Phillies have a new hitter demanding playing time with clutch play

The Philadelphia Phillies flipped the switch and are back to playing winning baseball over the last month. After an uncharacteristic month coming out of the All-Star break, the Phillies are 19-8 in their last 27 games and recaptured the best record in Major League Baseball.

Many players on the team have broken out of their slumps, but there’s one player who isn’t the biggest name on the team that’s been delivering day in and day out.

Kody Clemens demanding playing time with clutch play

Kody Clemens has spent parts of the last two seasons with the Phillies on the big league roster since being traded from the Detroit Tigers before the 2023 season. He has proven to have the ability to play all over the field as well as the ability to come up with clutch hits.

Clemens slashed .230/.277/.367 with four home runs, seven doubles and 13 RBI in 139 at-bats last season. The majority of his appearances came at first base, but he was also used at shortstop, right field, in the designated hitter role and even as a pitcher.

The 28-year-old has been used at first base, second base, third base, left field and as a DH with the Phillies in 2024. He has played every position in his major league career other than center field and catcher. This is the type of versatility that teams look for in a bench player.

Clemens has appeared in 34 games with the Phillies this season. He’s spent time in Triple-A with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs as well as the Phillies throughout the season with his most recent promotion to the majors on Sept. 1.

Clemens is slashing .235/.265/.469 with a .734 OPS, four home runs, nine doubles, one triple and 17 RBI in 98 at-bats with the Phillies this year. He’s struck out only 22 times and walked four times. He’s been effective at the plate when given opportunities since being recalled. Clemens is 8-for-36 with five extra-base hits and seven RBI in September.

Clemens showed how clutch he is over the last week. The utility man has four of the Phillies’ nine biggest hits in September, per Baseball Paul on X. He hit a two-run home run on Sept. 4 against the Toronto Blue Jays to give the Phillies a 3-2 lead in a game they won 4-2. He hit a two-run double on Sept 5 and an RBI double on Sept. 6 in back-to-back wins against the Miami Marlins. Clemens’ latest clutch hit came on Sept 9. when he hit a walk-off single, scoring Bryce Harper from third to secure the series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays.

It’s not easy being the son of one of the best pitchers in history and trying to make a name for yourself in the big leagues. Clemens might not be on the same level as his father, but he’s proving to be an effective major league player. The Phillies need to continue to find ways to get Clemens playing time with his clutch play to help the team win games.