Phillies 2015 Report Card: Starting Pitchers

Jul 22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA;

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Morgan (39) pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at Citizens Bank Park.

(Photo Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports)

Adam Morgan – C: rookie lefty Morgan will turn 26 years old at the end of February, and he is coming off an up-and-down freshman campaign that resulted in this middling grade. Battling back from injury issues that slowed his career, Morgan finally made his big league debut on June 21st with an impressive win over the always tough Saint Louis Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park.

After following that debut up with another impressive outing in a tough 2-1 loss at Atlanta, Morgan began a see-saw pattern of good performances followed by poor outings. But unlike Buchanan or O’Sullivan, he never completely slipped, and he was able to stay in the Phillies rotation for the rest of the season.

In the end, Morgan fashioned a 5-7 record with a 4.48 ERA and a 1.245 WHIP. He allowed 88 hits in 84.1 innings over his 15 starts, with an acceptable 49/17 K:BB ratio.

It’s hard to know exactly what the Phillies have in Morgan for the long-term, but entering the 2016 season he is certainly a favorite, assuming continued health, to take a regular turn in the club’s rotation. As a lefty who could slot in between Nola and Eickhoff, the team should be able to count on him taking a regular turn, keeping them in most of his starts.

Next: 20 Starts: Hamels