Philadelphia Phillies: Grading every player at the All-Star break

It’s a bit difficult to be objective about the team you follow most closely, and I have followed the Philadelphia Phillies for about 30 years now. They replaced the Pittsburgh Pirates as “my” team when it became clear — with Pittsburgh cutting ties to Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla — that the Bucs were becoming a farm team for the rest of MLB, much like the old Kansas City A’s.

So, you’re getting half-season grades here from a Phillies fan, but not one that still has unused, framed Phillies tickets from the 1964 World Series on his home office wall.

As a contender for a Wild Card, how do the Philadelphia Phillies shape up now?

The Phils are currently six games over .500 and hold a .001 “lead” over St. Louis for the last NL Wild Card, which basically means the Cardinals have played two more games than the Phillies, and the Phillies have lost one fewer.

We’ll start with the hurlers, in alphabetical order, with starters indicated (active roster, important others)…

Pitchers

Jose Alvarado: B-minus but improving. The fire-balling left-hander’s stint with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, begun late in May, seems to have improved his focus on a pitcher’s main task — throwing an occasional strike. This has been a problem for Alvarado his whole MLB career, and it’s reflected in his career WHIP (1.423). However, his FIP figure, which peaked at 4.40 June 12, has tumbled to 2.66 at the break.

Andrew Bellatti: A-minus. Basically, a career MiLB pitcher who has refused to accept that, Bellatti is working on a career year at the MLB level. He’s already thrown more innings (30.2) than in his two previous stints with the Rays and Marlins and his FIP is 3.50. His ERA is 3.52, and he has five holds and a save. The right-hander could be useful for a couple more years.

Conor Brogdon: Incomplete. Thought to be useful, Brogdon’s numbers in fewer than 20 innings are good. He missed three weeks on the COVID-19 list, however.

Seranthony Dominguez: A. Very likely the anointed Phillies closer before the end of the season, Dominguez has only four saves at this point, but a 1.85 ERA and a WHIP of 0.941.

Zach Eflin (starter, IL): Incomplete. Too long thought a promising starter, Eflin’s nagging right knee has kept him out of action for all of July. Possibly useful when healed, Eflin has a seemingly inflated WAR (6.8) in seven MLB years with only one winning season.

Jeurys Familia: D. The mistaken acquisition of the offseason – 4.80 ERA, 5.11 FIP, -0.8 WAR, 1.700 WHIP.

Kyle Gibson (starter): B-plus. Gibson is a career .494 MLB pitcher who can eat innings, a classic number five starter, and one-time All-Star. He shows some gumption, however, and may even his career record at .500 this year.

Grading more Philadelphia Phillies pitchers, including the big boys

Brad Hand: B. His numbers are better than his usefulness. Essentially a spot left-hander now.

Corey Knebel: B-minus. The problem with Knebel’s B-minus performance is that he was the assumed closer at the beginning of the year even if the Phillies didn’t quite say that. Knebel’s ERA is 3.03, and he’s likely to get other closing chances, as he did July 9. Unclear value.

Nick Nelson: B-minus. Nelson is part of the generally improving Phillies bullpen, and after a disastrous four-earned-run performance June 12 and a couple of stumbles in his next appearances, he has given up only one earned run since June 19 in six appearances and has won two games. Nelson’s unlikely to stick with the team, but who knows? He’s arbitration eligible in 2024.

Aaron Nola (starter): A-minus. Stop me if you’ve heard this joke before – Aaron Nola’s run support from the Philadelphia Phillies. The right-hander’s career problem plods along, saddling him with a 6-7 won-lost record despite a WHIP of 0.908, a career-best by .067, even better than his ’18 mark, when he was a Cy Young contender. The pitcher’s strikeout to walk figure also leads MLB and has jumped to 8.56 to 1. Still, Nola has thrown up a stinker here and there; when he comes unglued, it’s usually between the fourth and sixth innings.

Jo Jo Romero: Incomplete. Raise your hand if you knew Romero was on the Phillies active roster? Sir, in the back, you’re lying. He’s pitched one inning at the MLB level this year.

Cristopher Sanchez (MiLB): B. The useful spot starter this season, Sanchez has appeared in 10 games total (23.2 innings), posting a 1-1 record and 1.056 WHIP.

Ranger Suarez (starter): B-minus. The left-hander is working through a modest sophomore slump as a starter, and just spent time on the injured list with lower back spasms. 7-5 won-lost record. A good return from the IL July 16 (five scoreless, walk-less innings).

Zack Wheeler (starter): A. The staff ace, Wheeler is signed through 2024. He currently has a WHIP within spitting distance of Nola’s, a better ERA (2.89) than Nola’s, and an 8-5 record.

On to the alleged offensive juggernaut the Philadelphia Phillies assembled to back these pitchers…

Grading the rest of the Philadelphia Phillies offense

Yairo Munoz: B. It’s tempting to give Johan Camargo 2.0 an incomplete, but Munoz has added a little power, and can play both infield and outfield positions if needed although the Phillies have kept him at second and third thus far in 19 games.

Bryson Stott: C-minus. The rookie infielder who looked extremely promising in Spring Training has somewhat disappointed fans by hitting only .188 thus far, but he has displayed some power and driven in 26. He has played good defense at second, third, and shortstop, however (three errors in 221 chances), handling his various assignments better than Scott Kingery did.

Outfielders

Nick Castellanos: C. What Castellanos has provided so far is not what the Philadelphia Phillies expected for what they’re paying the outfielder. That said, however, he has done reasonably well in right field, replacing Harper even before the regular right fielder broke his finger at the end of June. (This was necessitated by Harper’s partly torn right UCL.) Castellanos is hitting only .251, 58 points below his 2021 average with the Reds. He has gathered 10 of his 46 RBI in the 19 games he’s played since Harper’s injury.

Bryce Harper (IL): A-minus. Is this the right grade for a guy having another MVP season who’s been injured? What’s the minus for? Not avoiding Blake Snell’s fastball, or somehow overthrowing some ball sometime back when…? When he went onto the IL, Harper was hitting .318 with 15 HRs and 48 RBI in 64 games.

Odubel Herrera: C-plus. This grade has nothing to do with Herrera’s domestic violence incident. It has to do with his lack of focus. Physically gifted, Herrera somehow manages to do ridiculous things on a baseball field. He swings at a pitch between his legs on a Monday, then takes a route to a fly ball on Thursday that looks like the path on the Candy Land game board. He is hitting .244 in 172 ABs.

Kyle Schwarber: A-minus. The NL home run leader at the break, Schwarber has done everything he’s been asked and more except for hitting for a slightly better average, considering he bats, somewhat weirdly, lead-off. He has hit 29 home runs and driven in 58. His OPS is equal to (drumroll) Garrett Stubbs’.

Matt Vierling: B. The speedy, versatile Vierling doesn’t hurt the Phillies in center field, the position he’s played most. He takes good routes to fly balls and is errorless out there. He’s only hitting .231, however, and his greatest danger may be Castellanos’ underperformance. Phillies president Dave Dombrowski may try for a player to replace Vierling with more offensive potential at this point.

The Philadelphia Phillies once again are facing a struggle to reach both the playoffs and, very possibly, a winning season.