3 Phillies players who have to step up before season spirals

One week into the 2024 regular season, the Philadelphia Phillies have a below-average record of 3-4 ahead of their April 5 contest. While taking into account it is still early in the year, the organization has been in the position of getting off to slow starts in each of the previous two seasons.

The Phillies ultimately recovered in 2022 to qualify for the postseason as the third Wild Card in the National League and made it to the World Series. Last year, after an average April record of 15-13 followed by a 10-16 record during May, they put themselves at a disadvantage in trying to catch the Atlanta Braves for the division lead.

Philadelphia posted an 18-8 record during June, the most victories they totaled during a month last year. However, Atlanta went on a tear with a 21-4 record in the month and an impressive 21-8 win-loss record during August. The Braves went on to win their sixth straight NL East title.

The Phillies proved in the last two seasons that winning the NL East does not guarantee postseason success. Philly defeated their division rival, Atlanta, in the National League Division Series two years consecutively.

Look, it is far too early for fans to panic. However, for those who are hoping the Phillies win their first division title in 13 years, there is at the very least, cause for concern that history will repeat itself based on the trend of Philly starting the year struggling again. They will attempt to turn things around on the road with two three-game series against the Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals before returning for a 10-game homestand.

The Phillies lineup has not done particularly well outside of a mammoth three-home run performance from first baseman Bryce Harper on April 2 versus the Cincinnati Reds. There has been a lot of inconsistency offensively during the first week of the season.

Let's take a look at three players that need to step up before the season spirals.

Whit Merrifield

Utility player Whit Merrifield represented one of the few notable additions the Phillies made during the offseason. His defensive versatility and experience made the signing look like it would be a positive one for Philly and it still might. After all, the season is only a week old. The 35-year-old made the All-Star game last year with the Toronto Blue Jays so he can still contribute significantly to Philadelphia.

Manager Rob Thomson explained to him he would have a reserve role with the team. Merrifield understood his role but responded to the Phillies manager during their conversation, “But I’m going to play well enough to get more at-bats.”

Merrifield was one of the Phillies' best offensive players during spring training. However, in four regular season contests, he has not built upon that success. The native of Florence, South Carolina, is 2-for-14 with a .143/.250/.143 stat line and an OPS of .393.

His ability to play in left field and at multiple positions in the infield will be a useful option for Thomson to give the starters a day off or in case of an injury. Merrifield is another experienced player who can serve as a veteran presence for some of the younger infielders and outfielders on the Phillies roster this year.

If the utility player gets going offensively, then this looks like a sneaky good addition by the front office. If he continues to be erratic at the plate, Philadelphia's bench does not look as strong as it did entering the regular season.

Nick Castellanos

All players will have their hot and cold streaks throughout a baseball season. However, some players vary greatly between how well and how poorly they are performing due to their streakiness. Outfielder Nick Castellanos' performance as a hitter is an example of that. He was arguably the biggest difference maker in the four-game Division Series versus the Braves last year before he struggled against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the National League Championship Series.

His slash line at the start of the NLDS was .250/.250/.500 and it increased to .391/.440/1.000 at the end of the series. Castellanos excelled by going 7-for-15 with four home runs, four RBI, and only one strikeout. By the end of the NLCS, it was .213/.269/.574. He went 1-for-24 with one home run, two RBI, and 11 strikeouts during the seven-game series.

After seven games, Castellanos has a .125/.276/.125 slash line with a .401 OPS and two RBI. His eight strikeouts are tied for second on the club. His wOBA is at a career-low of .215 in 29 plate appearances and 24 at-bats through the first week of the regular season, according to FanGraphs. The 32-year-old's woBA is far below the league average of .318.

While taking into account it is the beginning of April, the right fielder is more suited to hit near the bottom of the batting order, especially when the roster is healthy. Defensively, Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas provide more confidence than Castellanos. It's difficult for the Phillies to count on him as one of the top contributors to the team due to his erratic tendencies at the plate.