Aaron Altherr’s 2016 was derailed by an injury in spring training that cost him most of the year. Can the Phillies outfielder bounce back in 2017?
When Aaron Altherr reached the major-leagues with the Phillies, the outfielder really impressed in his limited time. In 39 games, Altherr posted a .827 OPS with five home runs and 22 RBI. Despite being in the majors for such a short time, Altherr was second among position players on the team in fWAR with 1.8.
After that breakout, Altherr was poised to seize control of a starting job with the major-league team heading into 2016. Unfortunately, he hurt his wrist diving in spring training, forcing him to undergo surgery and miss out on nearly four months worth of games.
Upon returning, he performed poorly, racking up 69 strikeouts in 227 plate appearances with a .202/.304/.293. His poor performance contributed to a Philadelphia outfield that had the worst weighted on-base average (wOBA) in the major-leagues.
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With no clear options to man the corner outfield positions, the Phils went out and acquired Howie Kendrick and Michael Saunders to play left and right field, respectively. Thanks to the presence of these two veterans, Altherr is relegated to a bench role this season as the team’s fourth outfielder.
However, being a fourth outfielder is the role most expected out of Altherr when he came through the minor-leagues.
Kiley McDaniels of Fangraphs wrote in 2014:
"“last cut from the list has lost his prospect luster: above average speed and raw power in a 4th outfielder type profile but had massive contact issues in Double-A due in part to long 6’5/220 frame”"
The team’s website lists Altherr as the backup at every outfield position, and he can play all of them. He will play primarily in the corners as Odubel Herrera is young enough to play in nearly every game as long as he is healthy. According to UZR/150, Altherr’s best defensive position in 2016 was left field.
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At the plate, Altherr could stand to see an improvement now that he is a full year removed from injuring his wrist. Former Yankee Mark Teixeira also had wrist surgery back in 2013, which impacted his offense the next year as he had a meager .711 OPS. He came back in 2015 and hit 31 home runs to go along with a .906 OPS. It may simply be a matter of time for Altherr to bounce back from his 2016 wrist surgery.
Later on during the 2017 season, Altherr could see his playing time decrease if and when the team promotes one (or more) of Roman Quinn, Dylan Cozens, and Nick Williams.
All three will be at Triple-A Lehigh Valley to start the year and could push for a spot in the majors with a good season. The team is more likely to give one of those players more at-bats compared to Altherr considering they do not have as much major-league experience as him.
Next: Phillies 2017 Season Preview: RP Joely Rodriguez
Can Altherr return to his late-2015 form in 2017 or will he be the same player who struggled to get the bat on the ball in 2016? Only time will tell as the season draws nearer.