Philadelphia Phillies: Day Care continues to impress at halfway point of season

In a season marred with injuries and some growing pains, the one thing that continues to grow smoothly is the ability and skill of the so-called Philadelphia Phillies “Day Care,” consisting of Brandon Marsh, Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm. Watching these three young players develop in Philadelphia has been nothing short of amazing.

Whether it is Stott learning shortstop, only to be moved back to his natural position of second base, Bohm overcoming his struggles at third base and becoming a huge piece to the Infield puzzle, or Marsh having to prove he can be a legitimate threat to both right- and left-handed pitchers, the members of the “Day Care” have become integral parts to this team’s success this season.

Early on in the season, there were questions about this team and whether or not the young players would emerge as everyday caliber players. I thought the “Day Care” was going to be a big piece to this puzzle, but seeing the way they have carried themselves and have produced has been way past any expectations.

While some of the veterans on this roster have struggled at times, this lineup needed a spark. The Phillies young, up and coming stars have provided exactly what Rob Thomson has needed for his lineup.

Let’s look at the “Day Care” unit for the Philadelphia Phillies and their progression this season.

A few months ago, during a broadcast on NBC Sports Philadelphia, Mike Schmidt had joined Tom McCarthy in the broadcast booth. During one of Stott’s plays, Schmidt began to rave about Stott and compared him to the Phillies legendary second baseman and World Series champion Chase Utley.

Having a compliment such as that is no mistake. Stott’s defense has continued to improve and becoming reminiscent of Utley on both sides of the diamond.

Utley, at the age of 25, played in 94 games. Over those 94 games, Utley had 267 at-bats. With 71 hits, Utley had 36 runs and 57 RBI. Utley finished his second season with a batting average of .266. That following season when Utley turned 26, Utley played 147 games with 547 at-bats. Utley ended up with 158 hits and recording 105 RBI and 93 runs. Utley also hit 28 home runs that season, ultimately propelling him into the following season where he became an All-Star for the first time.

While Stott does have some power, his ability to put barrel to ball is important to the success of this lineup. In 77 games this season, Stott has 310 at-bats, recording 91 hits. Stott has also scored 35 runs and batted in 30 RBI, with Stott’s OBP is currently sitting at .331 with an OPS of .747. Stott has a batting average of .294 and has shown no signs of slowing down.

Overall, Stott has a long way to go to be the next Chase Utley. However, with the great start to his career, the sky is the limit!

Alec Bohm has gone from villain to fan favorite in the city of Philadelphia. It all started when the viral video of him being caught saying something along the lines of “I hate it here” during the broadcast. It was not an easy transition for Bohm from his natural position at first moving the left side of the diamond to third.

As anyone who has played at any level could tell you, it’s very different playing third base rather than first. Now imagine doing it at the pro level where the ball could be coming off of that bat at you over 100 mph. Decision making has to be just as quick as deciding whether or not to swing at a fastball.

Bohm has become the third baseman this team has been searching for. While playing him at first has allowed Edmundo Sosa to get playing time and at-bats, with the return of Darick Hall, Bohm will most likely get a lot more steady appearances at third base with the occasional first base appearance thrown in.

Regardless, Bohm adding 15 pounds of muscle in the offseason has been a game changer for him.

Bohm’s recent six-RBI game against the Washington Nationals was great to experience. Bohm has become extremely confident this season at the plate and has been consistent. Even when Bohm went out on the IL, it was uncertain as to whether or not he would pick up where he left off when he was injured. The answer was yes.

Bohm is currently batting .277 in 267 at-bats. Bohm as 74 hits with 33 runs and 54 RBI … and add nine home runs into that mix as well. Bohm currently has a OBP of .322 and OPS of .749. If Bohm continues hitting the way he has, he could end up closer to a .300 batting average than .250.

The “Day Care” has star potential and if they continue to progress the way they have been, it bodes extremely well for the Phillies moving forward.