Ten things for Phillies fans to look forward to in 2018

A new manager

For the last two and a half years, Pete Mackanin was at the helm. He wasn’t particularly bad as a manager, but the front office felt a need for a change from the guy they inherited after Andy MacPhail and Matt Klentak took over. Now, they have their guy in Gabe Kapler.

To say Kapler is unorthodox is an understatement. The fact that Howard Eskin asked about Kapler’s use of coconut oil at his introductory press conference says a lot. Kapler came from the Dodgers and is well-trained in sabermetrics, nutrition, and fitness. He was labeled baseball’s most attractive manager.

However, someone like Kapler could be exactly what this team needs for a fresh start. He has a well-rounded coaching staff behind him, and the team’s young core will likely be more open to his ideas. It will be interesting to see how Kapler employs his sabermetric knowledge in the clubhouse on a day-to-day basis. This team will certainly have a much different look in 2018 with Kapler taking the reins.

First full season of Rhys Hoskins

Arguably the best part of the 2017 season was watching Rhys Hoskins crush baseballs once he reached the major-leagues. He hit 18 home runs in his first 34 games, breaking records each time as the fastest player to reach X amount of home runs.

Despite being on the team for less than two months, Hoskins racked up the third-most wins above replacement of any of Philadelphia’s hitters. He finished the season with a .259/.396/.618 line, 48 runs batted in, 37 walks, and 46 strikeouts in 50 games. Hoskins tapered out the last two weeks of the season, but that could easily be due to playing the most games in any season of his life. He still continued to draw walks even if the home runs dried up.

Next year, we will get a full season of Hoskins in the majors. He is expected to be a centerpiece in the lineup and the everyday starter in left field. While his home run pace from August and early September almost certainly won’t carry over, but he should still be able to hit plenty if he keeps up his patient hitting approach.

J.P. Crawford as the everyday shortstop

This time last year, we weren’t even sure if J.P. Crawford could make it as a major-leaguer after an abysmal stretch in Triple-A to end the season. That uncertainty continued well into the 2017 season after Crawford continued to struggle in Lehigh Valley. Several of the major prospect outlets had written him off, but things turned around for the 22-year-old.

After a week and a half long respite that acted as both time to heal a strained groin and a mental break, Crawford finally started hitting. From June 20 until the end of the minor-league season, he hit 13 home runs, had a .280/.381/.522 line, 0.78 walk-to-strikeout ratio, and 52 wRC+.

With confidence in Crawford restored, the team called him up to the majors in September, where he continued to show his trademark plate discipline. He had to bounce around the diamond to find at-bats, spending time at second base, third base, and shortstop.

With Freddy Galvis now a Padre, Crawford has the green light to be the starting shortstop in 2018. It’s his job as long as he’s healthy. There will definitely be a learning curve for him, but at 23 years old, he will be one of the youngest players in the majors. If Crawford stays patient at the plate, the production will come.

Aaron Nola being Aaron Nola

The Phillies’ starting rotation was a complete dumpster fire in 2017 except for one pitcher: Aaron Nola. In fact, he was among the best in the league. His 4.3 fWAR ranked 13th among all starters in the league, slotted between Jacob DeGrom and Justin Verlander. That is some good company.

In 27 starts, Nola racked up 168 innings pitched, 184 strikeouts, 49 walks, a 3.54 ERA, 3.27 fielding-independent pitching, and 1.21 WHIP. He returned to his 2015 and early-2016 form, which everyone was hoping for after he ended the 2016 season on the disabled list after two months of struggles.

As of now, Nola remains the frontline starter in Philadelphia’s rotation. It’s highly likely the team acquires someone via trade or rotation to bolster the rotation, but even then Nola should still remain one of the team’s premier starters.

Last year, Nola was worth watching every time he took the mound, and that should still continue in 2018.

Carlos Santana joining the lineup

The Phillies made one of the first big signings in free agency this offseason, picking up first baseman Carlos Santana on a three-year, $60 million contract with a fourth-year option. With a first baseman seemingly in place in Rhys Hoskins and a poor 2017 record, Philadelphia wasn’t considered in the Santana market. However, they were able to pay, and now Santana is a Phillie.

Santana isn’t just a veteran bat; he’s a good veteran bat. He finished with an OBP above .360 in five of the last six seasons. In 2017, he hit 23 home runs, drove in 79 runs, scored 90, a 13.2 percent strikeout rate, 14.1 percent walk rate, and 3.0 fWAR.

Santana is expected to be another centerpiece of the lineup with Hoskins. He is certainly getting paid like one, so the hope is he can continue to produce like he has in recent years. There is no reason to think he can’t, and his bat should be a worthwhile addition to the lineup.

