Philadelphia Phillies: Five emerging keys to the 2020 season
By Rick Soisson
The Lesser Hopeful Keys
Then, there are keys that are iffier than the above two, but these items are still hopeful from a Philadelphia Phillies fan perspective:
Andrew McCutchen: The high point of hope for the Phillies in 2019 may well have occurred on March 28 when McCutchen homered in his first Phillies at bat. When he went down with a torn ACL after 59 games, he was never properly replaced in terms of offense, defense, leadership, or sense of humor. (Corey Dickerson came close late in the season in terms of offense.) McCutchen staying healthy this year is vital. Physical indications and assessments are high.
Related Story. Phillies holding Howard for when it matters. light
Jean Segura: Segura is one of the most intriguing figures for the Phillies this summer; he came to camp 14 pounds lighter, indicating a new dedication to taking care of his body that includes eating better and cutting out almost all alcohol.
Moreover, he expressed a significant amount of regret over the fact he was at least partly responsible for McCutchen’s injury last season – the left fielder was caught in a rundown resulting from Segura’s lack of hustle on an infield grounder the infielder had hit. (And believe me, this was not lost on Phillies fans.)
It is hoped he will be the everyday third baseman, the position he worked out at on the first day of drills. When entirely healthy, focused (and maybe lighter in weight), Segura is a .300 hitter.
Joe Girardi: Finally, there’s the skipper, who is widely respected in MLB and is considered a return to traditional baseball in the Phillies dugout, however exactly accurate that is.
The former Yankees skipper is an unknown at this point, however.
Girardi reportedly asked his team to give him their “hearts” in a very early team meeting, and I suppose that’s interesting. It’s hoped he followed that up with an old-fashioned Philadelphia warning that, if a player didn’t play with some heart, he might find out his manager owning another, lower, posterior part of his anatomy.
Next. Thinking positively about the Phillies pitchers. dark
It has been widely observed that Rhys Hoskins, the first baseman, is also an important cog after a disappointing season, but if all five of the above keys turn cleanly in their locks, Hoskins may need to only improve incrementally. Really.
The Philadelphia Phillies open their Spring Training schedule Feb. 22 against Detroit in Lakeland, FL.