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!

Brandon Marsh was acquired last season from the Angels for one of the Phillies top prospects in Logan O’Hoppe. The Phillies had a big void to fill at center field and obtaining a young Gold Glove finalist was a no-brainer. The only question mark to Marsh’s game was his ability to hit. Marsh last season did have his ups and down in Philadelphia but was still a key piece to that World Series run.

While with the Angels, Marsh was batting .226 in 93 games. Marsh had 66 hits in 292 at-bats. Scoring 34 runs and recording 37 RBI, Marsh was a perfect piece to anchor the nine spot in an already star-studded lineup in Philly.

Marsh finished last season with a batting average of .245, with 104 hits, 49 runs, 52 RBI and 11 home runs. After the Wild Card series versus the St Louis Cardinals, Marsh went cold for the Phillies. He went from a .400 batting average to .250 against the Braves and .000 against the Padres. While Marsh did bat .231 against the Astros in the World Series, the question began to loom if he can be a consistent threat in the lineup.

The Phillies ended up acquiring Cristian Pache, a similar player to that of Marsh. Thomson has ended up using the two as a platoon in center field and it hasn’t backfired yet. While Marsh has shown flashes of being able to hit left-handed pitchers, the question still remains if he can be a true threat.

Marsh has been hitting the ball well this season. He has had a few hiccups in the field but his defense has still been extremely solid.

Marsh is currently batting .279 with 67 hits. He also has 32 runs and 32 RBI adding in seven home runs. Marsh has a OBP of .358 and OPS of .820 in 76 games. If Marsh can continue improving his hitting at the plate with batting coach Kevin Long, there is no doubt Marsh could become the everyday center fielder and no longer need to platoon.