193 thoughts on “Phillies Discussion, 5/6/24”

1. Mller threw an inning in the 13-4 game and gave up a HR with a couple of BB.

   had good stuff in the game today.

   LikeLike

2. I can’t blame anyone for still not thinking the Phil’s aren’t in the same tier of team as the Dodgers and Braves, but it certainly is irresponsible not to even mention them.

   I don’t expect them to pace the majors in wins all season, but this start certainly helps with making the playoffs. And anyone who isn’t wary of this team in the postseason simply hasn’t been paying attention.

   LikeLike

3. Also, thank heavens the Phillies didn’t take the advice of those calling on the Phillies to sign Chapman to play 3b and then trade Bohm.

   Chapman looks completely washed..

   LikeLiked by 1 person

   1. Unbelievably, Matt Chapman still has 0.7 WAR. He has a career .783 OPS which makes this start for the 31 year old quite shocking. The only reason I can come up with is that he was career AL guy so it’s his first time in the NL and he’s seeing a lot pitchers he’s never seen before. He’s looking outmatched at the plate.

      LikeLike

      1. Matt Chapman started his career like a house afire, but, steadily, his numbers have been going down and now he’s an average-ish hitter and an above-average fielder. He’s been a consistently descending player.

         You’re right that it’s not likely that Bohm will produce 30 WAR in his career, but Bohm is still fairly young and has finally appeared to find his stride as a hitter and is now at least an average fielder, which is saying something since he was so bad just a few years ago.

         While unlikely, it’s still certainly more than possible that Bohm could produce more WAR than Chapman, although, to do so, Bohm will need to show his improvements on offense are sustainable.

         LikeLike

         1. Bohm won’t ever be a GG but if he can be 0 dWar for the rest of his career, it would be a monumental achievement. That said, his WAR value would have to be totally derived from his offense. Bohm would have to hit like Giancarlo Stanton starting from this year. It’s a big ask.

            LikeLike

            1. Well, right now he’s on a pace of about 6-7 WAR for the season, but I am sure that’s not sustainable. If he turns into a 4-5 oWAR player with 0 dWAR, he’s one of the best players on this team and a top 20-30 player in the majors. I’ll take that! They have 3 more years of team control, including this year so they have time to play him and replace him down the line if he becomes too expensive with Boras as his agent.

               I will say I didn’t see this big jump with Bohm coming – particularly, I didn’t see the huge jump in walk rate (and corresponding control of the strike zone), which has been the centerpiece of his massive improvement.

               LikeLike

               1. I don’t want to give Bohm $300M, we have enough guys making crazy money. And something tells me that he won’t age well into his 30s. Let him play out his arbitration years, and then replace him with Miller. Or move Trea to 3B and give SS to Caba.

                  LikeLike

   2. Yep…I will take the L on that one. I was wrong.

      as a side note, I drafted Bohm for my fantasy baseball team. so I am getting a double benefit for his hot start. hope he maintains it.

      LikeLike

4. bohm is a rake. He is a grown man up at the plate, very comfortable and entering his prime. He once again is our best run producer and our best hitter in the clutch. And I could care less what some bogus defensive war meteic reads. He is perfectly fine at 3rd. If u want to say he doesent have the range to get to that extra 1 groundball a week that someone else may get to, have fun on that hill. He is vital to our team. And the XBH will keep on coming…

   LikeLiked by 1 person

   1. Better late than never, but we would have liked to see him do this at age 24 instead of age 27. He’s not a FA until 2027 which is good, because I’m sure Boras will be asking for a $300M FA contract for him.

      LikeLike

      1. his age 24 season was his first full year in the majors (age 23 season was 30 games during covid, nothing that year was real). His numbers have gotten better every year. Now it’s a true breakout…and to he fair he was pretty good last year. Sometimes RH bats take a little longer as they don’t have it easy like LH bats facing RH pitchers all year. Hopefully he keeps it up

         LikeLike

         1. Alec Bohm’s age 24-26: 0 WAR total (4.6 oWar)

            Matt Chapman’s age 24-26: 18.6 WAR total (11.7 oWar)

            They both play 3B and they’re both RH. And Matt Chapman was playing for the A’s, and their park is a noted pitcher park.

            Matt Chapman is now 31 and likely in decline, but he’s had a fabulous career already (32 WAR). The odds of Alec Bohm having 32 WAR is minuscule at best.

            I want Bohm to have all the success in the world but I’m keeping it real.

            LikeLike

            1. I wanted Chapman a few years back. Him and Semien who eventually signed with the Rangers. It was around the time of the Pirates CF Reynolds being a trade candidate before he signed his deal. I wanted all 3, because most of them, were at the top of one stat line I put a lot of weight into. TB – total bases. My thoughts at the time, you sure up 2-3 defensive positions & put a lot of men on base. Add Harper to that mix, you’d of had 4 Top 50 TB players in your lineup. 
               Chapman has fallen off, but I believe he is too good a player to take that much of a nose dive. Will see, but I bet his second half split is much better. Imo, this is one of the reasons schwarber can be at the lead off spot, his TB numbers. He finished 27th last year. Imo, Semien would have been a great signing. Worth his contract. 320 TB last year. For reference, the braves had 3 of the top 5 in TB, and had a historic offense. 
               As they say, many ways to skin cat, and the current team is obviously working, but that was my logic for wanting those FA/trade candidates a few years back.

               LikeLike

5. Jim….your first impressions/opinion on big  Guillermo Rosario?  The small sampling of metrics from last year at the DR Academy/DSL and early on now in the FCL seem to be very encouraging.

   LikeLike

6. Best part of this start is that the Phillies are doing something they basically failed to do in the past. Beat bad teams. If they continue doing this the series vs LA, Atl, Balt, etc become less important and mush less pressure to win. Not that they can’t win those series but the mind set will be better. Beat up on the bad, build confidence, heal the wounded.

   I was at game yesterday but don’t get a Tijuana Flats meal for 10 k’s in Philly.

   LikeLike

   1. Mike …you are correct …you have to beat the not so good teams….the Rockies and White Sox are a mess, the Reds haven’t been expecting much, the Padres are still trying to get back to what they were in 2022, the Angels are rudderless, and the Giants are caught in a top-heavy NL West,,, soon will be tougher tests for them.

      LikeLike

7. Carson Taylor will be 25 next month, and he’s hitting well at Reading. Still early, but hoping that once Schwarber’s contract is over, we can replace the DH in house. I think Taylor or Rincones Jr could be viable options (as long as they keep on hitting of course).

   LikeLike

   1. I love Schwarbs … i don’t want to think about him gone just yet! Yes, it will be nice to fill in some open roster spots with home grown talent. Aidan Miller is who I have pegged. Gotta fit a lot of players to fit in without FA Wondering how open Turner is to moving to RF, depending on what FA are available at the time.

      Stott (2B), Turner(SS) Harper (1B), Bohm (DH), Marsh (LF), Miller (3B), Crawford (RF) Catcher, Rojas (CF)

      That is how I see it very early on .. .

