Herrera Building on Rookie Campaign
The ultimate success or failure of a rebuilding project often comes down to whether young players can make their mark on the big league level. A former Rule 5 pick, center fielder Odubel Herrera came out of nowhere in 2015 to put together an impressive rookie campaign. He slashed .297/.344/.418 with eight home runs, 41 RBIs and 16 stolen bases while accumulating a solid 3.8 WAR.
This year he’s off to an even better pace. Through 123 plate appearances, Herrera owns a .316/.447/.439 batting line. Not typically known for his power, he has also swatted three homers so far, giving him a very real chance of surpassing last season’s total by a significant margin.
Overall, the Phillies offense has been underwhelming, making Herrera’s early performance at the plate even more valuable. He leads the team with a .886 OPS (min. 75 PA); third baseman Maikel Franco is second at .722.
Only 24 years old, Herrera appears to have legitimate major league staying power. The Phils hope players like him, the aforementioned Franco (23 years old) and upcoming shortstop prospect J.P. Crawford (21) can form a young core for the future of the franchise.
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