Grading Phillies shortstop Didi Gregorius’ 2020 season
Last offseason, the Phillies added two high-quality free agents in Zack Wheeler and Didi Gregorius. Wheeler excelled for the most part on the mound, while Gregorious, an eight-year veteran who played the last five season in New York, was looked to provide another good left-handed bat into the lineup. Gregorius more than delivered at the plate, playing in all 60 games. Let’s breakdown Gregorius’ 2020 campaign.
After three consecutive 20-plus home run seasons from 2016-19, Gregorius was limited to 82 games in 2019, hitting 16 home runs with a .238 average. He started his Phillies career with a bang, going 3-for-7 with two home runs over the first two games.
Gregorius went on an eight-game hitting streak from August 10-18, hitting nearly .360 with two doubles, a home run, and nine RBI.
Gregorius added three more multi-hit games through the remaining of August, hitting two home runs with five RBI. He ended the month batting .283 with a .500 slugging percentage through the first half of the abbreviated season. Gregorius was a key component in the Phillies 6-5 win over the Nationals on September 3, going 3-for-3 with three RBI.
Quietly having one of his best seasons, Gregorius was at it again against the Red Sox on September 8, going 2-for-3 with a home run and three runs scored in a 6-5 victory. Four days later, Gregorius blasted a grand slam in a 12-6 win over the Marlins. He finished strong with three home runs and 11 RBI over the final 14 games.
Overall at the plate, Gregorius hit .284 with 10 home runs, 40 RBI, a .488 slugging percentage, and .827 OPS. He led the Phillies in batting average, RBI, and hits and his statistics project over a full season to 165 hits, 27 home runs, and 108 RBI. His batting average and slugging percentage were second-highest in his career and his .339 on-base-percentage was his highest.
Gregorius was much better offensively than defensively. Never his strong suit, he committed seven errors and his fielding percentage and range factor were around the league average. Overall, Gregorius was well worth the signing and receives an overall grade of B+.