Early Phillies offensive signs are they might well be deadly

OK, maybe I’m out of the loop, but who knew there were standards for MLB “qualified batters” in Spring Training? I discovered this by punching buttons on my laptop in pursuit of the story thus far of the deadliest hitting lineup ever assembled – the 2022 Philadelphia Phillies.

The standard is 1.86 at-bats per game played, as opposed to the regular season figure of 3.1.

Could the Phillies have one of the deadliest offensive teams ever?

That “deadliest” was somewhat tongue-in-cheek, I confess, but clearly, the Phillies will depend on their hitting in the coming season after signing important free agent hitters – not an improved bullpen on paper, or an iffy rotation featuring one ace. (Last year it was two, and maybe it could be again.)

So, the question is: How are the fearsome Phillies hitting thus far?

Of course, some people are at a loss on how to figure out how well players are hitting in Spring Training, but it’s exactly the same way you should look at regular season stats. The numbers tell the truth.

Whatever a player’s excuses for a slow start are offset by the minor-league pitching he faces part of the time. Simple.

Back to the Phillies. After play on Mar. 28, only six of their hitters were listed as qualified. Their leader was possible rookie Bryson Stott, who has made his mark as an MiLB hitter. Stott is expected to take over shortstop from Didi Gregorius, but not necessarily this season. He was hitting .533, with a home run, five walks, and three RBI in 15 official ABs.

Immediately behind him were Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto, who had three home runs and seven RBI between them. Both were hitting .333.

A further qualified bright note was sounded by Matt Vierling, who had six RBI. Another possible rookie after limited action in ’21, Vierling is the front runner to start in center after an injury to the widely disliked Odubel Herrera.

All of the qualified hitters had seven games under their belts, which is important because there are only nine contests remaining before the games count.

What’s with the Phillies important free agent hitters, though – Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos? They had not hit much, officially, before the game against the Orioles on the 28th, but signs that afternoon were pretty good, especially after the Phillies had won, 7-1.

Both of the new guys had homered off hard-throwing Dean Kremer, and Castellanos later displayed an encouraging calm during one of those in-game interviews that so offend baseball purists. He was asked by one of the Phillies broadcasters, who had marveled at Castellanos’ extension on his two-run homer, “How important is that [extension] to your swing?”

The new guy answered simply, “I have no idea.” He wasn’t being smart; he said he was just trying to “drive the ball.” This sort of answer will play in Philly.

If he continues to hit.