       

      LikeLike

      1. I don’t think we need to move Trea to RF. The Phillies have enough OFs in the pipeline like Rincones Jr. and Justin Crawford.

         LikeLike

         1. Unless one of them starts to hit like a corner outfielder, I don’t see an outfield with Rojas and Crawford – I think it will be one or the other in CF. I think Rincones has a decent shot to grow into our RF of the future. Miller will end up being our 3B I believe, and, if that’s the case, if he continues to hit and is signed long term, Bohm could be the RFer. Marsh is going to be our LF, I think, for the next 4-5 years at least – perhaps longer. 

            LikeLike

   2. Watching what Taylor is doing at Reading brings me back 12 years ago to when an older prospect like Darin Ruf lit up AA ball. Ruf went on to have a serviceable MLB career when given a full opportunity. Perhaps Taylor will also

      LikeLike

      1. I think Ruf would have gotten more of a shot if the DH was in play. He could only play 1B/DH.

         LikeLike

         1. Yes…..if the DH was in play he and Howard could have rotated between DH and 1B…..Phillies were also stacked with star veterans, like a Howard, ..but unfortunatly for the fans, on their downside of their careers, so he was somewhat still blocked.

            LikeLike

         2. Though Taylor does have some versatility in the field…so that will be a plus for him when his time comes.

            LikeLike

8. Looks like 24 year old lefty reliever Wesley Moore got promoted to Reading. He pitched in today’s game.

   LikeLike

9. Good news that Winkelman reports that George Klassen is expected to make his next start. Keep the starting pitching reinforcements rolling in the minors. Excited when we start hearing about some promotions. There are some good minor league performances to start the year (Miller, Crawford, Klassen, Aldigheri), but also some underwhelming (Abel), or unfortunate (Rincones, Jr. injury).

   Any org takeaways this group is focused on?

   LikeLike

   1. Here are my takeaways.

      The organization is focused on drafting high upside pitchers and it appears to be developing them extremely well, as a group. There are exceptions to be sure, but there seem to be a nice steady stream of strong arms in the mid to lower minors and several of those guys are going to help the team a lot. But Klassen and Aldigheri have risen to the top of the heap, although there are some good, below-the-radar performances. Abel and McGarry have not been impressive. Where’s the velocity? Give Abel some time – I think he’ll begin to right the ship in the next month or two. The talent, I believe, is still there. McGarry? Who knows? He might get traded and somehow show up in the big leagues in 3 years and have a career. But he’s no longer a top 10 prospect in the system – IMO.

      On the hitting end. It’s not been as good as one might have hoped, but it’s still early. The important thing is that the best hitters in the system appear to be progressing well – Miller, Rincones, Crawford and Pouaka-Grego (don’t forget about him – he’s still 19 and he’s hitting a ton). The disappointing thing about the hitting is the lack of depth, but if had to choose between well-performing top-end talent and more depth, I’d always choose the top-end talent. 

      On the whole, I’d give the system a C+ so far – not quite as far advanced as we all would have hoped, but with several silver linings. But things can change a lot in a few months, especially when we see Caba and Tait in real games.

      LikeLike

      1. I get the impression that when the Phillies have pitching prospects with big arms and poor control/command, they like to dial down the velocity until they finish adjusting mechanics and then will have the pitchers slowly dial the velocity back up.

         LikeLike

         1. most accurate statement I’ve seen thus far 🤓

            LikeLike

      2. Good summary catch. Can’t argue with much. Caba and Tait looking like above-average future regulars could change the complexion of the system a lot, so hopefully they fit the bill this year. Forgot about McGarry, but not really considering him much of anything other than potential trade bait. 

         Speaking of which, it does seem like there’s a lot of talent or intriguing pieces in the system right now. Hoping we use the resources wisely at the trade deadline and it results in a WS championship. Don’t want to waste good talent or deplete the system too much to cause the good years to dry up in 2-3 seasons.

         LikeLike

         1. The good news is that we need a moderate stream of good talent. We aren’t trying to rebuild. We are trying to deliberately re-load. And we are not even talking about Andrew Painter. Ca you imagine adding him to a rotation that already features Wheeler, Nola and Suarez? Incredible.

            LikeLike

            1. That was John Middleton’s mantra to both Klentak and Dombrowski….he wants a 5- year look down/pipeline within the organization which on its face means, the farm system s the cog for that to work.. Maybe the reason why Dombrowski has not done what he normally did in the past….trading prospects for established players. Having the money to sign the Harpers, Turners, Schwarbers, Wheelers and Castellanos has provided Dombrowski the ability to alter his past modus operandi.

               LikeLike

               1. It’s clear that DD has been told that he is to build for the present and the future. Although I don’t think DD is great at FA contracts (really, he’s not – he often picks the wrong players and almost always overpays), I think in those other situations he was told to “win now” and he did as he was ordered to do. Without that mandate, he’s actually been pretty good at holding onto his prospects. It’s been a pleasant surprise.

                  LikeLike

               2. When you look at the free agent signings……..Wheeler (initial and now extension) and for the most part Schwarber have been about right in value, not withstanding Schwarber’s WAR, but Schwarber does bring a lot of tema chemistry in the form of leadership, the intangibles………Castellanos and maybe Walker yikes….Turner so far has been very good, but in 3 or 4 years from now, not so sure.

                  LikeLike

               3. Oh forgot all about Nola…….that could be an over-pay in a few years, who knows for sure.

                  LikeLike

10. I like NPG’s approach at the plate….a little like Stott and Marsh….go the other way with the pitch.

    Nikau Pouaka-Grego’s three-hit, three-RBI game | 05/05/2024

    Nikau Pouaka-Grego’s three-hit, three-RBI game | 05/05/2024

    Phillies No. 29 prospect Nikau Pouaka-Grego collects three hit and three RBIs for Single-A Clearwater

    LikeLike

11. Here are the top 10 prospects in the Complex leagues:

    2. Starlyn Caba, SS, FCL Phillies (No. 5)
    One of the top players in the 2023 international signing class, Caba received $3 million in January of that year. He whetted the Phillies’ appetite by hitting .301 with a .423 OBP while playing elite-level defense at short in his DSL debut. He’s a switch-hitter who makes a ton of contact and has great instincts on the basepaths. There’s going to be some sneaky pop, and he already went deep over the first couple of FCL games.

    https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-pipeline-top-10-prospects-in-complex-leagues-2024

    LikeLike

12. Keith Law scouting report on 4 JS prospects, Crawford, Rincon, Castellano and Fruit https://theathletic.com/5459493/2024/04/30/minor-league-scouting-justin-crawford/?source=user_shared_article

    – On Crawford: electric bat speed, elite athlete. Needs to get stronger. Swing improving but needs more adjustments. Thinks that he has potential to be a 20-homer center fielder. “Crawford is about as athletic a player as you’ll see in the minors, with absolutely electric bat speed and tremendous foot speed that translates into at least 70 range in centerfield.”
    – Rincon. Elite defender. Very passive as a hitter. Took fastballs in hitters counts. Looking to draw walks.
    – Eiberson Castellano: “93-95 mph fastball, a mid-80s changeup that he used heavily to lefties (even in 0-0 counts) and a slurvy slider at 80-82 with curveball shape but below-average break and poor command.” Lefties crush him.
    – Fruit: “Zach Fruit started the game for Aberdeen and showed big stuff, sitting 93-95 mph and topping out at 97, with what looked like a sweeper-slider in the low 80s, but he cuts himself off very badly in his landing and his arm slot is extremely high, both of which make him a non-factor as a starter prospect and a higher risk for injury.”

