The Philadelphia Phillies have played 15 spring training games, going 6-7 with 2 games ending in a tie. Let’s take a look at their hottest and coldest performers so far.
It’s been an exciting start to spring training for the Philadelphia Phillies, who have averaged more than 5 runs per game through their first 15 contests. As a whole, the team has had mixed results. On the offensive side, they have the second most strikeouts of any team, as well as the second most walks. Phillies hitters have combined for 18 homers already, the 5th most in spring training. Still, they rank just 21st in slugging.
One thing that is a definite plus though, is that Phillies baserunners have gone 12-2 in stolen base opportunities. Not only is that the 6th most stolen bags in the league, but those 2 caught-stealing occurrences are the least of any team with 10+ stolen bases. Manager Pete Mackanin has made baserunning a priority in the past, and it appears that focus is starting to pay off. Much like last season, expect the Phillies to struggle offensively.
From a pitching standpoint, the team has room to improve. Of course, that’s what these games are for. Phillies pitchers have struck out 113 batters so far, tied with the Indians and Blue Jays for 9th-most in the league. To make things even better they’ve surrendered only 39 walks, which ranks 5th in baseball. Despite the appealing peripheral stats, the team’s pitching staff will carry a 4.98 ERA going into Saturday’s game. They’ve given up their share of home runs, which explains why their ERA is so high.
While neither the offense nor the pitching has looked great as a whole, there are a handful of standout performers on both sides of the spectrum.