Phillies: Five things to look forward to next season
Phillies baseball has been far from entertaining this year, but here are five reasons you should watch in 2018
Rhys Hoskins
Few prospects in the Phillies drew as much demand as first baseman Rhys Hoskins. Hitting 27 home runs for the IronPigs this season Hoskins was blocked by Tommy Joseph for most of the 2017 season.
After losing Aaron Altherr to a hamstring injury the Phillies gave Hoskins the opportunity to play left field and platoon at first base with Joseph. An overaggressive approach at the plate over his first three games made Hoskins 0-10 with four strikeouts to start his career.
In front of friends and family in San Diego, Hoskins launched his first two major league home runs deep into the California night. Since hitting those home runs on August 14 Hoskins is hitting .343 with seven home runs.
The emergence of Hoskins‘ power in just a handful of games has fans dreaming of what he could provide over an entire major league season. Teams will begin to change their approach with the 24-year-old, and how he adjusts will make all the difference in his career.
A full season of Hoskins launching home runs at Citizens Bank Park will certainly be a major storyline fans will be talking about heading into the 2017 season.
Third Base
Few players in recent Phillies history have disappointed more than Maikel Franco not just this season, but through their career. Destined to blossom into the next super star in the city, Franco drew future MVP predictions from Mike Schmidt and others in recent years.
It’s also become clear the organization has little patience for Franco to find himself, as several top prospects are preparing to change positions in the minor leagues. J.P. Crawford has shifted about 60 feet to his right from shortstop to third, and second baseman Scott Kingery has taken ground balls at third during batting practice late in the summer.
Certainly, the intrigue surrounding future free agents Mike Moustakas and Manny Machado will reach One Citizens Bank Way during the offseason this year and next. Owner John Middleton has money burning a hole in his suit and is ready to take his trophy back.
How the team handles Franco going forward is beyond my pay grade, but don’t be surprised if they attempt to swap him this winter.
Outfielders
How the Phillies outfield plays out in 2018 will be quite interesting. At first glance the opening day roster projects to have (if healthy) Altherr, Odubel Herrera, and Nick Williams as the everyday outfielders. Each has enough athleticism to play the outfield and could be an above-average set of defenders.
Health is the major issue for Altherr, who’s played 144 games over the past two seasons. He’s shown immense potential and carried the offense this summer prior to a hamstring injury shutting him down.
Herrera’s struggles are more mental than anything, which has made him an outcast among certain fans. Boneheadedness on the base pads and in the field has isolated him in conversations centered around the future. If he can mentally focus and hit the way he was during the summer the Phillies have a perennial All-star center fielder.
Flying under the radar with Hoskins in town is Nick Williams, the first of the major offensive prospects to arrive this season. He’s collected seven home runs while maintaining a .288 average through 190 plate appearances, an impressive feat for a player many wrote off last year in the minors.
Beyond those three, the team must find answers for Roman Quinn, Cam Perkins, and strikeout machine Dylan Cozens. Quinn may never be healthy enough to stay in the majors, Perkins has proven to be nothing more than a body off the bench, and Cozens looks like the next Darin Ruf.
Approaching the majors are Carlos Tocci and Adam Haseley, Philadelphia’s first round pick from the June draft. If Altherr and Quinn aren’t healthy Tocci may get an opportunity next season, but Haseley will be close behind.
Further down the depth chart will be first round picks Mickey Moniak and Cornelius Randolph. However, they’re ways away from being an impact at the major league level.
Jorge Alfaro
Despite limited major league playing time Jorge Alfaro is guaranteed a job on the Phillies staff next year. With Andrew Knapp suffering a broken hand Alfaro has flourished catching three of the Phillies five starters. In nine games this year he’s hitting .324 with 12 hits and a home run, but more importantly calling quality games behind the plate.
Cameron Rupp is more likely done with the organization after a horrid 2017 season, complete with a .230 batting average. Knapp showed promise before the injury and could be a quality backup behind Alfaro for years to come.
If Alfaro’s bat stays hot next year he could provide tremendous protection behind Rhys Hoskins in the Phillies lineup out of the five-hole.
Starting pitchers
Maybe the phrase “looking forward to” shouldn’t apply to the Phillies starting pitchers, but it’ll be a major storyline that will carry next season. Aaron Nola looks to be the team ace going forward after a dominant stretch of games coming out of the all-star break, and ranks in the top-10 in four different categories for National League pitchers. That includes ERA, strikeouts per nine innings, and home runs per nine innings.
After Nola, the starting rotation presents more questions than answers. Jerad Eickhoff has been a major disappointment this season after being the team workhorse in 2016. Injuries have plagued both Zach Eflin and Vincent Velasquez, who the team is hell-bent on starting in 2018.
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Nick Pivetta and Ben Lively are lumped into the category of pitchers who have flashed potential but may never be anything more than a mediocre starter.
Jake Thompson, meanwhile, is a complete and total bust since coming over in the Cole Hamels trade. He’s gotten his chances but hasn’t proven a thing. Same can be said for Mark Appel in AAA battling injuries.
The jury is still out on Mark Leiter Jr., who’s come out of nowhere as a long-man in the bullpen and a quality spot-starter. He’ll get his chance to make the rotation next winter.
Don’t be surprised if the Phillies spend on a pitcher in free agency this winter with Yu Darvish and Tyler Chatwood being intruiging candidates.
Next: Phillies top 25 under 25: Ranking young players
Prospect Thomas Eshelman is likely to be the next starter to get his chance in the rotation. He’ll lead a wave of young players including top prospects Franklyn Kilome and Sixto Sanchez who could fly through the organization.