Phillies: 6 center fielder options for opening day
Adam Haseley
The 2017 first round pick out of Virginia proved he could hold his own in center field despite not being totally ready to play in the big leagues every day.
Adam Haseley hit .266 with 19 extra-base hits in 67 games for Philadelphia as a rookie. He was thrown into the fire after Andrew McCutchen and Jay Bruce went down, but performed well under the circumstances.
Haseley does have to cut down on his strikeouts, punching out 60 times while walking just 14. He also struggled to hit lefties, hitting just .212 with no home runs and only two doubles. The friendly confines of Citizens Bank Park, where he hit .304 versus .233 on the road, helped pad the 23-year-old’s stat sheet.
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Philadelphia did get some excellent defense from Haseley, who used his 6’1 frame to pull in some big catches and cover a lot of ground. His five defensive runs saved above average (Rdrs) were seventh-best among all center fielders, and his 13 Rdrs between the three outfield spots were the seventh-most among all outfielders.
If Haseley came up in 2017 he’d likely be slotted in as the starting center fielder for Philadelphia. With the organization’s commitment to win right now, they’re stuck between seeing if their first round pick pans out or going after a proven veteran.
Personally I’d like to give Haseley the keys to the car and see how he does through the first couple of months. A lot of what happens in center field will depend on the second and third base situations with Scott Kingery, but if the Phillies don’t make any moves with the outfield, it should be Haseley’s job to win.