Believe in these Phillies, because that’s the entire point. Bryce Harper agrees (but he gets it)

The Phillies are a group of diversely lovable characters who fiercely love each other, love baseball, and love playing for and in Philadelphia. They approach the game with intensity and professionalism, they are accountable for their failures, and they make no excuses. They also were, on the afternoon of the 15th day of May, the best team in baseball, with 30 wins and a .698 win percentage. Of the 18 teams since 1969 to win 30 of their first 43 games, 16 made the playoffs, eight won the pennant, and four won the World Series.

They also were 17 games over .500, which meant they could play .500 ball the rest of the way and still win 90 games. No 90-win team has missed the playoffs since the third wild card was added in 2022.

They should be adored.

And yet, in the region, there is a sense of impending doom. You hear it at the diner, at the golf course, on the radio:

“Yeah, but can they win it all?”

Who knows? Right now, who cares?

“I’d just say, enjoy every day,” Bryce Harper said. “We all want to get it done. But every team has its own DNA.”

With the retirement of Jason Kelce, Harper now reigns as chief ambassador of Philadelphia sports. As ambassador, he knows the town’s recent painful memories, and he understands the PTSD:

“At the same time,” he said, “I totally get it.”

» READ MORE: Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, and Kyle Schwarber disappeared as the Phillies blew a 3-2 NLCS lead

If Philly finds itself reluctant to commit to this wildly efficient team, there is ample reason, and Harper helped author some of the trauma: The top of the order went 1-for-20 in Games 6 and 7 as the Phillies blew a 3-2 series lead to the Diamondbacks in the NLCS last year, which, Harper said then, was “devastating” to him.

Phillies fans: Same.

It was the cherry on top of a mud-pie sundae for Philly that began Feb. 12, 2023, in Glendale, Ariz.

On Feb. 12, 2023, the Eagles blew a 10-point halftime lead and lost Super Bowl LVII to Andy Reid and the Chiefs.

In May of 2023, James Harden and Joel Embiid held a 3-2 lead over the Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinal but disappeared in the fourth quarter of Game 6 at home, then got blown out in Game 7 in Boston.

Then, the Phillies and the NLCS.

There has been more.

Through November of 2023, the Eagles were the best team in the NFL, but they lost five of their last six games and lost their wild-card playoff game in Tampa.

Through late March, the Flyers had 81 points and seemed a lock for an unlikely playoff berth, but they lost nine of their last 11 games and missed the postseason.

Through late January, the Sixers were 29-13, but that’s when Joel Embiid’s knee began to deteriorate. They lost 22 of their last 40 games and were kicked out of the playoffs in six games by an undermanned Knicks team of great heart but scant pedigree.

So what?

This Phillies team is better than any of the half-dozen disappointments of the last 15 months.

The story of the season so far has been the Phillies’ starting pitching, which had an ERA of 2.65 entering Wednesday night’s game, second-best in baseball. Only the Red Sox were better, and by 0.08 points, but Red Sox starters had pitched 34⅓ fewer innings for a team that had played just one fewer game.

The best subplot? Depth.

» READ MORE: The Phillies’ young core has helped form MLB’s deepest roster. Just like Bryce Harper wanted.

The Phillies lost $300 million shortstop Trea Turner on May 3 and promptly won eight of their next 10 games. He was hitting .343 with an .852 OPS; his understudy, Edmundo Sosa, had hit .333 since replacing him, with a 1.050 OPS, and Sosa’s a better defender.

The Phillies missed sluggers Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto on Monday at the New York Mets and didn’t have Reamuto and Harper on Tuesday, but they won both games, anyway. On Tuesday they scored their first two runs thus: single, walk, walk, hit by pitch, walk.

It helped that Aaron Nola delivered his third career nine-inning shutout (he’s got a seven-inning shutout, too), but Nola was paid $172 million this offseason to deliver such performances for the next seven seasons. Zack Wheeler, the staff ace who just signed a $126 million extension, has 65 strikeouts, fourth-most in baseball. Nola and Wednesday’s starter, Ranger Suárez, were tied for 16th with 55 strikeouts, and Suarez led baseball with a 7-0 record and his 1.50 ERA was third.

They had 30 wins with Harper hitting .259, almost 40 points below his average over the last three seasons. They play tight defense. They get a little careless on the bases, but their 52 steals ranked fourth in baseball, which makes them a little bit more exciting.

Alec Bohm has blossomed at third base, Bryson Stott stars in the middle of the infield, and Johan Rojas, perhaps the best defensive outfielder in baseball but an underdeveloped offensive player, was hitting .274 in his last 27 games.

Yes, they’re beating up on bad teams — 13 of their 14 series have come against teams without winning records, and five of those series were against last-place teams — but they can only beat the teams in front of them.

The only thing Phillies fans can really complain about right now is enigmatic reliever Seranthony Domínguez, more enigmatic right fielder Nick Castellanos, and who has the more straggly hair, Brandon Marsh or Matt Strahm.

It’s not that they’re just winning, they’re playing well, and they’re fun to watch.

And that’s the point.

» READ MORE: Bryce Harper, money at the Bank, powers Phillies to a third consecutive win over Mets

The enjoyment of baseball, more than any other sport, lies in the enjoyment of everyday proficiency. Football is an intermittent barrage of fireworks culminating in a monthlong finale. Basketball and hockey are long-running Broadway shows remarkable for their changing casts and routinely amazing performances by superstars.

Baseball, on the other hand, is a balletic distraction available every evening that weaves a fabric that connects spring to fall and makes the drudgery of summer more bearable, but only if you are willing to invest.

When the local team is this good, there is no better investment.