Phillies: Three Breakout Candidates for 2020 Season

Deivy Grullon, Philadelphia Phillies (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
Deivy Grullon, Philadelphia Phillies (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
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CLEARWATER, FLORIDA – MARCH 05: Deolis Guerra #57 of the Philadelphia Phillies delivers a pitch during the sixth inning of a Grapefruit League spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Spectrum Field on March 05, 2020 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA – MARCH 05: Deolis Guerra #57 of the Philadelphia Phillies delivers a pitch during the sixth inning of a Grapefruit League spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Spectrum Field on March 05, 2020 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

Deolis Guerra

Another sleeper who could have a breakout season is right-handed pitcher Deolis Guerra.

Guerra is a bit of a journeyman, spending 14 seasons in the minors for a variety of organizations and making at least one major league appearance in four seasons split between the Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Angels and Milwaukee Brewers.

The most MLB games he appeared in during a single season was 44 games for the Angels in 2016.

That was also his best statistical year, with a 3-0 record, 3.21 ERA, 1.106 WHIP and 36/7 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Last season he saw only one game for the major league Brewers, giving up four earned runs over two-thirds of an inning.

But he had a stellar 2019 at AAA San Antonio, with a 4-0 record, 1.89 ERA and 0.885 WHIP in 45 games.

Guerra’s stats have been up-and-down throughout his time in the minors.

He performed well in 2017 with the Angels’ AAA affiliate and in 2015 with the Pirates’ AAA, but did not fare as well in 2014 with the Minnesota Twins’ AAA team and in 2018 with the Texas Rangers’ AAA.

Overall, in eight seasons at the top minor league level, he has a 16-12 record, 3.36 ERA and 1.114 WHIP in 214 games.

With his good years at the minors and a decent 2016 at the MLB level, Guerra deserves another chance in the big leagues.

Given an opportunity, Guerra could build off of his 2019 success in San Antonio to turn some heads with the major league Phillies.

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