3 Phillies players who’ve made the most of their added responsibilities
These three Phillies have taken advantage of additional duties.
Every successful team has those guys who step up and into a bigger role. It might be temporary. We may even forget all about it 365 days later. This year’s Philadelphia Phillies roster began as a top-heavy one missing a fifth starter and its starting first baseman. Other roster holes have been plugged by fringe major leaguers along the way.
Now into August, declarations can be made as to who can handle the pressure and who can’t. These three Phillies players have been handed the opportunity to take on some additional responsibilities. Each is making the most of it. They’ve made up for injuries, lack of performance by others, and front office mistakes.
1) Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas is showing he belongs in the majors
Who needs another outfielder when you already have Johan Rojas? The idea of the Phillies adding a right-handed hitting outfielder at the trade deadline was a major rumor. They didn’t pull the trigger. Instead, they appear to roll with rookie Johan Rojas in the role.
It wasn’t until this year when Rojas became a guy even the casual fan began to pay attention to. His minor league numbers were nothing fantastic outside of his stolen base prowess. Fortunately, down in Double-A for Reading, Rojas was able to catch fire. He batted .306/.361/.484 with 9 home runs, 45 RBI and 30 stolen bases. Looking for some help at the major league level, the Phillies let him skip a grade. He was welcomed to the show and it looks like one of the best decisions the front office has made all year.
Rojas will get a chance to play even more so with Brandon Marsh on the IL. He has already shown us he’s a terrific center fielder. He’s going to save the team a lot of grief by tracking down fly balls and stealing runs with his glove.
His bat has done plenty of talking, too. He’s slashing .326/.356/.395 through his first 17 games.
2) Phillies relief pitcher Jeff Hoffman is the surprise pickup of the year
Jeff Hoffman didn’t join the Phillies until March 31 just three days after he was released by the Minnesota Twins. The ninth overall pick from the 2014 MLB Draft never did meet expectations. His career failure as a starter bumped him out of the minds of baseball fans as someone who’d be able to do much in the major leagues.
Hoffman must like being against the ropes. Last season with the Cincinnati Reds, he pitched exclusively out of the bullpen with the exception of a single start. He was 2-0 with a 3.83 ERA in 44.2 innings of work. Not too shabby.
The Phillies, in their never-ending quest to build a consistent bullpen, saw something in Hoffman. Was it just their desire to stack up as many 2014 first-round draft picks as possible? If so, the strange strategy has worked out. Hoffman has been one of the club’s most reliable bullpen arms. He has grown into more than a middle reliever to eat up innings. He is a legitimate setup arm.
Hoffman has pitched 31.1 innings in his first 30 appearances. He’s 3-2 with a 2.59 ERA. It’s not magic either. His 2.76 FIP matches closely enough to his earned run average to tell us he’s just good. In a season where Seranthony Dominguez hasn’t been at his best, it’s good to have Hoffman available throwing from the right side.
3) Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez has been more than sixth starter depth
Playing the role of Bailey Falter on the 2023 Phillies is Cristopher Sanchez. Although he got beaten up by the Kansas City Royals his last time out, Sanchez has been a revelation for this ball club. Five no-hit innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates in yet another successful outing for him prior to his performance against the Royals doesn’t do Sanchez any justice in terms of how consistently reliable he has been.
Sanchez has now made 10 starts and delivered a 3.44 ERA for the Phillies. The victim of blown saves and poor run support, Sanchez is looking for his first win of the year. He’s just 0-3 despite some very good numbers. The best of which could be his 0.95 WHIP.
Last year’s performance from Sanchez didn’t inspire all that much confidence in him stepping into the rotation this year. After Falter faltered, he was the next guy up. He has managed to keep his spot in the rotation as the team rolls forward with a six-man group after the acquisition of Michael Lorenzen.
Sanchez should, at the very least, find himself in the club’s bullpen for the remainder of the year. The Phillies pitching staff is capable of going deep into games which saves them from the need of having to carry an inferior bullpen arm. Will the strategy work?
Either way, Sanchez has stepped up to the challenge.