Light at the end of the tunnel for struggling Phillies

To say the least, this season has been largely disappointing for the Philadelphia Phillies. Entering the year, no one had expectations much beyond 75-80 wins, but the consensus seemed to be that the worst days of the franchise’s rebuilding effort were in the past. That belief was quickly dismissed early in the season. The Phillies had the worst record in baseball by Memorial Day and looked every bit the part of a team that was on pace to lose well over 100 games.

Fast forward three months and the team still has the worst record in baseball and is still on pace to lose over 100 games. While it sounds difficult to watch a team that bad on a regular basis, anyone that’s done so this summer would realize the silver linings in an otherwise dreadful season. Starting at the top of the order, second baseman Cesar Hernandez is following up a strong 2016 campaign with another good season this year as the Phillies’ leadoff man. Hernandez missed a little over a month with an oblique injury earlier this season, but in 94 games so far, Hernandez has career highs in slugging percentage and OPS. This, coming off a season in which he had career highs in batting average and on-base percentage in 2016, hitting .294 while sporting a .371 OBP. With second baseman and 2015 second-round pick Scott Kingery knocking on the door for a big-league promotion at AAA Lehigh Valley, Hernandez is an interesting trade chip for the Phillies in the offseason.

Prior to hitting the disabled list recently with a hamstring injury, much-maligned outfielder Odubel Herrera was on a tear. Herrera slashed .321/.351/.519 in June, only to follow it up by slashing .360/.415/.651 in July and prior to his injury he was at .360/.418/.580 for August. In the first two months of the season, Herrera looked like he had clearly regressed after having a productive 2016. On the mound, the Phillies’ most promising young starter Aaron Nola got off to a rough start. But the LSU product rebounded by going 3-2 with a 3.24 ERA and 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings in June. He then had his best month in July posting a 3-1 record with a 1.32 ERA and 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings.

In addition to the resurgence of players like Herrera and Nola, who were expected to be key cogs for the Phillies all season, there have been more reasons for optimism after seeing the early results from some of the prospects that have been called up to the big leagues. Outfielder Nick Williams was called up almost two months ago and looks to fit the profile of a regular corner outfielder. While Williams has played center field with Herrera on the shelf, his bat and arm make him a natural fit in right. The 2012 second-round pick of the Texas Rangers came over in the Cole Hamels trade and his.293 batting average in 47 major league games this year is certainly encouraging. Though, what’s stood out the most in his time with the Phillies is Williams’ willingness to take walks. His major league walk rate is at 7.7 percent which is by far the highest it has been at any level within the Phillies organization. Catcher Jorge Alfaro was another big get for the Phillies in the Hamels trade. Alfaro has only appeared in nine big league games, and certainly must cut down on his free-swinging approach. However, he’s shown the makings of a strong offensive catcher with a big arm behind the plate which is exactly what everyone thought the Phillies were getting two years ago.

                                                       Matt Slocum/Associated Press
Williams and Hoskins have many fans believing they'll be
the Phillies' three and four hitters for many years to come.

Another recent call up has probably generated the most buzz amongst the fan base. First baseman and temporary left fielder Rhys Hoskins has eight home runs and 19 RBIs in his first 15 games. He’s the only player in MLB history to post such numbers in his first 15 games and figures to be a mainstay in the middle of the lineup for the Phillies for many years to come. Hoskins has been playing left field with Tommy Joseph likely holding things down at first base for the remainder of 2017, but it appears to be only a matter of time before the organization hands things over to Hoskins as the everyday first baseman.

One player who has not yet gotten the call to the show but appears to be getting closer by the day is shortstop J.P. Crawford. For years, Crawford was the top prospect in the Phillies’ organization. However, his putrid start to the AAA season with Lehigh Valley sparked questions about just how good he could be in the majors. Crawford has since returned to form in July and August and should get a look with the big club in September.

Despite some positive signs over the last three months, there are still plenty of questions left to be answered. One player who has been unable to turn things around is third baseman Maikel Franco. Franco had an underwhelming 2016 and has been even worse this season. He will almost certainly be given all of 2018 to figure it out, but Franco’s organizational arrow has been pointing in the wrong direction for quite some time. Franco’s downward trend after a strong rookie year in 2015 is reason to remember that the sample size for other young players in the lineup right now is still miniscule.

Manager Pete Mackanin has made some questionable lineup decisions. The Phillies have lost 31 games by one run. The Texas Rangers, the next closest team, has lost 21 games by one run. Losing that many close games isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement for any manager. The front office still has a lot to prove. President of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail and General Manager Matt Klentak are wrapping up their second season running the Phillies. The aforementioned young players that fans hope will be a part of the next contender the Phillies field were all acquired by former GM Ruben Amaro Jr. MacPhail and Klentak have stressed the need to add pitching depth at all levels of the organization. Currently in the majors, the Phillies lack consistent starting pitching after Nola and the bullpen always seems to make things interesting when given a lead.  

With the Chicago Cubs in Philadelphia this weekend, it won’t be a surprise to anyone if the losses continue to pile up for the Phillies. They’ll have to at least go 17-19 in their final 36 games to avoid 100 losses which seems unlikely.  But, the last three months have been an indication that it might not all be gloom and doom for the Phillies and there should be brighter days ahead.