    LikeLiked by 1 person

    1. Phillies will need to make a choice in a few years, maybe 2026, between Rojas or Crawford for CF….do not see either profiling as a corner OFer player if they lack the adequate SLG%

       LikeLike

       1. That will be a great choice to make if it presents itself. Both still have risk to them imo.

          LikeLike

       2. If Crawford can slug .450 with elite defense, I think you can get away with it.

          LikeLike

13. Another nice win for Phillies. On tv the Phillies at the moment just appear they believe they are going to win each game they play. Confidence is a great thing.

    Romus. On a lighter note. Sunday one of the relatives got the little 9U guy a City Connect Harper jersey and had it at his tourney. Since then, Bryce has hit 3 HR and 10 RBI. Not too shabby. Little guy even got to see the second one on Monday as he was at our house for a couple hours. Looks like Bryce is locked in right now.

    LikeLike

    1. Yeah Don…….Bryce is all business…like he said last night post-game…April and May are good, but got to keep it going thru the season…he has that Chase Utley no-nonsense approach on field…I really think he just tolerates the clowning around on the base whenever a guy gets an extra-base hit doing whatever dance maneuvers they can come up with..

       LikeLike

14. Romus. What was your TTO reference other day. I have not figured out what is meant. Thanks. You were referencing doing away with the infield shift.

    Regarding Bryce you notice he rarely says much to a runner on 1B. Lots of guys are cutting up and discussing everything. I agree he is all business between the lines.

    Phillies just really look good right now. I also thought Sosa looked good on couple double play balls. Some have stated he may not be a everyday guy and he may not but I think he can be serviceable for a period of time. He has a quick bat if he can lay off those outside breaking balls.

    LikeLike

    1. TTO….True Three Outcomes or Three True Outcomes….HR, BB or K.

       Usually around 50% or higher for the typical power guys. Those guys were the loudest in complaining about the outlandish shifts, especially the LHB power guys.

       LikeLike

       1. I get it now. Schwarber is the poster child for the TTO. I do agree that the shift affected the LH hitters the most. Very few made adjustments to hit the ball the other way.

          One of these guys got in the grandson head over the Winter. Told him to gain 10 to 15 lbs. I have seen around 20 games so far. Only ONE actual HR has been hit. But grandson has hit several deep high fly ball outs to LF. So, his is a 4-tier listing. FB, 2B, K, BB. Played many games before he had a ground ball. A year ago, all line drives using all the field.

          LikeLike

15. Thomson’s plan for Turnbull seems reasonable…Turnbull must have accepted it. For him, in hiscontract year, ne needs to prep himself well come Nov. free agency.

    “Thomson said he thinks Turnbull will require one day off when pitching one inning, two days off when pitching two innings and a full four days between appearances if he piggybacks a starter and goes three or more innings.”

    LikeLike

16. If you told me by this point we would have a better record than the Dodgers I wouldn’t have believed it. However that would have been counter intuitive to my general philosophy which is you cannot buy your way into championships any longer.

    Not that we’re there yet or even close but surely the early signs are present that this winning we’re doing is sustainable and winning the division is attainable.

    Now come playoffs I still see it as a rough road with way too many Ks in our line-up.

    LikeLike

    1. dmar. I have similar thoughts. Phillies may have to beat both Braves and Dodgers to get to WS. I still look back to last Fall as simply a great opportunity they let get away. I think they could have handled the Rangers though they were playing well. I have same issues as you with all the Ks but that is simply the way the game is played now. It seems as if you have under 10 Ks for a game that is a monumental feat these days.

       LikeLike

    2. Currently the Phillies are in the 10th spot for total Ks by team……https://www.mlb.com/stats/team/strikeouts

       LikeLike

       1. But when you compare it by average ‘Ks/Game’…the Phillies and Braves are both in the same ballpark, at about 8.7 per game.

          LikeLike

          1. Romus. It is not just the Phillies and Ks. That is baseball today. I can see it every night on the 8 screen shots of games. That is why I said under 10 is probably a good night.

             I do wonder what the guys who K a lot think as they walk back to the dugout. Maybe nothing.

             LikeLike

    3. The playoffs will be a completely different ball of wax, but when you have good to very good hitting, good team defense (yes, this team is now a good defensive team – Kudos for DD on that!), and outstanding starting pitching and very good relief pitching in particular, you are going to win a ton of games and you’re just going to blow by the bad teams. I mean, right now, the bad to average teams have no chance at all against this Phillies team. And the thing is – they haven’t even hit all cylinders on offense – which is scary.

       Yup, this is definitely looking like a 100 win team – possibly one of the great teams in Phillies history. There is no weakness on this team. In fact, I don’t even think there’s one general area (I don’t consider right field an “area”) where this team is not well above average at the very least. This is what an elite GM gives you – a team with star power, depth and redundancy. DD has his weaknesses, but, like Pat Gillick, he is a master roster builder.

       LikeLike

       1. And I don’t think you can give the pitching coach, hitting coach, fielding coach and manager enough credit. This team is “coached up” incredibly well and Caleb Cotham has to be one of the best pitching coaches in the major leagues. Christopher Sanchez was a AAAA pitcher before Cotham worked his magic and the evolution of Zack Wheeler, which people don’t discuss enough, is a direct result of Cotham’s efforts. 

          LikeLike

       2. I agree with you that this is a really really good team. Maybe even great. That said, I definitely think that we could upgrade RF and I also think that this team needs a true shut down closer at the back of the pen to have the depth that we need to win it all. I expect DD to get that guy at the deadline.

          A few names to watch:

          • Kyle Finnegan
          • Ryan Helsley
          • Mason Miller

          All 3 are on bad teams who won’t need a closer and could be willing to take a prospect (Abel?) for their closer.

          LikeLike

          1. v1. Good points. I doubt a change in RF is made. But one never knows. I mentioned before the season that I would feel better having the guy at the end of the game that leading in the 9th you pretty much know the game is yours. Hoffman and Alvarado have been very good but still some angst when they are in. The guy with the electric stuff is Soto but you just never know what you are going to get with him. I find that surprising because I think he was the closer for two years for Detroit. Maybe the fact there was no pressure was a factor. He and SerAnthony need to be better for me.

             Of the three you mention I have only seen Miller this season. Romus and I have mentioned the times we have seen him he has been awesome. I think he was at 103 consistently one night I watched. He is impressive. I saw last night though that the A’s are around .500 now.

             LikeLike

          2. Agree with v1, barring injuries, shutdown closer is the area you target with your prospect capital. Abel seeming expendable with underperformance and rotation locked down for a while with Painter, Klassen, Aldegheri, and others on the way. 

