The lineup
If you have watched the Phillies at all this season, you may have noticed that the offensive lineup can go completely cold for stretches. They also seem to struggle against inferior, or what you would perceive as inferior, pitching. But when this team is on a roll, it can be a lot of fun to watch.
One of the major positives of the Asdrubal Cabrera trade has been the ability for the Phillies to put Scott Kingery on the bench. Hopefully, the kid can put it together and become the solid player that the organization thought they were getting when they paid him legitimate money before he ever took a major league at-bat. He has been an absolute nightmare in his rookie season, there is no longer any way to sugar coat his performance.
Cabrera has made a difference in the lineup already, and NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Corey Seidman pointed out that he just provides more of what the Phillies offense needs. You can quickly tell when you watch them play that the veteran infielder swings a legitimate bat.
When Ramos returns from the DL and can take starts from Andrew Knapp and Jorge Alfaro, get ready for an even more dangerous lineup. Replacing the underwhelming production, to put it mildly, of the Phils’ catchers with the offensive prowess of Ramos is extremely exciting.
More from Phillies News
- Philadelphia Phillies: Most impactful transactions in 2022
- How will Rob Thomson manage the Philadelphia Phillies bullpen in 2023?
- How Phillies’ Ranger Suárez is set to build on 2022 postseason dominance
- What can Philadelphia Phillies expect from Bryson Stott in 2023?
- 3 Reasons to get excited for Phillies’ Craig Kimbrel signing
This team is not going to wow anyone with their batting average, but in terms of pure offensive production they will stack up with just about anybody in the league. Per CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin, they are the only team in the league who has seven players with at least 14 home runs and 39 RBI. Coming from someone who watches almost every game, I can say that is both an impressive and surprisingly statistic.
Don’t look now, but the Phillies bench has become much deeper all-of-a-sudden. With the trade acquisitions, the roster has become infused with a veteran presence and offensive ability. Three days before Asdrubal Cabrera joined the club, NJ.com’s Bill Evans published an article pointing out the bench as a glaring weakness to the sustainability of the team’s success. Now, it looks as if Klentak may have put together a postseason-worthy roster and quelled some of that stress.