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Philadelphia Phillies: Taking A Look At Who’s Hot And Who’s Cold So Far

By Joe Piazza

Feb 25, 2017; Clearwater, FL, USA;Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Howie Kendrick (47) at bat against the New York Yankees at Spectrum Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 25, 2017; Clearwater, FL, USA;Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Howie Kendrick (47) at bat against the New York Yankees at Spectrum Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 7, 2017; Lakeland, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Brock Stassi (78) hits a long fly to right center during the seventh inning of an MLB spring training baseball game against the Detroit Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium. The Phillies won 11-6. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 7, 2017; Lakeland, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Brock Stassi (78) hits a long fly to right center during the seventh inning of an MLB spring training baseball game against the Detroit Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium. The Phillies won 11-6. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /

Who’s Hot?

Of all the Phillies hitters, first baseman Brock Stassi has been the hottest of them all. Stassi has 9 hits in 21 at bats (.429 BA) along with 3 home runs and 11 RBI. Although 18 other players have hit that many bombs, it’s still the second-most in spring training. It’s hard to imagine Stassi breaking camp with the Major League squad, as Tommy Joseph has just earned himself a chance at starting everyday.

The next batter I’ll bring your attention to is second baseman Scott Kingery. So far, he’s hit exactly .300 with 2 homers, 5 runs scored, and 4 stolen bases (caught only once). This isn’t quite the player Kingery was expected to be, as he’s always been a contact/speed guy in the minors. He’s only hit 8 home runs in 783 professional at bats, making the two he’s hit so far (in 20 at bats no less) all the more impressive. Other offensive standouts include Cameron Perkins (.300 BA, 1 HR in 20 AB) and Rhys Hoskins (.313 BA, 2 HR in 16 AB).

The pitchers are harder to gauge, as they’re expected to have ugly ERAs in the spring. They’re some of the least-established pitchers on the team, but Adam Morgan and Nick Pivetta have had the most success so far. Morgan has struck out 7 batters in 9.1 innings, walking just one. On the other hand, Pivetta has struck out 7 in 8.0 innings, walking two.

I don’t trust the sample size, but Michael Mariot is yet to give up a run in 4.0 IP. What stands out to me is that he’s struck out 7 batters already, walking only one. It’s good to see Clay Buchholz and Mark Appel missing bats (8 Ks each), but they haven’t been able to stop runners from scoring.

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