             Castellanos isn’t losing his starting spot unless there’s a major major prolonegd slump (and he’s already starting to snap out of it), but for the second half shouldn’t they target a reserve OF to replace Pache’s lack of impact? If so, which handedness? Any names on people’s radar if they go that route?

             LikeLiked by 1 person

             1. What’s the point of replacing Christian Pache? He’s got 23 PAs. Is his replacement going to get more, especially with Merrifield looking like the first OF off the bench?

                LikeLike

                1. I could make a case that with the exception of Marsh our outfield is all right handed, and that Pache and Rojas are essentially the same player (neither one can hit). You only need to have seen Rojas’ last AB. It would be nice to have someone who can play OF and hit LH. Someone who can actually make contact.

                   LikeLiked by 1 person

                2. @old, the Phillies are going to give Rojas as many ABs as he can handle. So whoever the Phillies trade for, that person will be lucky to get in 1 game a week, if that. Pache is literally the last bench player to get ABs. Why are we even talking about this?

                   LikeLike

17. Last night I was looking at the Dodgers lineup and their OPS numbers, OMG 1-7 were just absurd. Ohtani is close to 1.200

    LikeLike

    1. Astros are not having the year they are accustom too.. they maybe willing to trade Kyle Tucker? Bregman … will see, but those guys could be in play if they keep the L’s coming.

       Abel would now seem expendable as a trade piece, especially if Sanchez is for real. I don’t see how the FO lets Ranger get away, so …. That’s 1 spot open. Does he beat out Painter? He’s not supposed to, so will see. I would think he is starting to fall into the Spencer Howard realm, as in once untouchable.

       LikeLike

       1. Bregman is having a terrible season, and he’s blocked by Bohm anyways. If Bohm had a serious injury, then maybe you would go for it.

          Tucker is going to go for at least 1 top 100 prospect, and guess what, if we don’t like Abel, the Astros know it too. And no, the Astros are not dumb enough to take back Castellanos’ contract. Nobody wants that contract.

          LikeLike

          1. i hear that on bregman. Im more of the belief they can plop anyone who can hit in LF, move marsh to RF it if needed. We’ve seen Burrell, Schwarber, Luzunksi … LF can basically be a cone if they can hit.

             For Tucker, yeah if the astros would be willing to take a paid down Castellanos, it might work. Im not giving up totally on Castellanos yet, but I’d like to see a hot streak from Nicky C before the break. If hes still cold at the deadline, all bets are off, need to find a replacement.

             Abel is expendable to the Phillies imo, but that doesnt mean he doesn;t have good trade value. The Phillies just happen to have a damn good rotation, with Painter on the mend, expected for next year. Thereotically, they can stand to trade Abel, Klassen, McGarry, etc… if they lock up Ranger. I think that happens, so the Phillies have bullets in the chamber for DD this offseason. Odd position for them to be in, not used to it.

             LikeLike

18. This is a very good team with only a few holes. One of them is a lock down closer and another is their streaky strikeout riddled offense. The former can (and probably will) be fixed via trade. The latter is what it is. If we get hot and stay hot in September and October, we’ll be fine. If the bats go cold like last year, someone else will be playing in November.

    LikeLike

19. I could have predicted the lack of hitting today. Chris Bassitt has always given the Phillies fits. Ironically, he’s exactly the type of pitcher the Phillies have in Nola and Turnbull.

    LikeLike

20. Catch – I was just going to write that Bassitt has been a thorn in the side of the Phillies the past few years, especially while with the Mets. At the same time, Berrios always seemed to dominate the Phils until last night. So, maybe tonight, they give Bassitt the same treatment as they did with Berrios last night.

    LikeLike

21. My bad. I didn’t realize it was a day game. What of doofus!!!

    LikeLike

22. Romus. I see Skenes is being called up by Pirates. Is there any significance to the timing now?

    LikeLike

    1. The significance is he won’t accrue a year of service time unless he finishes top 2 in ROY voting.

       So service time manipulation, as is tradition.

       LikeLike

    2. Also, a missed opportunity for the Pirates.

       If Skenes had been on their opening day roster and remained on the roster for the full season, the Pirates would have been eligible to receive up to three draft picks if Skenes were to finish in the Top 3 in the Rookie of the Year voting or the Top 5 in MVP/Cy Young voting before he became eligible for arbitration.

       LikeLike

       1. Agree…..apparently Cherington weighed the cost savings vs the draft capital and decided on being able to keep Skenes another year before he hits free agency. Perhaps figuring he could always trade him for a boatload of prospects like Wash. did with Soto, a year prior to him leaving for free agency.

          LikeLike

          1. i would have to believe that extra year played a factor, but they insist that it didn’t. They knew they were foregoing potential draft capital, but stuck to their plan, which actually makes sense. They were always going to ramp him up slowly and didn’t want to do it in the big leagues and tax the bullpen from the start. More importantly, they wanted to make sure that once he got to the big leagues, he would complete the year (assuming good health) and not have to be shut down like Strasburg was when the Nats could have made noise in the playoffs with him. The Pirates are only 2 games out of the wildcard, with their strong starting pitching, they have a real shot to make the playoffs. And they do not plan on shutting down Skenes if they get there. 

             So, the extra year is surely a benefit, but I also think they developed a solid plan that was in the best interest of the player and the team for the long term.

             LikeLike

23. Dan and Jim. Thanks. Skenes has been really good here at Indy. I knew teams did the couple week thing for an extra year of control. I did not know exactly what the Super 2 was. Nor was I aware Jim of the things the Pirates have by passed with having him down at Indy for a month or so. That seems to make no sense if he is as good as advertised. I saw him on tv a couple times during CWS last Summer. Thanks again guys.

    LikeLike

24. Great catch by Castellanos last night versus the Marlins! At the speed he was running, if he had been closer to the wall, he would have run through it just like Bump Bailey did in “The Natural”.

    Hard to believe that film is now 40 years old. Back to Castellanos: I sure would love to see him hit the ball (when he hits it) more to right field. I know. I know. It’s a lot easier said than done.

    LikeLike

    1. Earlier this season, I compared Casty’s batting stats to those of Rojas more in the spirit of sarcasm than in meaning a true comparison. That is still true, but guess what. One-quarter of the season is in and Rojas has better stats:’

       BA Casty 209 Rojas 236

       OPS Casty 582 Rojas 618

       LikeLike

25. Including yesterday’s game and the next 8 games, the Phillies are projected to face 6 lefties out of the 9 game stretch. Brandon Marsh is sitting back to back games (yesterday and today).

    LikeLike

26. Marlins are a team that have lost heart…you can see it when they make outs. Once they traded Arraez to the Padres it went from bad to just plain tank. Most players are probably hoping to be traded by the deadline to a contender.

    LikeLike

    1. Seemed to start even before that when they let Kim Ng walk. She was starting to turn things around from the Jeter era if you can even call it that.

