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Phillies 2016 Report Card: Outfielder Tyler Goeddel

By John Town

May 13, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Tyler Goeddel (2) hits a two RBI triple in front of Cincinnati Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart (16) during the fourth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
May 13, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Tyler Goeddel (2) hits a two RBI triple in front of Cincinnati Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart (16) during the fourth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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For the second straight year, the Phillies retained their Rule 5 draft pick for the entire season. Unfortunately, Tyler Goeddel didn’t match the production of his predecessor.

The Rule 5 draft was meant for rebuilding teams like the Phillies. When a team’s focus is on developing young players rather than trying to make the playoffs, they can handle growing pains from players who leap from the minors to the majors. Unfortunately, Tyler Goeddel had a lot of growing pains this season.

Despite a 2015 where Goeddel hit for a .783 OPS and 12 home runs in Double-A, the Rays left him unprotected from the Rule 5 draft. Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reported the Phillies would take Goeddel before the draft, and indeed they did. Hopes were high for Goeddel as Dan Farnsworth of Fangraphs slotted him as the No. 14 prospect in the Phillies system heading into the year.

Goeddel started Opening Day in left field, and he manned that spot in the majority of his playing time this season. Out of the 56 games he started, 49 came from left while the other seven were in right. Regardless of where he played, Goeddel was a below-average defender. The average outfielder this year had a .985 fielding percentage, but Goeddel’s was .969. His fielding was worth 4.7 runs below replacement level. In addition, he carried a -11.5 UZR/150 in the outfield.

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Turning to Goeddel’s offense, it wasn’t any better. He wrapped up the year with a final line of .192/.258/.291. His wRC+ of 47 was beyond awful. Goeddel finished the season with an oWAR of -1.1. If Goeddel wasn’t a Rule 5 pick, he would’ve been back in the minors.

Goeddel’s season ended September 21 after a pitch hit him in the head, giving him a concussion. The team certainly wasn’t going to rush him back that late in the year.

By that time Aaron Altherr and Roman Quinn got the majority of the playing time in the corner outfield spots, so it didn’t really matter.

For all of his struggles, Goeddel still showed some flashes of success. He was part of one of the most exciting moments of the season, nailing a runner at home trying to tag up on a fly ball May 14. The throw was placed in the perfect spot for Cameron Rupp to receive and get the runner out at home, winning the game for the Phillies.

Goeddel also had to deal with limited and inconsistent playing time throughout the season. He started just 56 games, appearing mostly as a substitute. When asked why journeyman Jimmy Paredes was in the lineup far more than Goeddel, manager Pete Mackanin told reporters:

"“I’ve seen enough of Goeddel to know – we’ve kept him (on the roster) this long and we’re going to keep him (as a Rule 5 pick) and we’ll see where we go next year with him. I don’t see a need to play him, especially after he hasn’t played so much. What’s the point?”"

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Jon Stolnis of The Good Phight was appalled by these comments, asking, “Doesn’t it make more sense to get as much information on Goeddel as you can over the last few weeks of the season? Especially if those at bats are coming at the expense of two veterans you know won’t be here next year?

Stolnis noted that when Goeddel was consistently in the lineup, the young outfielder did fairly well. Between May 5 and June 1, Goeddel hit for an .850 OPS with a 127 wRC+. Seeing major-league pitchers regularly honed in his approach at the plate, as he struck out just 13.8% of the time in that span.

Outfielder. Philadelphia Phillies. TYLER GOEDDEL. D.

Goeddel’s season wasn’t good by any measure; it was pretty awful. However, I won’t call him a failure because he did have to jump from Double-A straight to the majors and saw limited playing time. There were flashes of success, so I will give Goeddel a “D” for the year.

Next: Phillies 2016 Report Card: Shortstop Freddy Galvis

Now that Goeddel is fully under Phillies control, they can send him back to Triple-A to get more consistent playing time, especially if Pete Mackanin refuses to give it. The team would be wise to send Goeddel back to the minors, where he can hopefully return to his 2015 form. If he does that, then he could return to the majors by midseason. If not, then the Phillies could turn to other outfielding prospects.

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