2 Phillies players who’ve earned an apology from the doubters, 2 not quite there
Which Phillies are you ready to apologize to for doubting and who needs to do more?
It’s not too late to say sorry. The Philadelphia Phillies began the year getting swept away by the Texas Rangers only to flounder around a little bit in the first few months before finally taking off in June. They look like serious National League contenders.
A reason for the early struggles was how poorly some of their players were doing. It wasn’t just the absence of Bryce Harper holding the Phillies back. Poor pitching, inexplicably poor hitting, and an untrustworthy bullpen all had us wondering if the hangover was real.
Now into the first week of July, it’s time for a pair of Phillies to receive an apology from their doubters. Two more who have improved may be trending toward a “sorry” of their own, but aren’t quite there yet.
Taijuan Walker has earned an apology from his doubters
Taijuan Walker is 9-3 with a 3.93 ERA after 17 starts. It’s good and about what you’d want from a number three or four starter depending on how you’d slot him and Ranger Suarez. The Phillies were asking for a little more from Walker, but those numbers he has on the year are skewered because of an awful beginning to the year.
Walker was just 2-1 with a 4.97 ERA after 5 starts in April. Things didn’t get any better in May. Walker, again 2-1, saw his ERA for the month jump up to 6.11.
Something clicked for the Phillies’ big free agent starting pitching acquisition in June. He made another 6 starts and managed to go 5-1 while allowing only 6 earned runs in 36 innings of work. This came out to a 1.50 ERA for the month where the Phillies turned their fortune around.
In a year where Zack Wheeler hasn’t been Cy Young material and Aaron Nola has been more down than up, getting this kind of performance from Walker on a regular basis is keeping them in the thick of the wild card chase. The team is still trying to figure out who their fifth starter is. Leaving little doubt is Walker who looks like the right free agent choice by the front office in the offseason.
Craig Kimbrel has earned an apology from his doubters
Old. Washed up. Past his prime. Fans could easily question the addition of Craig Kimbrel in the offseason. This isn’t the same intimidating closer who would leer over on the mound in an Atlanta Braves uniform during the early stages of the Phillies’ postseason drought. A shell of his former self, the free agent signing of Kimbrel should be looked at positively.
Although the Phillies are still more closer-by-committee than some of us are used to seeing, Kimbrel’s experience in the final inning should have him continuing to close out games for the Phils more than anyone else. How can they not go to him? He has earned our trust.
Kimbrel’s year has been much like Walker’s. He had an okay 4.09 ERA in the first month of the season only to see it almost double to 8.00 in May. Things turned a corner for Kimbrel in June. He made 13 appearances out of the bullpen and allowed only one earned run in 13 innings while saving 5 games. The Renaissance was especially needed in the absence of Jose Alvarado who had been the team’s most trusted reliever prior to his injury.
Kimbrel is 12 for 12 in save opportunities and the owner of a 5-1 record with a 3.82 ERA. His numbers are getting steadily better. He appears to be the victim of two seriously terrible appearances which are still trying to even themselves out.
Trea Turner hasn’t quite earned his apology from the doubters
A third fish the Phillies reeled in this offseason via free agent, Trea Turner came to Philadelphia with so many expectations it put another crack in the Liberty Bell. He was the player the Phillies needed. They landed him and until recently there wasn’t much to enjoy about his tenure in Philly.
Unlike Walker and Kimbrel who’ve already earned their apologies, Turner is one of the players not quite there. He went into June slashing .236/.280/.371. He came out of it as a .249/.304/.384 hitter.
The improvement is there and yet he hasn’t fully shined just yet. Turner has lifted his slash line up to .249/.304/.383 on the year. A perfect 18 for 18 in stolen base attempts, he has given the Phillies an added weapon to the offense. This year’s club is not as home run happy as last year’s. They are better-rounded and the more Turner gets back to his former self, the more wins should come from it.
The apology letter for Turner can remain in the drafts folder until further notice. He has much more to do before anyone should tell them they’re sorry for doubting him. It might not take long. There are too many things he does well for this to continue.
Kyle Schwarber hasn’t quite earned his apology from the doubters
The legendary “June” Kyle Schwarber didn’t show up in full last month. The slugging outfielder did improve but he has hardly earned an apology from the doubters. As awesome as it was for him to hit .223/.339/.515 with 8 home runs and 16 RBI, it wasn’t all that much more productive than his dismal May.
It was in that second month of the year when Schwarber’s slash line numbers took a huge hit. He batted only .115/.300/.368 for the month of May while knocking 7 home runs and driving in 15. An additional solo home run is all he was able to add in June in this regard. A couple more singles and his usual tendency to strike out a ton and play poor defense haunted the Phillies more often than anyone would like to see.
Any sort of Schwarber apology will have to wait until we see much more out of him. He needs to go on a tear of a much larger scale.
Schwarber’s 22 home runs and 47 RBI are great to see but it still carries the not-so-pretty .188/.326/.446 slash line. He’s probably going to lead the league in strikeouts again, too. Schwarber is getting better. Hold off on pressing send on your apology.
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