Phillies: Giving the players their season letter grades
It was an all-around disappointing season for the Phillies, and they grade out that way.
The Phillies entered the 2019 season with lofty expectations, the kind of expectations that come when you spend stupid money. With the additions of J.T. Realmuto and Bryce Harper, Philadelphia had its sights set on their first playoff run, let alone their first winning season, since 2011.
Blame can be assigned to whoever or whatever you want when analyzing what happened this season. Did the front office not acquire enough pitching, did injuries lead to the team’s downfall, did the manager not hold players accountable? All of those arguments are credible when it comes to assigning blame for what happened in 2019.
What’s done is done, and the Phillies have missed the playoffs for the eighth-consecutive season with only one more win than they had last season.
With these grades, in the standard A-F grading system we feared in school, we’ll look at the core players who made appearances this season, excluding those who had a cup of coffee with the big league club. We’ll break them down from the infield, outfield, starting rotation, and bullpen, and look at their overall stats, consistency, and availability for the 2019 Phillies.
The Phillies infield featured some of their best and worst performers
J.T. Realmuto: A
There’s not much more Phillies fans could have asked for from J.T. Realmuto after the team traded their top prospect to a rival club. Realmuto hit 36 doubles and 25 home runs, and he was equally effective behind the plate, catching a league-high 43 base runners.
The Phillies lone All-Star and team MVP, Realmuto proved he’s the best catcher in baseball.
Andrew Knapp: D-
There wasn’t much for backup catcher Andrew Knapp to hang his hat on, other than being a favorite of Gabe Kapler. Knapp hit just .213 last season and was equally ineffective as a pinch-hitter despite getting 34 opportunities.
Rhys Hoskins: C+
It was a tale of two seasons for Rhys Hoskins, who was largely disappointing the final four months of the season. He led the league with 116 walks, but he had fewer hits, doubles, and home runs compared to 2018. If the Phillies are going to win, Hoskins needs to do better. A new coaching staff could help him.
Cesar Hernandez: B
As David Esser wrote in his season review, Cesar Hernandez was and continues to be an average ballplayer. Hernandez led the Phillies with 171 hits, but did so on an inconsistent basis and was among the league-leaders in errors by a second baseman with 12.
Scott Kingery: B+
Phillies fans finally saw the Scott Kingery who tore it up in the minors and deserved the premature contract. Playing six different positions in 2019, Kingery settled into his super-utility role and hit 34 doubles and 19 home runs with a .258 batting average. Despite being moved across the diamond to positions he never played before, Kingery committed only nine errors and picked up an outfield assist.
Jean Segura: B-
Jean Segura came in and did exactly what the Phillies expected him to do after an offseason trade with Seattle. Segura finished second on the team with 161 hits (mostly singles) with a .280 batting average. Twenty errors at shortstop did cost the Phillies this year, and hopefully it’s something Segura can cleanup.
Maikel Franco: D-
Things finally came to a head for former top prospect Maikel Franco, who was demoted to Lehigh Valley after another disappointing season. Franco hit just .234 with 17 home runs in 123 games after coming out with his hair on fire to start the season with seven dingers in 29 games.
Philadelphia will likely move on from Franco this offseason after years of consistent hitting and lackadaisical base running.
Sean Rodriguez: D+
Booo
Brad Miller: B
Brought over in June to stabilize the bench, Miller did an adequate job at the plate with 12 home runs and held his own in the field, playing four different positions. He and his bamboo plants should be welcomed back for 2020.
Phil Gosselin: C-
The local kid did his job off the bench, but nothing more.
The Phillies outfield was a mixed bag of success and failure in 2019
Andrew McCutchen: B-
Andrew McCutchen was playing his way onto the All-Star team before tearing his ACL in early June. His injury was the beginning of the end for Philadelphia, who went 33-42 after slipped in a rundown. His hot start did power the team early on, and a healthy return is highly-anticipated.
Odubel Herrera: F
You can’t get much worse than a .222 batting average and a season-long suspension for domestic violence.
Bryce Harper: A
Bryce Harper has been the star Philadelphia needed to pick the team up and bring the fanbase together. Despite not making the All-Star team, Harper improved on his 2018 numbers with 36 doubles and 35 home runs. His defense was also outstanding with 13 outfield assists from right field.
Adam Haseley: B
Adam Haseley wasn’t ready for the big leagues, but he may have played his way into the 2020 starting center field job. The 2017 first round pick hit .266 with 14 doubles and five home runs, as well as a 1.7 WAR, sixth-best on the team.
Jay Bruce: C+
Jay Bruce was a fantastic addition for the Phillies… when he was healthy. A dozen home runs was great to see, and if he isn’t traded in the offseason the Phillies will gladly use him off the bench.
Corey Dickerson: B
Another solid pickup for the Phillies, Dickerson hit .293 and gave fans hope late in the season. He wasn’t flashy, but he was solid and could give the organization something to think about this offseason.
Roman Quinn/Nick Williams/Aaron Altherr: F
All three of the Phillies young outfielders failed to prove they could be a part of the organization’s next generation of talent. Quinn might get one more chance thanks to his speed, but he won’t be relied on to be a starter.
