Report: Philadelphia Phillies Had Clubhouse Issues Due to Fortnite in 2018

On August 12 of last year, the Philadelphia Phillies were leading the National League East and seemed poised for a postseason berth.

But, by the end of last season, the Phillies were on the outside of the playoffs looking in and had dropped to below .500.

One of the biggest reasons for the slide? The video game Fortnite.

In 2018, the Phillies had one of the youngest rosters in MLB and the team’s players were playing the game so much in the clubhouse that it became problematic.

“I see a couple players – I don’t want to say names – they play video games during the game,” veteran catcher Carlos Santana told ESPN last September. “We come and lose too many games, and I feel like they weren’t worried about it. Weren’t respecting their teammates or coaches or the staff or the [front] office. It’s not my personality. But I’m angry because I want to make it good.”

Unfortunately for the clubhouse culture this year, Santana was traded his offseason. But manager Gabe Kapler has taken what he said to heart and has asked a 13-player panel to help monitor what goes on in the clubhouse this season to prevent Fortnite from becoming a problem again this season.

“Last season, some Phillies players were busy carrying SCARs, shotguns and sniper rifles through a Fortnite game that had begun a new season Sept. 27,” according to ESPN. “This year, they’re hopeful they can hold off the Washington Nationals, New York Mets and reigning NL East champion Braves and carry champagne bottles into the same clubhouse where the only thing flying late in the season were fragments of a TV.”