Phillies: Five position players to watch in spring training
With Phillies spring training officially underway, let’s take a look at five position players worth keeping an eye on in Clearwater.
As the Phillies’ position players make their way to Clearwater, Florida, there are some notably obvious absences that most fans had expected to see. “Where’s Bryce? Where’s Manny? Why haven’t we signed them yet?”
While I’m sure Matt Klentak is not finished by any stretch in the free agent market, there’s no point of getting all worked up and excited over guys who have given no indication of where they intend to sign. Sorry, but until the day that pen meets paper, the I’s dotted and the T’s crossed, I’m not getting excited over the prospect of what could be.
However, with the new acquisitions Klentak has brought in, returning starters who have something to prove, and the next generation of Phillies chomping at the bit, there are plenty of players to keep an eye on this spring in Clearwater. The official start to the regular season may still be several weeks away, and the air is still frosty in the Philadelphia area, but baseball is BACK!
A lot of pieces need to fall into place if the Phillies hope to take charge in the NL East, including some pivot players stepping their game up after last year’s disappointing finish.
Honorable Mentions: Adam Haseley (potential #1 prospect), Andrew Romine (where will he play?), Arquimedes Gamboa (youngest at Clearwater), Andrew McCutchen and Jean Segura (how the new guys will mesh).
Scott Kingery
The guy I have the closest eye on this spring is the former number two prospect who has the most to prove in the eyes of the organization. Kingery signed a six-year, $24 million dollar contract last spring, with club options giving the Phillies control over him until 2026. With that deal, Klentak told the entire organization “He’s our guy.”
However, even after the departure of J.P. Crawford, it’s a crowded infield. Jean Segura seems to slide into the starting SS role, and it’s safe to assume Cesar Hernandez will retain his role manning second base. That leaves Maikel Franco and Kingery duking it out for third base.
After tearing up AA Reading in 2017 (.313 BA, .987 OPS, 18 HR in 69 games), Kingery struggled to maintain any success at the plate or in the field. He had 13 errors, and a fielding percentage of .870 at third base. At the plate, strikeouts were his greatest obstacle, striking out once every 3.6 at-bats. If Kingery wants to prove to the organization that he’s actually their guy, his level of play on both sides needs to improve.
What I’m really looking to see out of Kingery is a calculated approach at the plate. There’s no doubt that Kingery has the raw talent to play at the Major League level. But only so much can be done with potential, and if he wants to become more than “raw talent,” that has to translate at the plate. If he can develop his plate discipline and pitch selection, his numbers will start to reflect the numbers that led him to be one of the top prospects in baseball.
Maikel Franco
Kingery’s counterpart in the battle for third base is the fifth-year vet from the Dominican Republic. What’s incredible to believe is that Franco had a relatively decent year offensively in 2018, hitting .270 with 22 HR and only 62 strike-outs in 433 AB. In fact, his average, OBP, SLG and OPS were the highest of his career when playing more than 130 games, remarkable considering he dwelled in the bottom half of the lineup for most of the season.
Franco’s plate discipline even improved, lowering his strikeout percentage by over two percent. I think that, offensively, Franco is a solid .260-.280 hitter, who’s going to get you 20-25 home runs, and around 75 RBIs every year. His offense is not his problem.
Franco’s fielding consistency is what cost him playing time towards the end of the year. In 27 fewer games, he committed as many errors as he did in 2017 (15). His fielding percentage (.949) had him ranked 16th out of 19 third basemen who played at least 100 games, when the overall league average was .958.
While fielding has never been his strongest asset, he’s had a flair for the dramatic, making impossible plays and spectacular throws. Yet, on routine plays, he still makes little league mistakes and does things that leave fans burying their face in their hands.
In order for Franco to take control of the hot corner, the major upgrade he needs to show is defense. According to The Philly Inquirer, Franco has trimmed some of his extra poundage from last year, so that may improve his range a bit. But, where I want to see the improvement is in his defensive instincts.
Realistically, I don’t see Franco as a Gold Glove third baseman, nor do the Phillies need him to be. If he can be reliable, even-keeled, and composed, and cut down on the foolish errors, his offense will force the staff to keep him in the lineup.
Odubel Herrera
Where to begin with El Torito. Last season was just a weird season for Herrera. He started off hot, batting .322 with seven home runs and 32 RBIs in April and May. Even looking at his production stats, he had his highest home run and RBI total of his career.
I remember whisperings of “If he can keep this up…”, and then I remembered that April/May is much different from August/September. Herrera put up a batting average of .189 with 30 strike-outs and only 11 runs scored in the heat of a division race. He was even dropped down to the bottom third of the lineup at one point. He looked disheartened at the plate, and that carried into the field.
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Defensively, he was worth 16 runs above average every year from 2015-2017, based off of the number of plays made. In 2018, he was worth -10, meaning he was a significant detriment in the outfield. And I really think that ties into his struggles at the plate. It also didn’t help that, in his stead, Roman Quinn was a major bright spot in the final two months when the team desperately needed one.
In 2019, I need to see the old Odubel. The patient approach at the plate. The hustle on base to the point where his helmet falls off. The flying around the outfield, making diving plays or robbing home runs.
The Phillies don’t need him to hit 20+ home runs They need him to set the table with the other guys at the top of the lineup. I want to see 2016 Odubel, or else the Phillies will have to turn to someone else at CF.
Mickey Moniak
The Phillies first overall pick in the 2016 Amateur Draft has his eyes set on the coveted “top prospect” role, now that Sixto Sanchez has been sent to Miami. Yet, the young outfielder struggled mightily in his A ball (Clearwater) debut, with his ability to get on base being the most notable limitation.
Nobody expected Moniak to be a powerhouse at the plate, but an OPS of .687 is not going to cut it. However, I believe that he’ll develop fast. He’s younger than the average player at that level by less than three years after coming straight from high school, and his second half production shows that he can make the adjustments to his game.
The biggest thing I want to see out of Moniak this spring is his pitch selection and patience at the plate. At 20 years old, he can put on the weight and strength with the appropriate nutrition program. But until he does, he needs to be able to get on base. Just 22 walks last year over 433 at-bats isn’t going to cut it when you only hit five HR.
Moniak has the ability to be a top of the lineup-type player if he can get his OBP into the .350 range and hit around .280. I think, as I’m sure the Phillies do, that his ceiling is multiple-year All-Star level player. What he needs to focus on is the art of discipline at the plate, so that he can display his full array of abilities.
J.T. Realmuto
The Big Kahuna of the offseason (to date)! After four full years at the Major League level, he has proven himself to be the best all-around catcher in the game.
In 2018, Realmuto had the highest wins Above Replacement (WAR) of any catcher in the league while hitting 21 home runs with an On-Base+Slugging % (OPS) of 0.825. He led the Majors in seven offensive categories for catchers, which earned him his first All-Star appearance and Silver Slugger Award.
Defensively, he has ranked in the top 10 in caught stealing percentage all four years, being in the top five for three of them.
While I know J.T. probably won’t play much until the end of the spring training circuit, I’m really only interested in one thing from him: catcher-pitcher relationship. Especially between J.T. and Aaron Nola. After Nola’s dominant 2018 at age 25, and J.T. coming to Philly at age 27, these two have a chance to be the next Doc–Ruiz for at least the next two years.
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I have no worries about what Realmuto brings to the game itself; he’s the best catcher in baseball. But I want him to develop that type of bond with Nola where they just give each other a look, and they know. His bond with the other pitchers is imperative as well, but the ace needs to be the priority.