Philadelphia Phillies: Taking A Look At Who’s Hot And Who’s Cold So Far
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.
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.
Who’s Cold?
For every Spring Training success story, there is always a flip side.
Offseason acquisition Howie Kendrick has had a very slow start to the Spring. In 26 at bats (the second most on the team), he’s batting just .192. He has no homers, no walks, and six strikeouts. If this is a sign of what is to come, the Phillies will have to hope that his veteran qualities can outweigh negative production on the field.
He’s much less experienced, but top prospect JP Crawford came into the Spring with high expectations. So far, he hasn’t been able to deliver. Crawford has just 3 hits in 20 at bats (.150 BA). He’s been projected to start the season in the minors anyways, but this has not been an impressive showing for the promising young shortstop. Additional position players to under perform thus far include Roman Quinn (.227 BA in 22 AB) and Dylan Cozens (.211 BA in 19 AB).
As far as pitchers go, Jerad Eickhoff is the guy I’ve got my eye on. His 7.88 ERA and 3 walks in just 8.0 IP worry me, but it’s only the spring. Plus, Eickhoff recorded an ERA of 8.00 last spring, and was one of the Phillies best starters all season. It also appears that Alec Asher is yet to get comfortable on a Major League mound. He leads the team in innings pitched with 10.0, but has already walked four batters. His ERA is an unimpressive 5.40, and batters have hit .333 off of him. Of all Phillies pitchers this spring, Asher is the one most obviously in need of more time in the minors.