Phillies striking the proper balance of hits and walks
A key complaint about the 2018 Phillies was their lack of hits compared to walks. So far this year, the team has found the right balance between the two.
The 2018 Phillies had a strategy at the plate and they executed it: be patient, take as many pitches as you can, and be more than happy to draw a walk. To that end, the team finished last year second in pitches per plate appearance (4.02) and fourth in walks (582).
However, that patience came at the cost of hits and strikeouts. They finished with 1271 hits, fewest in the league and fewest for any Phillies team since 1972. They also had the lowest batting average (.234) and third-most strikeouts (1520). All this combined for the club producing the 10-fewest runs per game (4.18).
There was nothing inherently wrong with working counts and taking pitches; getting on base is obviously important for scoring runs. However, when you focus too much on drawing walks and structure your team around doing that, you lack the ability to drive in runs once players reach base with those walks.
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So far this season (a whole two games) we are seeing a marked improvement in offense. The club has scored 18 runs through their first two games, leading them to two straight wins to start the year for the first time since 2011. That 2011 team finished with 102 wins, so they’re good company to be in.
Besides the monster home runs, what has been so impressive about the offensive production is the club’s ability to generate offense through a combination of walks and hits.
Their 15.1% walk rate is fifth-highest and .258 batting average is eight-highest as of Sunday. They are staying patient, drawing the most pitches per plate appearance in the league (4.40), but are getting hits as well as walks.
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Todd Zolecki of MLB.com noted that the team is doing major damage after walks, going 6-for-11 with three home runs and 11 runs batted in during the plate appearances just after a walk.
On Opening Day Thursday, J.T. Realmuto drew a two-out walk before back-to-back RBI singles. Cesar Hernandez drew another two-out walk before a Maikel Franco home run. An Andrew McCutchen walk, Jean Segura single, and Bryce Harper intentional walk led to Rhys Hoskins‘ first career grand slam.
That trend continued Saturday as Odubel Herrera took a free pass before an RBI triple by Hernandez. Hoskins walked before Realmuto’s first home run as a Phillie.
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Last year, the team did not have enough players who could put balls into play to drive runs home after walks. We are seeing that more and more this year with hit-first players like Realmuto, Segura, and Franco. It all should lead more offense throughout the year as the team finds the right balance of walks and hits.