A look at the 2B/SS through the system. The talking points will surely be Hernandez and Quinn. Next up is the OF, Thursday or Friday next week.
Lehigh Valley
Cesar Hernandez, 22, Signed as a free agent in 2006; .358/.412/.514 in 109 AB’s; 2HR 11RBI; 8/8 SB; 8%bb/15% k rates; .360 vs. LHP; .357 vs. RHP; .333 with RISP. 26 games at 2B with 3 errors .970); 3.69 R/F. Hernandez simply could not have played better than he did during the seasons first month. Incredibly consistent, he has been getting on base, stealing bases and very good in the field. Starting to convince me that he can start in the majors as I watch him more and more.
Pete Orr, 33, Signed as a free agent in 2011; .185/.254/.222 in 54 AB’s; 0HR 1RBI; 1SB; 12 games at SS with 1 error (.981); 3 games at 2B without an error. A total non factor during the seasons first month. We have seen much more from Orr at this level in years past.
Michael Martinez, 30, Acquired in 2010 Rule 5 draft; .257/.309/.297 in 74AB’s; 0HR 10RBI; 3/5 SB; 6%bb/20% k rates; .211 vs. LHP, .;273 vs. RHP; .304 with RISP.19 games at SS with 2 errors (.979); 4.95 R/F. I was admittedly expecting zero from Martinez, who has provided more than zero in April. Playing fairly consistently in the field and knocked in a few runs.
Reading
Albert Cartwright, 25, Acquired from Houston in 2010; .308/.348/.423 in 104 AB’s; 2HR 10RBI; 4/8SB; 4%bb/27%k rates; .529 vs. LHP; .264 vs. RHP; .222 with RISP. 25 games at 2B with 3 errors (.972); 4.15 R/F. Cartwright is another who started hot but has slowed down over the last 10 games hitting .225.
Edgar Duran, 22, Signed as a free agent in 2007; .250/.287/.341 in 88 AB’s; 1HR 8RBI; 4SB; 3%bb/25%K rates; .250 vs. LHP, .250 vs. RHP, .278 with RISP; 23 games at SS with 6 errors (.933); 3.61 R/F. Duran started as hot as anyone but has cooled off to an extent that he has hit .128 over the last 10 games.
Troy Hanzawa, 27, Drafted by the Phils in the 16th round of 2008 draft; .382/.400/.559 in 38 AB’s; 1HR 4RBI; 6 games at SS with 1 error (.952); 3 games at 2B with 1 error (.941); Hanzawa has seen extremely limited time behind Duran and Cartwright and is simply organizational filler at this stage.
Clearwater
Carlos Alonso, 25, Phils 32nd round pick in 2010 draft;.309/.419/.443 in 97 AB’s; 2HR 12RBI; 14%bb/17%K rates; .208 vs. LHP; .342 vs. RHP; .318 with RISP. 23 games at 2B without an error; 5.04 R/F. 1 game at 3B and 2 in the OF without an error. To watch ALsonso, he is quite unorthodox, but he consistently gets the job done and done well.
Jon Roof, 24, Signed as a free agent in 2013; .339/.400/.424 in 59 AB’s; 0HR 5RBI; 2SB; 9%bb/14%k rates; .143 vs. LHP; .365 vs. RHP; .214 with RISP. 7 games at 2B with 1 error (.963); 5 games at SS with 2 errors (.929); Roof started hot but has missed the last two weeks injured.
Jose Mojica, 24, Signed as a free agent in 2013; .375/.420/.450 in 80 AB’s; 0HR 15RBI; 6%bb/14% K RATES; .476 vs. LHP; .349 vs. RHP; .440 with RISP. 24 games at SS with 3 errors (.969); 3.96 r/f. I am admittedly still trying to figure out who this guy is. RIght now, he has been one of the top hitters in the organization through the first month of the season.