       We’ll see if Bendix out of the Friedman tree can replicate what’s been done in LA and to a pretty large extent held onto by Neander in Tampa.

       Bloom couldn’t do it in Boston and now here they are about to go into full on sell/tank mode.

       LikeLike

27. The Phillies have a .700 win percentage.

    That’s it. That’s the post.

    LikeLike

28. Mets just walked off the Braves with a 2R shot as Minter blew the save. Perfect end to the weekend. Let’s hope the Mets carry zero momentum into tomorrow. Go Phils!

    LikeLiked by 1 person

29. MLB updated their top 100 prospects: https://www.mlb.com/prospects/top100/

    • Painter #20
    • Aidan Miller moved up to #49
    • Abel dropped to #63
    • Crawford up to #65

    So the Phillies have 4 of the top 65 prospects in MLB.

    LikeLiked by 1 person

    1. Whoops, didn’t see that you posted this already.

       I think Miller will be top 30 at the end of the year.

       I think Abel will be in the 90s or out of the list once the 2024 draft picks get slotted in.

       LikeLike

       1. I agree with both takes

          LikeLike

    2. Scanned down thru the Top 100….counted roughly two dozen Latin international signing prospects among the top 100 listed…..brings me to the wonderment, have the Philies ever had a Latin international signed player ever listed on the MLB top 100 lately!    For the life me, I cannot recall ever there being one in the last decade or so. Perhaps Carlos Carassco about 20 years ago!

       LikeLike

       1. Maikel Franco. Sixto Sanchez.

          LikeLike

       2. Sixto Sanchez was a $35k LatAm signing. Was a top 100 prospect. Got us JT

          LikeLike

30. I see Matt Snyder of CBS has Phillies at #1 in his Power Ranking today.

    Romus. I see he has Orioles at #2 and says Kimbrel has melted down several times recently and wonders if they may have Mason Millier on the radar. Looks as though Orioles found out sooner on Kimbrel than the Phillies did a year ago.

    LikeLike

    1. Mason Miller isn’t a FA until 2030. We’re talking about 5(!) more years of control. Whoever trades for him will have to pay a heavy price and the Orioles are one of the teams that can pay that price. I don’t think the Orioles will want to give up Jackson Holiday but I think Coby Mayo or Heston Kjerstad should be the headliner.

       LikeLike

       1. Miller is inexperienced (50 innings of MLB experience) and a ticking time bomb with that UCL……neverthess some GM will over pay.

          LikeLike

    2. If were the O’s GM……I’d shoot for Kopech…they have the resources to pull it off.

       LikeLike

       1. One way or another – be it Kopech or Miller or someone else, the Os are in the best position, in terms of young talent, to pull off a trade to get their closer. If I’m the Os and I think Miller’s arm is reasonably sound, I overpay to get this guy and keep him under control for a good while. And it will be good for the As too – they will get the bounty of an overpay.

          LikeLike

       2. Looks as though might be a bidding war of sort for Miller. I saw something recently that he was not thrilled with something the A’s had done in respect to him.

          Romus. I need to try to catch Sox some night and maybe get a glimpse of Kopech. They are starting to win some games, so he is getting some meaningful innings now. He seems to be your pick now.

          LikeLike

31. Maybe we can package Mick Abel with Castellanos and cash for a lottery ticket this offseason so we can hopefully add Soto.

    LikeLike

    1. Juan Soto’s FA contract is going to be enormous, especially with Scott Boras as his agent. It’s going to be at least Mike Trout’s contract (12/426). I doubt the Yankees will let him walk but the Phillies are not signing Soto unless they want to pay serious luxury tax for the next decade.

       LikeLike

       1. Will be very difficult for the Yankees to keep Soto and his Boras expected salary……besides Soto they may have to make an offer to Gleyber Torres and Verdugo if they want to keep them……they should surpass the Mets and go to the top of lits for payroll salaries if they sign Soto….and pay the luxury tax. Cashman made the mistake years ago trading for Stanton….he is the anchor that cannot be lifted.

          https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/overview/_/year/2024

          LikeLike

       2. Just remember, they made a $325M offer to Yamamoto this offseason. So I don’t think the luxury tax is a scary as you think. Middleton and Dombrowski have said that certain exceptions can be made. Juan Soto is one of those exceptions.

          LikeLike

    2. Soto is amazing, but I don’t see him coming here. The Phillies need Walker to pitch reasonably well so they can move him and open up space to sign Ranger. You need to keep Ranger – he’s just way too good for them to let him go. They really should have signed him this offseason. I get why they didn’t, but that was when the iron was hottest.

       LikeLike

32. Phillies facing the Mets today without Turner, Schwarber, Realmuto. Not only that, Marsh is playing RF and facing LH Manaea. Marsh has a .343 OPS vs lefties (.565 lifetime). Pache surprisingly has a .571 OPS vs righties (.699 lifetime).

    LikeLike

    1. They still won. This team man, something special is happening.

       LikeLike

    2. Who here thought that they lost going into the 9th down 2 against Diaz?

       I know that I did. This team has that “it” factor. Wow. Impressive win.

       LikeLike

       1. v1. I admit I did. I flipped it off after top of 8th. Then later on scroller saw 5-4 win in 10. I have a question on the extra-inning games. Did Soto get the loss on Sunday even though the runner was not technically his? How do extra innings work?

          Sunday I was trying to mow yard and slip in and catch parts of game. Phillies won 6-0 on innings I saw and lost 7-0 on innings I did not. After Wheeler got 3-0 lead went back out. Then 6-3 and Sosa got game tied at 6. Came back in to see the Marlins on the field celebrating.

          LikeLike

          1. Soto got the loss because he gave up the unearned run (the ghost runner on second base).

             LikeLike

33. reminiscent of that 2010 team which won 97 games. They pretty much showed up and won night after night…

    LikeLike

    1. Though things seem to even out over a season…Whit Merrifield was rung up…..but 1B ump missed the check swing call. So Phillies will take it….probably today a call will go against them, make-up call as they say in hockey, and be costly as it may happen.

       LikeLike

       1. It went in our favor but surely something that egregious cannot happen in an MLB game.

          LikeLike

       2. I had to laugh ……. later in the game he called a “strike” completely in the box, a “ball” and then on the very next pitch called a pitch very low well out of the box a “strike”. I explained to my wife …. that is called a “reconciliation pitch”.

          LikeLike

       3. Count was only 3-1 at the time, so no way to know what would have happened, but the at-bat wouldn’t have ended if they made the right call.

          LikeLike

          1. Yeah…..saw that later.

             LikeLike

34. Don – Someone has to get the loss so indeed it was Sosa. He must have been something in his “prime” in Detroit. He sure has not been very good this season (and last). Include Dominguez to that list.

    LikeLike

    1. Sosa throws hard but I don’t think he knows where the ball is going. Career walk rate of 4.9 and this year it’s at 6.8, the highest of his career.

       Alvarado’s career walk rate is 5, but it’s been trending down after he joined the Phillies. It’s currently at 3.6 for the year which is great for him.