Scott Kingery by midseason

Scott Kingery had a breakout year in 2017, launching him into top prospect conversation. He opened the season with 18 home runs in 69 games with Double-A Reading before moving up to Triple-A, where he hit eight more home runs and had a .786 OPS.

Kingery is expected to start 2017 in Triple-A with Cesar Hernandez still on the roster. Kingery played just 63 games there, so more time there is probably a good idea.

However, if Kingery continues to hit like he did in 2017, the club won’t be able to keep him in Triple-A for long. They will likely have to work him in the same way they did with Crawford in September, moving him around the diamond a bit. Kingery did get some work in at third base in 2017 and could get some more in 2018 as well, meaning he could take over for Maikel Franco if he still isn’t hitting well.

Kingery could take over at second if and when Hernandez gets traded, as rumors will likely surround him well into the 2018 season. Where Kingery plays long-term is another matter, but he should get his first cuts at the majors by the time 2018 is over.

Jorge Alfaro taking the reins

The prospect with the highest ceiling to come back from the Rangers in the 2015 Cole Hamels trade was arguably Jorge Alfaro. Two and a half years later, he is set to take over as the starter behind the plate.

In 2017, Alfaro played 84 games in Triple-A Lehigh Valley. His offensive numbers weren’t great as he posted a .241/.291/.358 line with a 32.3 percent strikeout rate. He still wound up in the majors after Andrew Knapp went down with a wrist injury. Alfaro was the only option as the only other catcher on the 40-man roster, so to Philadelphia he went.

Once he got to the majors, Alfaro racked up plenty of hits. He hit .318 with an .874 OPS. Alfaro knocked six doubles and five home runs in 29 major-league games. It was a complete surprise considering his performance at the plate in Triple-A.

2017 was the last year Alfaro could be optioned back to the minors without having to go through waivers, so his spot on the active roster seems like a lock for 2018. Most expect him to be the starter, even if he still has some kinks in his game to work out. How Alfaro progresses will certainly be something to watch for.

Sixto Sanchez moving up the minor-league ladder

The new pitching prospect to watch in the Phillies’ farm system is Sixto Sanchez. The 19-year-old has dazzled scouts with a fastball that hits 100 miles per hour and two strong secondary offerings in his curveball and changeup. What’s more is that he does it all with strong control, allowing few walks to opposing hitters.

Sanchez started off 2017 in strong fashion, posting a 2.41 ERA with a 7.11 strikeout-to-walk ratio in Low-A Lakewood. He reached High-A in August just after turning 19. His command faltered in his last two starts, causing him to issue far more walks than usual.

Sanchez made his way onto many midseason top 100 prospect lists and should rise up in the next edition of lists. He could be in Double-A before he turns 20 and be on the fast track to a major-league debut in 2019. Sanchez is one of the most exciting prospects in the system and watching him progress in 2018 should be fun.

A strong bullpen

Starting off the year, the Phillies bullpen was just atrocious. They were overworked and blew far too many late-game lead. On the other hand, they were actually pretty good in the second half of the season.

Post All-Star break, Philadelphia’s relievers ranked seventh in the league with 3.2 fWAR. They had a collective 3.74 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and 2.78 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Much of this second-half improvement came thanks to the emergence of Adam Morgan and Luis Garcia as effective setup men. Hector Neris had some shaky moments, but for the most part established himself as the team’s closer.

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Even though the bullpen was pretty good, general manager Matt Klentak went out in free agency and brought in two veterans on two-year deals to improve it even more. He resigned Pat Neshek, the team’s All-Star and only consistent reliever from the first half of the season. Klentak also brought in Tommy Hunter, who posted a career-high 28.1 percent strikeout rate and career lows in ERA and fielding-independent pitching.

With Hunter and Nehsek on board, this bullpen should be able to handle itself just fine late in games. If the starter can keep the game close through five or six innings, the bullpen can give the team a chance to win every night.

A potential wild-card run

This may be farfetched, but the Twins showed in 2017 it’s not impossible for a team to go from one of the worst in the league to making the playoffs in just one year. In fact, Minnesota had the first overall pick in 2017, then played in the wild-card game just a few months later.

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It’s unlikely the Phillies will be able to catch the Nationals at the top of the National League East, but they very well could finish ahead of the Marlins, Mets, and Braves. That would put them at least somewhat close to a wild-card spot.

To somehow make it into a playoff spot, the team will likely have to improve by at least 15 wins. They were 37-38 in the second half and 15-13 in September, so they do at least have some momentum heading into next season. Even then, it will likely take everything going right for them.

Next: Could Herrera Get Time at Second?

Hopefully, they can at least keep it interesting for a bulk of the season.