Scenes! Phillies owner's NSFW World Series comment could come back to haunt them

The Philadelphia Phillies clinched the NL East on Monday night with a win over the Chicago Cubs. While the Phillies were expected to secure the division since midseason, they're in an unfamiliar position entering the playoffs.

The Atlanta Braves had won the NL East from 2018-23. The last two years, the Phillies took an NL Wild Card spot, and eventually defeated the Braves in the NLDS. This season, they must look to break their own trend by succeeding in the postseason as the NL East champion.

Philadelphia should receive one of the top two seeds in the National League, and will get a bye to the NLDS. Much like the Braves found out the hard way, sitting and watching the Wild Card round at home isn't as comfortable as one might think. The NL Wild Card round can take close to a week, and MLB teams haven't had that much time off since the All-Star Break. Staying fresh is key.

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Phillies owner John Middleton makes a jarring statement fans will love

John Middleton is one of the rare owners in MLB who is willing to invest as much as possible in the on-field product. The Phillies have one of the highest payrolls in baseball, and an aggressive president of baseball operations in Dave Dombrowski. This has turned out to be a perfect pairing for Philadelphia, whose fans want nothing more than another World Series trophy -- a feat which would be the first for the franchise since 2008.

Middleton wasn't afraid to talk the talk after the Phillies won the NL East, and you can bet their prospective opponents were watching.

The Phillies have had varying degrees of success against their prospective NLDS opponents. While they've dominated the San Diego Padres this season, the Arizona Diamondbacks won the regular-season series over Philly, and knocked them out of the playoffs in 2023.

The New York Mets, meanwhile, as 6-7 against the Phillies this season, and just won their most recent series against Philadelphia. New York has a two-game lead over the Braves for the final NL Wild Card spot, and obviously have a ton of familiarity with the Phillies given the circumstances.

Either way, the Phillies are correct to be confident. Their roster has plenty of postseason experience, and they've assembled one of the best rosters in the National League. However, Middleton's comments are a classic example of bulletin-board material.