       LikeLike

35. I guess it’s a good thing that I’m not at home watching this game. Phillies are having issues with RISP with no Harper and JT.

    LikeLike

    1. Yeah ……. 2nd & 3rd no outs and none in, but alls well that ends well! Really good job by Nola and Stott.

       LikeLiked by 1 person

       1. ……… and Bohm.

          LikeLike

36. where are all my Nola haters? 😉

    LikeLike

37. Good win today.

    LikeLike

38. Thanks Ciada. I had issues posting earlier. I figured it had to be that way, but guess had never looked.

    Romus. Fanside had article on Miller and Phillies. He began in division 3. Said Braves have interest in Miller and wondered if Phillies might try to beat them to him. Did not think Phillies would offer any of top 100 but maybe Caba and McGary might get A’s interest.

    LikeLike

    1. Don…for Miller, I think McGarry would be on the table…..maybe also one of Caba, Ricones, Bergolla or Rincon. I still would be wary of him, his UCL had rehab….his injury didn’t require the TJ surgery and was treated with a PRP injection in April 2022. Thus began a long summer of rehab, It has worked for Nola, so maybe his will take hold and be sustained without further issues.

       LikeLike

       1. You’re shooting so low it’s crazy. A’s would want our Miller and Rincones or Abel. McGarry has essentially no value right now.

          LikeLike

          1. and that type of demand is one reason the Phillies won’t pull the trigger. The Orioles are a perfect match for this trade. They have talent to burn – and they should!

             LikeLike

39. I have to agree with Romus that the A’s Miller is a ticking time bomb. He has already had arm issues – last year. There is some who think he should return to being a starter (Jim Bowden for one) and that would make him even more valuable. Frankly, I don’t see it. Once injured, he is fragile.

    I don’t think the Phillies will pay what it would take to get him ; and I don’t think Braves have anything left to trade, other than mlb starters on their team, say like Michael Harris. No way that happens. If anybody gets him it is likely to be Orioles for one of their many young outfielders and a prospect or two. I say there is a 10% chance he is traded.

    Helsey of the Cardinals is the most likely reliever/closer to be dealt. He is also the most experienced and cheapest. He also is the best despite some injury history albeit, not serious arm injuries. If Houston continues to stink I could see their former closer Presley traded – but he makes $14 million a year with performance options despite being a free agent.

    LikeLike

    1. RU….I think Helsey may be a reliever in high demand also come July….do not think the Cardinals will be able to make a run for it , so they will put him out there. Like any reliever the Phillies pursue….I see McGarry be the first to be offered then another position prospect.

       LikeLike

       1. Romus – I agree with you again. Teams, namely the Cardinals, could see McGarry as a possible young starting pitcher that can be “fixed.” Because they don’t have any depth in pitching, nor more than one pitching prospect that is noteworthy, DD could find a match with Cards. That – right now, is one sorry organization and while they won’t do a major tear down – they are going to have to do major surgery. I would love to see Helsley on the Phillies – even though he is a free agent at end of the ’25 season. It is going to take McGarry and probably 2 more prospects to get him, 1 a #5-15 at least ; second one a # 20-30.

          LikeLike

40. Nola threw a gem today. Between he and Ranger, the slower (non- 95-95 mph style) crafty pitching is becoming an art form. Reminiscent of the smart pitchers of bygone eras – Sal Maglie, Allie Reynolds, and the great Maddux.

    LikeLiked by 1 person

    1. RU….yes Maddux is a good example of that  pure crafty pitcher,  just not the Phillies Maddux.

       LikeLike

41. Latest Cy Young Poll…MLB.com

    Wheeler at 1 and Ranger at 5 in the NL portion of the Cy Young….thought Ranger would be 1 or 2 in the NL portion.

    2 new aces take the lead in our latest Cy Young poll

    LikeLike

42. Romus. I am watching White Sox and Nats. Sox up 3-0 in 7th. Might get to see Kopech if game stays close. Looking forward to seeing him pitch.

    I do think Phillies may need another BP arm. Closer is my first choice. It would really help if Soto and SerAnthony can get untracked. They really need to be more dependable.

    LikeLike

43. The most important thing IMO is to make sure Alvarado and Hoffman don’t get over taxed. If those two are fresh come playoffs they can handle closing out games.

    Which leads me to DD would be crazy to give up any premier prospect capital for a RP. Crawford and Miller are absolutely untouchable. Abel is only 22 I’m not giving up on him.

    McGarry sure but something tells me they need to tread very carefully with their prospect capital lest they wish to wind up like those teams we had when Halladay lost it, Howard was a shell of himself and Utley and Rollins went into twilight mode.

    As they stand assuming health they are equipped to win the WS with what they have. You can never predict that the players (even the best players) perform in the playoffs but they have what it takes.

    LikeLike

    1. DMAR…..beside a another respectable reliever….I am concerned with their collective overall OF OPS……Marsh/Rojas/Castellanos/Pache may not be as high on the list as other play-off bound teams…..just not sure. Plus their K rate could be the highest…..maybe some analyst geek out there can come up with their ranking vs the Dodgers, Braves, Brewers et al.

       LikeLike

       1. All true Romus but I think Marsh evens out, I think Casty gets better and believe it or not I think Rojas can get a little better.

          I guess you’d have to show me the trade before it happened to have an opinion. Probably a lot of moves you could show me and I’d say yeah do that and a bunch I would say no way.

          LikeLike

    2. This is a good post by DMAR. This team has what it takes to win now. I’d like them to be very careful about relinquishing prospects to avoid a period of ineptitude in the future. Would definitely not like to see them give up on Abel now. We feel great about Wheeler, Nola, Suarez, and Sanchez as a rotation for the next few years but who’s to say we sign Suarez and Wheeler and Nola have a lot of innings the past several years. Can never have too much starting pitching.

       LikeLike

44. Romus. I watched Kopech finish the game last night vs Nats. He got through the 9th inning but barely and he had a 4-0 lead going in. I was less than impressed and realize it was only one inning. He throws hard. I think all fastballs were 100-101. But really wild. He walked 2 and had 2 wild pitches. Steve Stone mentioned that the Nats hitters were all stepping out on the pitch. The pitch could go anywhere. Most were really high. On a funny note, this was game 2 of a DH so maybe 50 fans in the stands at this time. Every time Kopech threw a ball a guy near the mike would yell Kopech throw strikes. It was funny because in the inning he got lots of chances. His breaking pitches were very good. The only thing that saved him was a really nice catch in left center by Benintendi. Otherwise, it would have been 4-2 and a runner on 3rd most likely. I have seen Miller a couple of times though those were a few weeks ago. I would take Miller easily at this time if all things were equal. Kopech looked like a harder throwing Gregory Soto. One never knew where his fastball was going.

    Dmar. I agree about not burning out Hoffman and Alvarado. That is why I mentioned but it did not go through yesterday that Soto and SerAnthony have got to pick up their game. Both have lots of talent, but they sure are not on the mark at this time.

    LikeLike

    1. Sure Don but it is only May so Cotham has some time to get the kinks out of those two. If not Mercado is throwing very well at LHV he can always be called up to log some innings.

