How to get the Phillies back to relevance.
In 2012 the Philadelphia Phillies finished with an even record of 81-81. In the five years since, the Phillies have had a miserable stretch of seasons, failing to finish above .500 and sometimes failing to win 70 games. 2017 was another disappointing season, 66-96 landed the Phillies in 14th place in the NL. With years of drafting and accumulating prospects, the Phillies are full of youth and poised to break out any time now. This is part of a recurring series looking at the worst in baseball and how soon they may be able to bounce back and contend for the playoffs. The Phillies are used to playing bad baseball for quite a few years now, but let’s analyze the 2017 seasons specifically and what assets they have moving forward.
The lineup is packed full of potential, however, the offense was chronically disappointing. At the catcher position, Cameron Rupp started the season as a staple, hoping to improve upon strong seasons in the past. However, with Rupp and his .299 On Base % hurting the team, the Phillies were left trying out new faces at Catcher. Both Andrew Knapp and Jorge Alfaro were getting more starts by the end of the year, and with both of them posting better stats than Rupp, the Phillies have a 3-way position battle heading into 2018. Tommy Joseph playing 1B all season was a disaster for the Phillies, as he was unable to do anything with his bat and was apparently a weak fielder as well. Unless Joseph makes shows improvement, the Phillies will win a few more games by moving on to someone else at 1B. Cesar Hernandez was once again a bright spot at 2B, almost batting .300 and showing much-needed consistency. Freddy Galvis is better known for his glove, picking up a Gold Glove nomination, but advanced metrics will say Galvis is still hurting his team overall. Galvis has a lackluster year at the plate, and perhaps an outstanding glove can make up for it, but Shortstop was yet another position that dragged the offense down. Maikel Franco has been the Phillies Third Baseman for about 2.5 years, yet the Phillies patience has not paid off. In spite of the expectation that he would mature into a starting 3B for years to come, Franco had an abysmal season in 2017. Despite hitting 24 home runs, Franco actually performed worse at the plate than both Freddy Galvis and Tommy Joseph, two players who we’ve already outlined as disappointing bats. The outfield is one area where the Phillies talent is starting to reap rewards. Odubel Herrera had a promising year in centerfield and the Phillies hope they can count on him for years to come. Both Aaron Altherr and Nick Williams played half of the season at Left and Right field, showing off promising seasons and being some of the best bats in the lineup. Finally, Rhys Hoskins broke out of the minor leagues and was able to hit 18 home runs in only a third of the season. Hoskins finished the year on an expected slump, but he enters the 2018 season with a ceiling as high as it can be. The Phillies offense had no life throughout the year, but the potential for a breakout season exists up and down the roster. There’s confidence to go around that the Phillies offense is on the way up, and with a few lucky breaks like big seasons from Rupp, Hoskins, or Franco, we could see a lively Phillies lineup come 2018.
As is often a sign of bad baseball teams, the Phillies were constantly struggling to get good showings from their starters. The Phillies utilized 8 starters throughout the season, with 6 different starting pitchers posting ERAs above 4.5. Aaron Nola led the charge with a good season, followed by Ben Lively and his barely acceptable numbers. Nick Pivetta, Jerad Eickhoff, and Jeremy Hellickson all bombed out and only Pivetta was part of the rotation by the end of the year. The main struggle that could hold back the Phillies from playing well next year will be a clueless starting rotation. Only Nola will carry any expectations going into 2018, with the Phillies hoping to strike gold with prospects and dramatic improvements elsewhere in the rotation. The Phillies bullpen was actually solid from top to bottom at its peak. Veterans Joaquin Benoit and Pat Neshek both had quality seasons from the bullpen. However, with both of them aged above 35, the Phillies saw no reason to keep them in long-term plans and both players were traded. Despite the loss of two quality arms, the Phillies bullpen remained competitive, anchored by Hector Neris and Luis Garcia. Both Neris and Garcia combined for 145 total innings of sub 3.00 ERA. Edubray Ramos and Adam Morgan also contributed 112 innings of decent statistics with the potential to grow into useful pitchers for years to come. Hoby Milner and Victor Arano both pitched outstanding near the end of the season and the Phillies have high hopes to mix them into the bullpen in 2018 as well. With quality performances, top to bottom, as well the potential to improve, a lot of MLB teams would like to have the Phillies bullpen.
The Phillies aren’t primed for making the playoffs in 2018, and I would suggest the biggest item missing from this Phillies roster is star power. The Phillies could use a league-leading hitter and an all-star starting pitcher to boost the team and push them over the edge. With a lot of talented consistent players in place, I am confident the Phillies can win more than 70 games next season, but the reason we can’t be making bets on the Phillies as a 2018 playoff contender is a mix between lack of starting pitching and lack of star power. If the rotation can turn up a few unexpected gems and surprising talent, then we can really see Philadelphia make noise for the first time in half a decade, but the odds are against them. Expect another year of development for the Phillies, but they remain a team full of youth and full of solid major league ready talent.
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- Philadelphia Phillies
- The Long Road Back
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