Designated Hitter
Kyle Schwarber: The leadoff spot
Now that Kyle Schwarber should mostly be the team's designated hitter going into 2024, he won't have to worry about the effects playing left field has on his body and, subsequently, his at-bats. While a .197 batting average isn't great for a leadoff hitter, it's where the 30-year-old thrives. He hit 34 of his 47 home runs when hitting first in the order, with 11 coming to lead off a game and 16 coming on the first pitch of an at-bat.
Another day, another leadoff homer for Kyle Schwarber! pic.twitter.com/xKnIlLSHtP
— MLB (@MLB) September 6, 2023
Outfielders
Simón Muzziotti: A trade
Simón Muzziotti is ready for the big leagues, but Philly might not have room for him in 2024. The Phillies' No. 8 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, hit .296 with seven home runs, 61 RBI and 26 stolen bases in Triple-A last season. With Johan Rojas getting the call in 2023, and with others on the roster ahead of him in the outfield, the outfielder's best chance at consistent MLB action will likely happen somewhere other than Philadelphia.
Jake Cave: Minor league success to translate to majors
Jake Cave's major league production — .212/.272/.348 and five homers in 65 games — left much to be desired. His minor league stats, though? He put up a .346/.429/.684 line with 16 home runs in 59 contests.
Cristian Pache: A healthy season
The 25-year-old Cristian Pache was cruising early in the season on his way to slashing .327/.365/.592 with a .957 OPS in 32 games. After having surgery in mid-July to remove a screw in his elbow, the outfielder wasn't the same. During his final 16 regular-season games in 2023 after returning from the injured list, he slashed .141/.262/.171.
Brandon Marsh: More at-bats vs. lefties
For most of 2023, outfielder Brandon Marsh and fellow left-handed-hitting Daycare member Bryson Stott found themselves riding the bench when the opposing team started a lefty on the mound. While he ended the regular season hitting .229 against left-handed pitchers, toward the end of the season, Marsh proved he can hold his own for lefty vs. lefty matchups.
Johan Rojas: An Opening Day roster spot
After the performance Johan Rojas put on after being called up in 2023 (.302 average in 59 games to go along with stellar defense), this seemed like a foregone conclusion — but then the postseason rolled around (.093/.114/.163 with 15 strikeouts in 13 games). After the season, Dombrowski told the media Rojas wouldn't be handed the starting job in center field and would have to earn it or start the year in the minors.
WALK IT OFF INTO RED OCTOBER. pic.twitter.com/usqUiUVlNu
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 27, 2023
Nick Castellanos: Scooby Snacks + plate patience
Let's make this a two-for-one wish list item and tie the reward — Scooby Snacks — to wanting more patience at the plate. In 2023, right fielder Nick Castellanos chased a career-high 41 percent of pitches and had a career-high whiff rate of 35.4 percent, according to Baseball Savant. Not surprisingly with those numbers, he was eighth in the league with 55.4 percent of his swings and misses coming out of the zone.
Don't worry, though, there's still time for him to solve the mystery of finding patience at the plate.
"Well first off he's a dog ... and he can talk."
— Noah Chast KTVZ (@NoahChastTV) July 10, 2023
I asked Nick Castellanos his reasoning behind Scooby Doo being his favorite superhero, which led to this insightful answer. https://t.co/MCtm6XmO98 pic.twitter.com/leRDlZkUKM
Lastly, this list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the No. 1 item on the holiday wish list of every Phillies fan — a parade down Broad Street in the fall.