That Balls Outta Here
FanSided

10 Reasons Phillies fans should be thankful this year

By Gabrielle Starr

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 28: Philadelphia Phillies mascot The Phillie Phanatic attends the 100th 6abc Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 28, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 28: Philadelphia Phillies mascot The Phillie Phanatic attends the 100th 6abc Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 28, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next

5. Phillies POBO Dave Dombrowski

Dave Dombrowski builds postseason teams. That’s why he’s here. He’s got an impressive MLB resumé, including building the 2018 Red Sox team that won a franchise-record 108 games, their third consecutive division title (all under Dombrowski), and their fourth World Series championship in 15 years.

When it comes to making trades, Dombrowski is a master. He brought Max Scherzer to Detroit and got Chris Sale and Craig Kimbrel to Boston. He also knows how to draft stunningly-good starting pitchers, including Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello, and offensive talents like Nick Castellanos and Curtis Granderson.

There’s still a long road to October, but Dombrowski is the perfect driver to send the Phillies racing towards the finish line.

6. New Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long

The Phillies lured hitting coach extraordinaire Kevin Long away from their division-rival Washington Nationals earlier this fall, and he’s got an impressive resumé of his own. He worked with manager Joe Girardi back in their Yankees days, but most recently, became the man behind slugger Kyle Schwarber’s new swing.

Thanks to Long, Schwarber had an astounding season, including hitting 16 home runs in 18 games between June 12-29, and a mammoth grand slam in the ALCS.

Hopefully, Long can work the same magic with Alec Bohm and other struggling Phillies batters.

7. Phillies prospect Bryson Stott

Dombrowski told top prospect, Bryson Stott, to come to Spring Training 2022 with the mindset of earning a spot on their big-league roster. In essence, it’s looking a lot more likely that the Phillies pin their shortstop hopes on Stott, rather than signing one of the many superstar shortstops on the free-agent market.

Stott rose quickly through the Phillies’ farm system in 2021, beginning the minor league season in High-A and ending it in Triple-A.

Home/Phillies News