Lakewood
Angelo Mora, 20, Signed as a free agent in 2010; .198/.296/.248 in 101 AB’s; 0HR 6RBI; 3/6SB; 12%bb/17%k rates; .125 vs. LH, .212 vs. RH, .182 with RISP. 23 games at 2B with 5 errors (.917); 5.14 R/F. 2 games at SS without an error. Not a good start for Mora who skipped Williamsport after a good debut in the GCL.
Roman Quinn, 19, Phils 2nd round pick in 2011; .204/.271/.287 in 108 AB’s; 2HR 7RBI; 14/16SB; 6%bb/27%k rates; .211 vs. LHP;.202 vs. RHP; .222 with RISP. 26 games at SS with 8 errors (.918); .3.42 R/F. I am trying to remember Quinn is only 19 and has a ton of natural talent. On pace for over 60SB’s. Imagine where he could be if he was hitting .260. His feeling was very bad during the first two weeks of the seasons but he is moving forward in that department.
Alejandro Villalobos, 21, Signed as a free agent in 2009; .200/.233/.225 in 40 AB’s; 0HR 5RBI; 1SB. 3 games at 2B without an error. Still very early in the season for Villalobos who spent the first two plus weeks of the season on the DL.
Phuture Phillies 
I never liked Hernandez but im starting to accept him as a legit prospect to watch. And Mojica is right there with him.
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Yes on Hernandez, though not because of the ridiculous batting average. No on Mojica; he has done NOTHING, zero, zip to change his profile this season, and his profile before the season was as a non-prospect.
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Trying to be optimistic on such a terrible day for the Phils, let’s say Asche and Franco both develop and are solid big league regulars. If the Phils wanted to keep both and play them every day, where else could Asche play defensively if Franco is at third? Was he decent at 2B 2 years ago? I assume he could play LF but his bat doesn’t profile as well for that position. This would be a great problem to have and wondering if there are options for Asche.
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I had asked this question when we were discussing Asche in the offseason. I think the verdict was he didn’t have the range or ability to turn the double play to be a starter at Second. That would leave the corner positions. He doesn’t have the power numbers to really profile as a starter at any corner position other than 3B.
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Franco to first. Howard to someone in need.
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No one is in need of Howard. Franco also profiles better defensively than Asche, with a better arm and softer hands. Franco is straightline slow but he has quick reactions. It is a problem that will work itself out, probably with one of them packaged in a trade.
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Matt, does this leave us with a $25M platoon hitter who can hit only righties and soft throwing lefties? If so than Ruf can play both 1B against good LH and will probably be up sooner than later.
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If I was in charge Ruf would have started up in a platoon with Howard. The problem is that each year that group of pitchers he is bad against increases. He now can’t hit anyone that can throw soft away and hard up out of the zone regardless of what handedness they are. He still can crush a mistake, but any pitcher who can locate is a problem for him.
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I agree with you, and, just for the record, here are Howard’s splits so far this year:
.313/.341/.542
.154/.185/.346
Yes, SSS, but consistent with his performance in recent years and with subjective observations.
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Matt, agree with you for the future plans at 1B. Let’s hope someone would be willing to take him in a trade though that is probably unlikely.
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Moreover, Franco at third projects as a better than average regular, possible borderline star. At first base, he projects at an average regular at best.
Looking forward, what this team most lacks is star or near star players. Franco is one of the few prospects who projects to have a shot at that level of performance. Why give that up?
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What you all experts fail to realize……his bat is what will keep him in the game, along with Asche’. Franco will be moved to first before Asche is moved to 2nd or LF. Or Asche gets traded.
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That’s not even an argument. You could have made exactly the same argument about ARod in his prime (at a higher level; of course I’m not comparing Franco to ARod), but it would have been INSANE to move him to first.
With Asche as third and Franco at first, you have basically two roughly average major league regulars. With Franco at third and Asche as trade bait (I agree that Asche won’t be moved to the OF, though that would make more sense than Franco to first) you have a potential borderline star at third base, and the possibly considerable returns from an Asche trade (don’t trade him now; trade him after 2014, when, after a hopefully solid rookie season, he could have significant trade value).
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