Phillies: 38 player milestones to watch for in 2020 season
By Matt Rappa
Neil Walker
(149) – 150 home runs
Twelve-year veteran Neil Walker needs just one more home run to reach 150 for his career. He has yet to go deep while in red pinstripes in 2020, however, slashing 133/.188/.200 with a single, double, walk and three strikeouts spanning 16 plate appearances.
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Along with Phil Gosselin, Walker’s summer camp performance earned him a roster spot over fellow non-roster invitee veteran infielders, such as Logan Forsythe (now with the Miami Marlins) and Josh Harrison (now with the Washington Nationals).
Zach Wheeler
(46) – 50 wins
(129) – 130 games started
(734) – 750 strikeouts
Phillies No. 2 rotation arm Zack Wheeler is on the brink of three significant milestones for a starting pitcher. He needs just four more wins to reach 50, one more start to reach 130, and 16 more strikeouts to reach 750 for his career.
So far in three starts in red pinstripes, the right-hander is a perfect 2-0 with a 2.89 ERA, 1.286 WHIP, and 8-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio spanning 18 2/3 innings.
So, across these 38 milestones, there are surely a lot to watch for when it comes to Phillies baseball in the 2020 season.
Some of these player milestones are more achievable than others, but it is still fun to follow the team as it progresses its way through the shortened slate.
It is easy to forget that players like Jay Bruce have logged significant experience over the years. It is good to see Bryce Harper continue to climb the all-time rankings as well spanning several categories at the plate.
Time will tell just how far Bruce, Harper and their fellow teammates go in the Phillies’ first season under manager Joe Girardi.