Phillies spring training studs and duds: Who’s shining, who’s not?

Duds
Maikel Franco
Coming into the spring, Gabe Kapler declared a competition between Franco and Scott Kingery for the third base job. Franco appears to be leading that competition, but neither has been good this spring. Franco has batted right at the Mendoza line in 27 plate appearances, with seven strikeouts and only one walk. He does have a homer and six RBI and has at least managed to stay away from the double play ball, which is always a struggle for him.
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Scott Kingery
Kingery flashed enormous potential during his time in the minors but has looked utterly lost during his time in the big leagues. His numbers this spring have been even worse than Franco. His average is the same, but he doesn’t have any homers and has only one RBI. He also has 11 strikeouts and two walks in 30 appearances and has a paltry .550 OPS. Kingery will most likely to start the season as a utility infielder but might need a full time starting job at second to realize his potential. That deal he signed before his debut is looking worse by the second.
Vince Velasquez
It’s hard to judge a pitcher based on two starts, but Velasquez has had two ugly starts. He allowed two walks and a homer in only one full inning of work on March sixth against Toronto and allowed five hits and five earned runs in two innings against Tampa Bay on March eleventh. His ERA has ballooned to 18.00, but he has managed six strikeouts in his three total innings of work. This actually seems kind of fitting for Velasquez, who is arguably the Phillies’ most frustrating pitcher. One day he’ll put up a 16-strikeout shutout, the next… well, you’ve seen his Spring Training numbers this year.
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