Five Phillies players in a make-or-break season this year

By John Town | Mar 28, 2018

CLEARWATER, FL - MARCH 25: Maikel Franco #7 of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a two-run home run against the Baltimore Orioles in the seventh inning of a Grapefruit League spring training game at Spectrum Field on March 25, 2018 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

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CLEARWATER, FL – FEBRUARY 20: Dylan Cozens #77 of the Philadelphia Phillies poses for a portrait on February 20, 2018 at Spectrum Field in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images) /

Dylan Cozens

Dylan Cozens’s 40 home run season in 2016 at Double-A Reading was either the best or the worst thing that happened to him. It launched him into the top prospect conversation with as much raw power as anyone else in the game. However, expectations for his future rocketed well above what most scouts and evaluators expected from him.

The strikeouts that were a problem in 2016 got even worse in Triple-A last year. Cozens struck out 194 times in 542 plate appearances, leading the International League. His power was still evident with 27 home runs and a .208 isolated power, but the rest of his numbers were not good.

Cozens is stuck in an outfield logjam with Rhys Hoskins, Odubel Herrera, Nick Williams, and Aaron Altherr all in the major leagues. He needs a season like 2016 to re-enter the conversation in the outfield; otherwise, he could be tossed to the wayside.

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