An unlikely hero is making his case to break out of Phillies camp
Entering this year’s spring training, a lot of attention was expected to be paid on the Phillies infield. Jean Segura was going to be learning a new position, top prospect Alec Bohm would be getting some real at bats, and notable veterans like Josh Harrison would be battling it out for a roster spot.
However, a name that almost no one expected to turn heads was that of Logan Forsythe.
Over the course of five games and 13 plate appearances in the Grapefruit League, Forsythe has recorded five hits, two home runs, and four walks. He boasts a batting average of .556 and an OPS of 2.026. Yes, you read that correctly, an OPS of 2.026.
Obviously this is a super small sample size, but nonetheless Forsythe has done nothing but impress in the opportunities he’s had.
Forsythe was an everyday utility man with the Padres Rays early in his career before settling in as a hyper-utility player for the last few years. With the Padres, Dodgers, Twins, and Rangers Forsythe was used all over the place. Last season he even spent time playing all four infield positions with the Rangers.
Forsythe was signed to a minor league deal by the Phillies early in February to undertake a similar role to that of Neil Walker and Josh Harrison. Representing yet another older veteran who’s itching to land a major league roster spot.
The journeyman infielder has struggled recently in the majors, batting just .227 during the 2019 season. Baseball-Reference doesn’t seem to believe he’ll fare much better this year either, projecting him to hit just .230 in 2020.
With that said, Forysthe has shown flashes in the past of being a very capable piece to a team’s bench (.804 OPS in 2015). Considering the way he’s been playing this spring, it’s very possible he’s found a way to rekindle some of that old form.
Forsythe is just 33 years old, only one year older than Harrison and actually a year younger than Walker. As spring training drags on, expect Forsythe to continue to get more and more at bats to prove his worth as an important piece to the Phillies in 2020.