Phillies 2021 Season Player Preview: Adam Haseley

Entering spring training, two-thirds of the Philadelphia Phillies outfield was set in left fielder Andrew McCutchen and right fielder Bryce Harper. Questions still remain in center field — where Roman Quinn and Scott Kingery, and others are in the mix.

As for Adam Haseley, he was being considered, too. He showed more promise in 2019 as a 23-year-old rookie than he did last season in 40 games. Unfortunately, Haseley suffered a spring training-ending groin injury and is currently sidelined.

Once healthy, what can we expect from Haseley in 2021?

Predicting how Adam Haseley will fare in his third season with the Phillies

Taking a glance back to 2019, Haseley hit .266 with 14 doubles, five home runs, and 26 RBI in 222 at-bats. Defensively, Haseley committed only one error in 131 chances with four assists. His .992 fielding percentage and range factor were both above the league average; he had a solid 1.3 defensive WAR.

Last season, however, Haseley was just out of sorts — offensively and in the field. Although he didn’t commit an error, his range factor was down, he failed to record an assist, and he had a WAR of -0.3. At the plate, any semblance of power was gone. Haseley hit a respectable .278, but had only five doubles and no home runs in 79 at-bats.

Entering the offseason, Haseley was not pleased with his performance and knew he needed to improve. The first step in the process was adding a home gym and packing on 15 pounds of muscle. He impressed in the Grapefruit League opener with an opposite-field home run on just the second pitch of the game.

Haseley’s new attitude is to see how much better he can get every day, giving as much effort and intensity as he can. How will that translate to results this season?

Given that Haseley has only 301 career at-bats in the majors, predicting his totals will be a bit difficult. However, with the added strength should come added power.

I’m not yet penciling him into the starting spot and playing 130 or more games a year. I do believe there will still be a bit of a platoon, but Haseley should see more than half of the playing time. Let’s call it 10-12 home runs in 320 at-bats with a .275 average. Defensively, expect a significant increase in outfield assists due to a stronger arm and the range matching 2019.