The Phillies starting rotation was a major disappointment in 2019.
Aaron Nola: B
We may never see another season from Aaron Nola as great as his 2018 campaign, and while his 2019 season was a slight step back, it wasn’t horrendous by any stretch. Of Nola’s 34 starts, 53 percent were quality starts and 12 were wins.
From June 21-August 30 Nola had a 2.21 ERA, but won only 6 of his 14 starts thanks to a horrendous offense.
Jake Arrieta: D
Give Jake Arrieta credit, he tried to tough it out and play through a painful injury, but he wasn’t there or effective when the Phillies needed him.
Zach Eflin: C
Eflin showed promise down the stretch with a 2.83 ERA in his final seven starts, but he was far from consistent. Unless another team demands him in a trade for a pitcher Eflin will likely return in the backend of the rotation.
Nick Pivetta: D
Going from a Cy Young darkhorse to miserable mess was not what the Phillies hoped to get out of Nick Pivetta this year. He clashed with coaches, was sent to the minor leagues for a “readjustment,” and was inconsistent coming out of the bullpen.
Vince Velasquez: D
Have we finally come to an agreement on Vince Velasquez? Probably not. Like always, Velasquez flashed tremendous potential and athleticism but lacked the consistency needed to stick in a big league rotation.
Drew Smyly: D
Drew Smyly turned out two impressive starts after coming over from Texas, but it was all down hill from there. Smyly had a 7.20 ERA in August and failed to pitch out of the sixth inning in all five starts.
Jason Vargas: D
The Phillies knew they weren’t built to win, so they took a flier on Jason Vargas to show for something at the trade deadline. With one win and a 5.37 ERA, Vargas won’t be missed by Phillies fans.
Jerad Eickhoff: D
Things just haven’t turned out for Eickhoff as he battles nagging injuries. In 12 games he had a 5.71 ERA, and he’s a potential bullpen candidate for 2020.
The Phillies built a good bullpen, but it fell apart in 2019.
David Robertson: F
The David Robertson signing couldn’t have gone worse for the Phillies. He was injured early in the season, pitched terribly while battling the ailment, and will miss extended time after Tommy John Surgery.
Hector Neris: B
Hector Neris is one of the more polarizing Phillies players, carrying a long history of inconsistency despite some impressive outings. Neris settled down in his final 28 games, picking up 10 saves with a 1.29 ERA. It’s never pretty and fans lose brain cells holding their breathe, but the job gets done.
Jose Alvarez: B
Jose Alvarez was a quietly strong addition to the bullpen after coming over from the Angels for Luis Garcia last offseason. Alvarez finished the year with a 3.36 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 59 innings, and had a 1.35 ERA in July and August.
Ranger Suarez: A
The emergence of Ranger Suarez out of the bullpen was a welcomed sight for the Phillies. The starter turned reliever had a 3.14 ERA in 37 games and had a 0.60 ERA in his final 15 appearances. The Phillies might have found themselves a reliable middle man for the bullpen.
Juan Nicasio: C+
If you’re a Phillies fan on Twitter, you’ve seen these tweets from the Scott Franzke/Larry Anderson parody account every time Juan Nicasio comes into a game. After a horrendous 6.75 ERA in his first 10 games of the season, Nicasio turned things around in his second stint with Philadelphia. In his final 11.1 innings, Nicasio had a 2.38 ERA and allowed zero home runs.
Adam Morgan: B-
Adam Morgan was one of the Phillies best relievers before he got hurt. He’ll be back next season as a lefty specialist late in games.
Edgar Garcia: D-
Edgar Garcia wasn’t ready for the big leagues, and unfortunately, he was often the sacrificial lamb when games got away.
Mike Morin: C-
If you take out the three games when he allowed four runs in each outing, Mike Morin wasn’t a bad addition. If you take out those three games he had a 2.57 ERA, but he had those three games and they blew up on him.
A whole lotta players pitched out of the Phillies bullpen this year…
Pat Neshek: F
Pat Neshek likely won’t be back next year after he missed time with multiple injuries. He has a large club option for 2020 that will likely be bought out, and his career could be over given the toll put on his body.
Seranthony Dominguez: F
The success of Seranthony Dominguez didn’t carry over into 2019, and he ended the season on the injured list with a potentially severe elbow injury. A once promising star in the Phillies bullpen might be out for the long haul.
Tommy Hunter: F
Another high priced free agent reliever who didn’t turn out for the Phillies due to injury.
J.D. Hammer: C+
J.D. Hammer was another young player who was probably not ready for the big leagues, but the fan-favorite impressed early in his career before blowing a save in mid-July. Since going to the minors Hammer has a 15.00 ERA with 15 walks in 22 innings.
Victor Arano: N/A
A young pitcher expected to play a critical role in the bullpen was injured all year long.
Jared Hughes: C+
Mock Jared Hughes all you want for his… hustle… out of the bullpen, but he had a 2.25 ERA over 16 innings in September. He did give up six home runs and had six or seven rough games, but overall he held it together late in a lost season.
Nick Vincent: B+
A quiet addition late in the year, Vincent had a 1.93 ERA in 14 innings for the Phillies, allowing just one home run and striking out 17 batters.