The Philadelphia Phillies may seem to be off to a decent start to their 2025 MLB season. However, it hasn’t exactly been the strong start to the year that many were expecting following their 95-win campaign in 2024. As of this moment, the Phillies sport an 11-8 record and trail the New York Mets by one game for the National League East division lead. But they have actually gone just 3-5 in their past eight games, leaving a lot to be desired.
Nevertheless, part of the Phillies’ success so far this season has been the result of some strong play by select players on their 26-man roster. However, there have also been a few players whose contributions have been significantly lacking, so much that it could become a worrying issue for both the players and the team going forward.
Let's take a closer look at five Phillies players who may have already proven that they don’t belong on the roster beyond the end of this month.
5 Phillies players who’ve already proven they don’t belong on the roster after May 1
Kody Clemens, INF
As one of the hard-luck Phillies players during the past couple of seasons, Kody Clemens had always managed to flash his offensive potential in the minors. In 130 total games with the Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate Lehigh Valley IronPigs over the last two years, Clemens has scored 94 runs, hit 32 home runs and driven in a whopping 102 runs while batting above .250 in the process.
However, he has failed for the most part to translate that success into the majors. He has struggled to just a .225 average and .672 OPS, along with 32 runs scored, nine home runs and 31 RBIs in 90 games with Philadelphia between 2023 and 2024 as a part-time player.
With no minor league options remaining coming into the 2025 season, Clemens had a make-or-break training camp with hopes to remain a significant part of the Phillies organization. In the end, the 28-year-old infielder managed to crack their Opening Day roster by posting a solid .327 average and .900 OPS, with 11 runs scored, two home runs and seven RBIs during spring training.
But once the regular season started, for whatever reason, Clemens hasn’t been the Phillies’ go-to man off the bench. In fact, he has only seen action as a pinch hitter and has accumulated just five plate appearances all season. And as one would have expected, with the immense lack of playing time, he has yet to have a hit. In reality, Clemens has been severely underused as the team’s 26th man.
If the Phillies don’t even trust his bat, which is his bread and butter, to use him more frequently, then having Clemens on the roster is turning out to be quite the waste for both Clemens and the Phillies. As a result, his talents could be better served with another team that could actually give him more opportunities to play every day, while the Phillies could recoup a helpful asset or two in the process for a win-win scenario for both parties.