go from -110 to +105. We were on the air on Wednesday, the day PCA and Shohei both led off their first innings with homers and then they added a second homer. Only the third time in the history of the sport there’s been a game like that. I would have said no chance anybody catches Shohei. I’m being talked into PCA having more than a puncher’s chance, but I do think PCA’s offensive profile has to far exceed Shohei’s. In other words, if they get to September 27 with similar numbers, it’s still Shohei. He’s got 14 starts, even if he doesn’t start again, like 14 impactful starts. PCA supporters will argue that his defense is so elite, and there are people calling him the best defender in the sport regardless of position, that turns into Shohei’s pitching profile. And if you look at WAR, you know the Fangraphs WAR number, PCA’s WAR is higher than Shohei’s, which is insane. So a lot of voters strictly base their opinion on that number or start it with that number. For that reason, PCA has a very live chance, and the betting market is the best place to take the temperature. Forget about all the anecdotal stuff you get from writers in the BBWAA, and I talk to a lot of them who are friends, look at the betting number. That will tell you really what people are thinking out there, and right now it’s split.

Mistretta: My last question for you, I do want to ask something about (Tarik) Skubal. I’m not gonna just do the general question… I want to ask, who do you think now, with the Dodgers getting Skubal, which team do you think is their biggest challenger? Whether it’s in the NL, or an American League team?

Vasgersian: I think whoever has a chance to line up with them in a five-game series is the best chance to kind of punch the Dodgers in the mouth. Because they’re just so crazy deep, I can’t see them losing a seven-game series to anybody in either league, I just can’t. Like think about it, (Blake) Snell, (Tyler) Glasnow, they’re just slow-playing them, make sure everything physically is 100 percent perfect… Roki Sasaki is a completely different guy the last four starts, throwing the crap out of his splitter. It’s crazy how loaded they are. Think about it, like, they lose two catchers (Will Smith, Dalton Rushing) who’d be starters on 29 other teams, both of their guys could start everywhere else in the league. So you’re looking for places they might be vulnerable, they go and sign two guys that have been there before in (Hunter) Feduccia and (Ben) Rortvedt. They’re not plus offensive catchers like the other guys are, but you don’t even need that position to hit when you’re that lineup. It’s crazy, we did a game a few weeks ago, Shohei didn’t play. It was a Seattle-LA game. Shohei didn’t play and they still had 28 combined All-Star appearances in their lineup. Like, who is gonna beat them? Whoever gets that five-game series, whether it’s Philly, San Diego, the Cubs, right now it looks like Philly could be that team for the other 29 cities to root for to beat the Dodgers because of the pitching they’ve put together, and Arraez now makes it pretty fun. But I don’t know, man. They’re good for a reason.”

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