       And then there is Sanchez and Turnball. DD could always opt to send Sanchez to Soto’s roll and allow Spence to take over that 5th rotation spot.

       Very SSS but Jose Ruiz has thrown very well too

       LikeLike

       1. And it wouldn’t be out of a realm of possibility that we see Klassen in CBP late season 🙂

          Not sure this time last year anyone saw Kerkering coming….

          LikeLike

          1. DMAR….George Klassen does have a shoulder concern that may have to be monitored for awhile. As for upward mobility….Kerkering rapid ascend  dates were:

             Apr— CLW

             May 10 – JS

             Jul 6 – Reading

             Sep 20- LHV

             Do not thnk Klassen at this point, and also as  a starter, will be able to duplicate Kerkering’s rise.

             LikeLike

       2. I think Turnbull is a very interesting case and I think the ball is in his court. He keeps producing everytime out and the Phillies are going to have to decide where he fits and he just might fit somewhere else in his mind $$$$$$.

          LikeLike

          1. He’s going to sign where he’s offered the opportunity to start. And he should easily get 3/45 for being a starter.

             LikeLike

    2. Don…….when it comes to Kopech vs Miller, I still prefer the guy who has the experience and come crunch time may be able to keep his poise. The other player in the mix could be the Cards Ryan Helsley, already 13 saves of the teams 18 wins…last four years he has been pretty steady out there….if they fall out of the race he could be another reliever that could be a help to the Phillies pen.

       LikeLike

       1. Romus. I have not seen either enough to be in one camp or the other. Kopech had a 4-run lead, and he was the one last night who had little poise and very little control of his fastball. He throws hard. I do see Helsley being mentioned in articles online. He might be the best option. He is pretty good. The Phillies did well against him 2 years ago, but he has a good track record.

          LikeLike

45. Just FYI. ESPN has an article up right now on MLB and load management for players. Says that is the big thing going now. Article seemed interesting.

    LikeLike

46. Interesting article on Tommy John:
    – “starting pitchers get Tommy John at a much higher rate compared to relief pitchers (17.45% and 10.52%, respectively)”
    – For nine out of the 10 velocity deciles, the correlation between BMI (body mass index) and Tommy John is positive; for eight out of the 10, the correlation is strongly positive, with r > 0.7

    https://community.fangraphs.com/an-analysis-of-the-relationship-between-pitcher-size-and-ucl-tears/

    LikeLike

47. In this day and age of millionaire players do you think they even bother with fines any more for running thru stop signs. Wathan couldn’t have been more demonstrative unless he tackled him. Cost us a run. Lot of stupid mental mistakes in this game, like Castles going for two and 2 errors.

    LikeLike

    1. and still it’s 10-3 Phillies in the 8th

       LikeLike

48. it’s high time we start talking about Michael Mercado – he’s been nothing short of phenomenal this year in AAA – a 0.36 ERA and sitting 95-96. He is a much better pitcher right now than McGarry or Abel. Trade McGarry and promote Mercado.

    LikeLiked by 1 person

    1. yep, he’s been terrific. Not sure what trading McGarry has to do with anything but I would guess Mercado might be the first starter up if they need rotation help.

       LikeLike

       1. It really doesn’t. My point is that McGarry, at this point is little more than just another guy. Keep him, trade him, whatever.

          LikeLike

49. One thing to note about this Phillies team again, is the coaching. Caleb Cotham is an elite pitching coach. And Kevin Long is doing amazing work too, especially with the young guys who seem to listen. The improvement in plate discipline of their young hitters has been nothing short of phenomenal. This team works walks and works counts like almost no other team. Even secondary players, like Sosa, have benefitted enormously from his coaching. I saw a Sosa at bat a few days ago, and while he didn’t get a hit, he layed off two or three pitches, that just barely missed the zone. His discipline was tremendous and you can see that now with his increased walks and better at bats. Bohm and Stott are much the same.

    And, as usual, Casty tried, concluded he couldn’t do it, gave up on the approach, and is just back to being Casty. I guess we’ll see. Not everyone can do this, but our younger guys, it appears, can.

    LikeLike

    1. Casty marches to his own drum beat, you just are never quite sure of the “beat du jour”! His attempt to stretch that single into a double last night was beyond ridiculous.

       LikeLike

50. And, it’s now getting to the point where Rojas’s fielding miscues are officially a big concern. In the entire time I’ve been watching baseball, I’ve never, ever seen such a quick outfielder get to balls and have them clank off his glove as often as I’ve seen balls bounce off of Rojas’s mitt. It’s unusual to see this happen to an outfielder more than a couple of times a year. I’ve already seen 5 or 6 balls just bounce of his glove this year alone. What is that? It certainly tempers my enthusiasm about a player who is there primarily for his defense. This has to stop.

    LikeLike

    1. Yep, you are correct and it’s concerning that some of the misplayed balls are on singles or balls who hit the turf well in front of him. Almost like it’s a lack of attention.

       LikeLike

       1. Skeet…forget about any Gold Glove nominations for him this year….already sits at the bottom half of the league and 12 runs behind Michael Taylor.

          https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?lg=all&qual=y&season=2024&season1=2024&ind=0&stats=fld&pos=cf&type=1&sortcol=12&sortdir=default&pagenum=1

          LikeLike

51. Mock draft:

    27. Philadelphia Phillies: Theo Gillen, SS, Westlake HS (Austin, Texas)

    Gillen has zoomed up draft boards in the latter half of this spring as scouts love his swing and some even see a future 60 hit tool here. The Phillies have been all about high school talent since Brian Barber took over as scouting director and I don’t see any reason to expect that to change with the early success his first-round picks have had in the minors.

    https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5490480/2024/05/15/mlb-mock-draft-2024-travis-bazzana-charlie-condon/?source=user_shared_article MLB Mock Draft 2024: Why Guardians could go Travis Bazzana over Charlie Condon

    LikeLike

52. v1. I see you have an article on TJ listed above. Romus. This is for all you with interest in the TJ or PRP options. I mentioned a couple years ago that probably the best pitcher here in Central Indiana had TJ in the fall of his freshman year in high school or when he had just turned 15. So, he missed his freshman season with recovery. My grandson and his high school teams play each other. Last season in the game he played SS. He is a really good athlete. So, they played again last night as juniors. Both had pitched the previous evening so both played their infield spots. But during the game I was told an interesting story on the TJ kid. I was told that during his recovery from surgery he taught himself to throw left-handed. He is a right-handed kid, so I have never seen the lefty throw. But it was told that he can throw 90 right-handed now and 80 left-handed. He bats left-handed always has and may be able to use both hands fairly well. It was mentioned to me that his hope is to get to where he can avoid the stress to his right arm again if he can get to where he can pitch lefthanded. At this time, he is committed to Louisville though I think a coaching change has taken place since he committed. I just found the story interesting. Grandson team did win 8-3 last night.

