Phillies: Who has the best chance to start in center field?

So far this spring, Herrera is batting 4-for-9, including a home run. Out of all the center field candidates, he might have had his odds boosted the most with Haseley’s injury.

If Herrera wants any chance to win the job, he needs to do many things — among them to show that he is a changed man and be the best player at the position. The third and final thing is out of his control, the Phillies would have to warrant putting him back on not only the Opening Day roster but the 40-man roster — taking someone else’s spot in an already crowded 40-man situation.

Would the Phillies organization be willing to take this risk on a player who hasn’t been good since a stretch in 2018? Probably not, but there is a chance they do. It would look bad off the field if the Phillies made this decision, but it would also make the rest of the competition look bad. Kingery is a former top prospect who the Phillies signed to a large deal before even playing a game in the majors. Quinn was a former second-round pick who has been with the organization forever, and Moniak is a former No. 1 overall pick.

Mickey Moniak, 10%

At just 22, Mickey Moniak is the youngest player in the competition. Don’t count him out just yet. Moniak has maybe the biggest pedigree out of anyone in this competition, with being a No. 1 overall pick back in 2016. While he hasn’t received much playing time in the majors quite yet, it is certainly possible that he starts getting some.

Remember, this is a wide-open competition and any of the four can win it, so why not Moniak? So far this spring, he is batting 4-for-8 with two solo home runs.

If I am Joe Girardi, maybe I give Moniak more starts and more chances against MLB arms and just see what could happen. Maybe he is the best man for the job. While Moniak will have the lowest odds, it is a great sign even if he doesn’t win the role — that he can be a solid player one day. Again, he is only 22.