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Phillies 2017 Opening Day Lineup: What Will It Be?

By John Town

Sep 17, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Tommy Joseph (19) celebrates with teammates after hitting a two run home run during the second inning against the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 17, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Tommy Joseph (19) celebrates with teammates after hitting a two run home run during the second inning against the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports /
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In 2016 some Phillies established their roles for next season while others left the situation up in the air. We’ll go position by position and figure out what the lineup will look like.

While rebuilding teams like the Phillies often look to the minors to see what their future will look like, they have to analyze what they have in the major-leagues as well. Thankfully, the Phillies filled most of their 2016 roster internally, meaning most of the players from this year will be here in the long-term. Now we have to figure which of that talent will be starting on Opening Day next season.

Some positions are locked in heading into next season, while others are completely up for grabs. The team may fill those holes internally, or they could look outside the organization for help.

Most, if not all, of the infield is pretty much locked in for 2017. Cameron Rupp bought himself time behind the plate with a solid season. He finished the year with a .750 OPS and 1.6 fWAR. Andrew Knapp will likely be on the Opening Day roster as the backup, but Rupp earned the starting catcher’s job this year.

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Tommy Joseph, whom most never expected to ever reach the major-leagues, put together an impressive rookie campaign at first base. Joseph hit 21 home runs with a .505 slugging percentage while still in a platoon with Ryan Howard. With Howard’s time in Philadelphia now over, Joseph should get most, if not all, of the playing time at first base.

Opposite Joseph, Maikel Franco fell into a serious sophomore slump.

Despite nearly playing twice as many games, Franco produced 0.5 less wins above replacement this season compared to last. His OPS of .733 was below league-average. Even though he struggled, Franco should still start next season since there is no one inside or outside the organization that could realistically challenge him barring a major move.

The middle of the infield is where things get a little funky. Freddy Galvis suddenly became a power hitter, doubling his career home run total with 20 home runs this season. However, it came at the cost of his on-base ability severely falling. He was still a defensive stalwart, coming fourth in the MLB with a 22.9 Defensive Fangraphs value.

Cesar Hernandez led the Phillies in fWAR with 4.4 and had the highest batting average among Phillies with 40 or more plate appearances. His baserunning still needs major work, as he converted just 17 of 31 stolen base chances.

What throws a real wrench into the middle of the infield is top prospect J.P. Crawford. While he is likely to start the year back in Triple-A, a good spring may force the Phillies hand. It is hard to imagine the team would put Galvis’s glove and power on the bench, meaning he would likely move over to second base, knocking Hernandez out of his starting job.

Even if Crawford doesn’t start the year in the majors, he should reach the big-leagues at some point during the year barring a major injury. That is the more likely scenario as to delay his service time. Whenever he does come up, Galvis and Hernandez will have to battle for playing time.

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The outfield is where everything really comes off the rails. Odubel Herrera put together another four-win season, seemingly securing his spot in center field. However, some speculate Herrera may be traded this winter, similar to last year when the Phillies dealt closer Ken Giles.

A Herrera trade would leave two spots in the outfield up for grabs. Aaron Altherr will likely start at one outfield position, either right or center depending on where Herrera ends up. Altherr struggled after returning from wrist surgery, posting a .597 OPS in 57 games.

While Altherr still hasn’t spent much time in the major-leagues – less than 100 games – his offense will have to step up in 2017, otherwise he may get overtaken by the talent below him.

Tyler Goeddel started Opening Day in left field last year, but it’s unlikely he will next year. Some time in Triple-A would be good for Goeddel since he really struggled this season at the major-league level. Now that he is a full-fledged Phillie, he has plenty of time to develop in the minors.

In a recent interview, Phillies owner John Middleton said the team will look to upgrade the corner outfield position this offseason. Jose Bautista is the biggest outfield name hitting the free agent market this season, but it’s hard to imagine him wanting to come to Philadelphia – a rebuilding team – from a playoff contender in Toronto. Some have linked Texas outfielder Ian Desmond to the team, and he would likely slide into the left field position.

If the Phillies don’t bring in an outside player to play left field, the team has options in their minor-league system as well. Nick Williams is the last player from the Cole Hamels trade who still hasn’t debuted in the major-leagues. His hitting took a major step back in 2016 with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, and he likely needs more time there in 2017 before he can be promoted.

Roman Quinn manned left field while playing alongside Herrera, and he did surprisingly well considering he jumped straight from Double-A to the majors. In 15 games, Quinn carried a .373 on-base percentage and stole five bases. His major-league debut came to an end with a strained oblique muscle.

Quinn may start 2017 in the majors despite his leapfrogging of Triple-A. Sean O’Brien of Call to the Pen said:

"“Quinn simply needs to remain in shape, come to spring training next season and play well. If he’s able to hit those three marks his dream of being a regular in the big leagues could be sustained past this September.”"

The final piece of the puzzle to the 2017 Opening Day lineup is the starting pitcher. Once again, the Phillies open the season in Cincinnati. Jeremy Hellickson started the season opener against the Reds last year, but he may start next year in another uniform with a new, lucrative deal.

Manager Pete Mackanin told Evan Webeck of MLB.com Jerad Eickhoff is “a possible number one, without question.” This means Mackanin may reward Eickhoff’s consistency this season with the start on Opening Day next year. Eickhoff said it would be a “tremendous honor” to start Opening Day next year.

Aaron Nola is another option on Opening Day; he started the home opener last season. His health is still a major concern with the UCL strain he sustained, but he recently started a throwing program in Clearwater.

Vincent Velasquez was electric this season, and general manager Matt Klentak was happy with the progress Velasquez made in his first full major-league season. While he was in the back of the rotation heading into 2016, he could headline it in 2017.

Next: Phillies Post-2016 Top Prospect Rankings: 26-30

As a whole, the Phillies have a mix of certainty and uncertainty heading into 2017. The infield is pretty much set unless No. 1 prospect J.P. Crawford wreaks havoc on the middle infield. The outfield still has at least one hole, but a trade of Odubel Herrera could add to the uncertainty. Meanwhile, the Phillies have multiple options to start the first game on the mound, all of which are solid.

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