How good are the Phillies? Can they win their first World Series since 2008? Or will history repeat itself from the 2011 season?

Those are the two key burning questions facing the club and being pondered by the fan base.

Unlike the past two seasons, when they were Wild Card entries, the Phils won their first division title since 2011, and they also posted the most regular-season victories since they won 102 the same year. The 2011 club hit .253 and a had a 3.02 ERA.

This year’s team hit. 257 and had an ERA of 3.85.

In this week’s version of my Behind the Plate column — investigating present and past trends of the Phillies, Yankees and Mets as well as the overall game — I’ll take a look at a page of the Phillies’ playoffs and the current team and some other season-ending tidbits.

Turn Back and Come Forward ... In 2011, the Phillies seemed destined to capture another title three years after their 2008 championship — even though they lost eight straight before they won the final four games. Yet, the team led the NL East from wire to wire, being in first place since Day One.

In 2011 in the NLDS against the Cardinals, the Phillies had a 2-1 lead in the series, taking a lead thanks to a gem by pitcher Cole Hamels.

However in Game 4, Roy Oswalt couldn’t find his mark in the postseason, and was roughed up for five runs in a 5-3 loss to the host Cardinals. Two days later at the Bank, the Cardinals’ Chris Carpenter outdueled the late Roy Halladay, firing a three-hitter in a 1-0 clincher.

In that postseason, Halladay was 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA and 15 strikeouts; Chase Utley hit .438, and Shane Victorino hit. 318. They were the lone bright spots.

Carlos Ruiz hit .059, Ryan Howard and Placido Polanco both hit .105, and Hunter Pence hit. 211. The team hit. 221, and they had a 3.89 ERA.

This was a Cardinals team that finished with a 90-72 regular-season slate and was the Wild Card entry. They finished second, six games behind the Brewers.

The 2024 Phillies took over the lead from Atlanta on May 3, and they never trailed. They had the franchise’s best 50-game start with a 36-14 mark.

Bryce Harper had been mentioned as an MVP candidate, and Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola were both considered strong Cy Young candidates, and Ranger Suarez had a 9-0 record with a 1.36 ERA through his first 10 starts.

Since then, the club has plowed through its share of inconsistency, as they posted an overall 59-43 record since their hot start.

Wheeler — who went 16-7, 2.57 with 224 strikeouts in 200 innings — or the Braves’ Chris Sale will win the NL Cy Young, and Nola finished the season with a respectable 14-8, 3.59 with 197 strikeouts in 199 innings.

Suarez is the question mark here, as he has battled injuries to end with a 12-8 record, 3.46 ERA and 145 strikeouts. But Suarez lost his last three starts, giving up a total of 11 runs.

The issue here is the depth behind Wheeler and Nola. Can they count on Suarez or Christopher Sanchez, who was 11-9 with a 3.32 ERA? Taijuan Walker has looked like one of the team’s biggest free-agent busts, and he may not make the postseason roster.

On the plus side, the team hit 198 homers, good for fifth in the NL and seventh overall. Eight regulars had double-digit seasons with Kyle Schwarber (38), Harper (30), Nick Castellanos (23) and Trea Turner (21) leading the way.

At the time of this writing, the Phillies’ opening-round opponent Saturday at the Bank was yet to be determined. It could be the Brewers, Braves, Mets or Diamondbacks. It’s a little complicated now, but we’ll know after the Mets and Braves play a doubleheader Monday.

The Mets or the Braves could finish with a record of 90-72 or 89-73, and the Diamondbacks were 89-73.

Remember, the 2011 Cardinals were a Wild Card winner with a 90-72. Sound familiar or maybe a jinx? Or can the Phillies make a run to the World Series?

Let me know what you think.

The New Kids In Town ... It’s great for the game to see the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals in as Wild Card entries.

Last season, Detroit finished with a 78-84 record and flipped it into a 86-76 mark this year. More impressively, the Tigers were once 53-66 and 10 games out of the Wild Card, and then they went on a 33-11 run down the stretch.

Once Astros’ embattled manager A.J. Hinch has quietly brought the Tigers back to the postseason for the first time since 2014.

AL Cy Young candidate Tarik Skubal heads a young, rising staff, and outfielder Riley Greene is an emerging star. Ex-Phillie Matt Vierling has been a valuable player.

How about the Royals? They were a doormat last season at 56-106 and transformed it into a 85-76 record. Kansas City is back to the playoffs for the first time since they captured a World Series title in 2015.

Manager Matt Quartaro should be in the running for AL Manager of the Year, and shortstop sensation Bobby Witt Jr. leads a talented group of young players who can bring the Royals back to the glory days of George Brett, Bret Saberhagen and Amos Otis.

It will also be fun to watch two more cold-weather baseball outlets this month.

They Had Their “A” Game ... I wrote about this before, but it’s sad to see the A’s leave Oakland and become the next inhabitant of Sin City alongside their beloved Raiders.

The A’s franchise certainty has had their share of peaks and valleys since they won three straight championships in the early 70s. They were a staple in the game until their recent bleak financial state drove them out of their dwellings.

Like the Raiders, Las Vegas won’t have the same feel for them like the fabled Oakland-Alameda Coliseum.

Still, the images of owner Charlie Finley and manager Dick Williams along with mainstays like Reggie Jackson, Sal Bando, Rollie Fingers, Bert Campanaris, Billy North, Joe Rudi, Vida Blue, Gene Tenace and others should always linger in our baseball minds.

In addition, I always think back to pinch-runner Herb Washington, “fired” second baseman Mike Andrews, pitcher John “Blue Moon” Odom and outfielder Angel Manguel for some reason.

To most of us they will always be the Oakland A’s.

Your Turn ... Over the next two weeks or more, I would like to publish some of your favorite postseason memories. Keep your thoughts as concise, as well as detailed, as possible.

Email your thoughts, comments and ideas to tnsports@tnonline.com