Kolby Allard: C+
Former 2015 first-round pick and once-promising pitching prospect Kolby Allard has been a huge disappointment so far in his major league career. After spending the past six seasons with the Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers, the Phillies picked up Allard this winter on a value one-year, $1 million contract, betting on the premise that he can eventually live up to his potential.
For his career, Allard has tallied a dismal 9-24 losing record, along with a 6.10 ERA and 1.43 WHIP. More significantly, he has been hit hard and prone to the long ball and has given up a whopping 50 home runs in just 245 innings pitched. This preseason, he has looked shaky at times in his outings. Despite compiling a solid 3.18 ERA, he has struggled with his command and has given up six hits and four walks to go along with his six strikeouts in just 5 2/3 innings.
Allard wasn’t going to win a job out of the bullpen with that showing, so the Phillies optioned him down to the minors to perhaps have him stretched out to serve as potential starting pitching depth. But given his less-than-stellar numbers as a starter so far in the majors, expectations should be kept to a bare minimum. But if Allard somehow can get his act together and start producing like many have expected of him because of his first-round pedigree, he could turn out to be a huge steal for the Phillies.