Bryce Harper and the Phillies aim for “bigger goals” after reaching the playoff spots

After securing a place in the playoffs for the third consecutive year on Friday night, the Philadelphia Phillies shook hands on the field and walked back toward the dugout as if it were any other regular-season victory.

Moments later, manager Rob Thomson gathered his players in the clubhouse and thanked them for their significant achievement with a moderate champagne toast.

But not a wild party where grown men spray alcohol, drink beer and get each other wet with joy.

At least not yet.

“Pretty quiet and relaxed compared to what it normally is,” All-Star third baseman Alec Bohm said with a chuckle.

Qualifying for the postseason is a long way from winning the World Series. Nobody knows that better than the Phillies these days – and they have much higher goals than simply participating.

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“You look around and you see all the talent, you see all the guys, you see the front office, the decisions they’re making and things like that. If you look at it on paper at the beginning of the year, this team should be in the playoffs,” Bohm said. “So it’s good that we stayed healthy all year and did everything we needed to do to get to this point. Now it’s just a matter of moving on.”

Bryce Harper and the Phillies secured their latest – and long-awaited – playoff ticket with a 12-2 victory over the New York Mets.

Philadelphia has at least secured a wildcard spot in the National League and can secure its first NL East title since 2011 with another win this weekend at Citi Field against the second-place Mets.

“It’s hard to play from start to finish, and I think our team has obviously done a great job all season,” Harper said. “We have bigger goals and stuff like that, but this is a great moment.”

Phillies beat Mets and secure playoff spot

With the division crown so close, the Phillies took it easy on Friday night, hoping to kick off a boozy clubhouse party soon after securing first place.

“It’s definitely going to be a little wilder,” said Bohm, who hit a home run and finished with four hits and four RBIs.

Seeking their third World Series title, the Phillies overtook Atlanta on May 3 to take the division lead and have not trailed since.

Philadelphia (92-62) has the best record in the major leagues, tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and is on pace to earn a bye in the first round of the playoffs. It is the third time the Phillies have reached the postseason three years in a row (1976-78 and 2007-11).

“Not everyone gets a chance to play in the World Series every year. Even though people in this room may feel like we should be here, it’s still an accomplishment,” Bohm said.

Harper, Bohm, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner and Nick Castellanos drove the offense, while Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suárez and Cristopher Sánchez formed the foundation of the pitching staff of a team that has been largely unchanged since 2023.

Philadelphia won the NL East title five times in a row from 2007 to 2011, but then went ten years without making the playoffs. The Phillies have been wild-card entrants in the last two playoffs and made two consecutive runs in October that ended in a bitter end.

They reached the 2022 World Series, losing to Houston in six games, and lost a seven-game NL Championship Series to Arizona last year after leading the underdog Diamondbacks 2-0 and 3-2.

This time, the Phillies want to hold out until the end and finally finish the job.

Philadelphia only won the World Series in 1980 and 2008.

Reporting by The Associated Press.