    LikeLike

    1. Don…..LOL, reminds me of Pat Vinditte…classified a switch pitcher. They made rule changes for him. Remember Vinnie Velo….one day he fielded a liner off him and picked the ball up with his left hand and fired a bullet to first base to get the runner…..was simply amazing.

       https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/vendipa01.shtml

       LikeLike

       1. I saw the Velasquez play. It was something else. I think I saw the other guy. Was he with Phillies briefly or am I mistaken?

          This kid is a really good athlete like Vinny. The person did not go into detail how he is approaching this. Just said 90 righthanded and 80 lefthanded. I have not seen kid pitch since he was 13 or 14. Kids on different teams now and you sometimes see them at same spot.

          I just found it interesting that they said he started working on it when recovering. I have heard of people breaking their arm and learning to do things with other. I am righthanded, batted lefthanded but can do many things just as well lefthanded. Some said I was lefthanded and my dad kind of made me righthanded.

          LikeLike

53. Don, Romus ……… reportedly there is a sophomore pitcher @ Mississippi State who is ambidextrous and by his admission can get 99 mph from the right and 95 mph from the left. Jurrangelo Cijntje (SAIN-ja). I believe Pat Venditte Jr. was more of a junk pitcher in the 88 – 90 mph range. FWIW

    LikeLike

    1. oldruff. Interesting. I will have to watch and see if I catch him in a game. The person did not tell me if this kid who is only a junior in high school has tried lefthanded in a game. He probably was over 90 before surgery. I wonder what stipulations they have him on now. The two games I have seen him play last year and this year he has played short. He is a really good athlete. I do not see him in the Summer because kids are on different teams, and they go everywhere. The kid bats lefthanded so he may have some lefty traits.

       Think you are right on Venditte. Wonder if Vinny ever pitched any lefthanded. He sure could throw it left-handed.

       LikeLike

    2. Skeet…..yes….the Miss. State kid was  ranked as the No. 1 ‘BHP’ in the nation and in the state of Florida, the No. 34 overall pitcher in the nation and the No. 9 overall prospect in the state of Florida by Perfect Game …he may have been the only BHP in the nation, who knows.

       LikeLike

       1. Romus. The kid here is Colin Osenbaugh. He is only a junior now. So, no idea if he has any ranking like that. Plus, I do not know one way or the other if he has pitched lefthanded yet. I was just told that he throws around 90 now righthanded and 80 lefthanded. I believe he is still a Louisville commit but not sure on that anymore. For some reason I thought they had a change in coaches but may be wrong on that. I know he is considered one of the best in Indiana if not the best prospect.

          LikeLike

54. The Phillies are getting very little hitting production from their OF. I know they have the best record in baseball, but the Eagles had the best record in football and it was obvious their record didn’t match their play. I don’t want the same thing to happen to the Phillies where by people gloss over their problems due to their outstanding record.

    I hold very little hope that Castellanos does much this year. What you see may be what you get. He’ll have his surges but if on 7/4 he is hitting .215 with 8 hrs and 30 RBIs and is still swinging at pitches a foot outside you must think seriously of benching him no matter his salary. Pache can’t hit he has proven that with three organizations. Rojas may come around or maybe not. Marsh started out hot but has faded and he can’t hit lefties.

    Again, you can gloss over these deficiencies like the Eagles did but they are real.

    LikeLike

    1. Man, your takeaway from what you’ve seen thus far this season is that the Phillies aren’t for real? What games are you watching? I don’t agree at all. Of course, they have some weak players, every team does. But it is rare to see a team this deep in the line-up with lights out starting pitching and pretty decent relief pitching. This team isn’t going to win 112 games, but they are extremely good, unlike the Eagles, who were barely winning before the air left the balloon. This team isn’t barely winning – they are burying other teams. They won’t be as dominant against the really good teams, but, from my view point this team is not a mirage, like the Eagles were.

       LikeLike

55. What is also real is that Alvarado is probably no longer a dependable back of the bullpen guy. He is very hittable this season.

    LikeLike

    1. Disappointing game last night. Just seemed like when they went up 3-2, they all lost focus on what they still had to do to get the win. The things that happened in the 8th inning are things I see all Spring with these high school kids. This should never happen to major league guys. Just seemed to me on tv they had no focus. Several possible plays would have resulted in a win if they had just made ONE of them. But they did not. Now they seem to bounce back well.

       One thing I found interesting was Verducci on the ball JT hit to 3B. He made the comment it is really hard to get an error now in MLB. Then the Phillies had the 8th inning. Also, said at the end Schwarber worked all Winter to cut down on Ks. But he is on pace for 239. I find that almost unbelievable that your leadoff guy could strikeout 239 times in the season. Wow.

       LikeLike

       1. On the plus side ….having Sosa adjust his mechanics may have helped his control……the slide step when no one is on base and then the occasional leg kick keeps batters off balance , especially when the ball is coming in at 158 kilometers per hour.

          LikeLike

          1. Romus. I agree on Soto. SerAnthony had a good inning as well. Both need to step up and help. I was ok with both Hoffman and Alvarado. You do not have your best every game. Hoffman almost got out of it. Tough to start an inning with a guy at 2B. Even with all the things that happened from 8th on if Bohm does not hit into the DP Phils probably still win. That was a killer. Sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you do not.

             LikeLike

       2. why is it that every time a player makes a mistake or a reliever gives up a run it’s because they “lost focus”? Did the Mets closer lose his focus when he blew the save?

          Sometimes guys mess up and sometimes the other guy makes a play. The Phillies lost a back and forth game because the Mets made a couple more plays and the Phillies relievers gave up a few runs.

          LikeLike

          1. I think Don was implying that the team seems to coast sometimes after overcoming a scoring deficit. I see that at times as well.

             Also realize, as you said, that chance and opportunity play equally to both teams over the course of time.

             The Mets are every bit as bad a baseball team as the two we played in front of them. I see Cohen pulled his statement from social media to make a more Met appropriate response suggesting he wasn’t fire saleing and indeed was misinterpreted.

             Lindor …., we too, have a high dollar non-producer …. someone with time should build the highest paid non-producing team by position. It would be interesting to see just how much non-productivity money can buy.

             LikeLike

             1. just don’t see evidence they were coasting vs. they just aren’t perfect. Players make errors, pitchers give up runs, throw bad pitches,etc. seems the immediate fan reaction is to question either effort or concentration.

                Forget the outs, yes concentration. Don’t run out a ground ball, then question the effort. Make a wide throw to 1st base, physical error. Give up a line drive off your back like Hoffman, good at-bat by the hitter. Wild pitch to give up a run, mistake.

                Phillies gave up the lead in the 8th because they made a couple of physical mistakes and the Mets cashed them in. Wasn’t about effort or focus.

                LikeLike

                1. 3up. I respect your thoughts. We all see things different at times. That is ok. I never post to try to upset anyone. I never will.

                   LikeLike

                2. respect yours as well Don. Just disagree with you on this issue. Have to do more than that to upset me 🙂

                   LikeLike

56. Romus. Pirates Skenes has no hitter thru 6 innings vs Cubs. Pirates lead 8-0. He is near 100 pitches so probably done. I just turned-on Extra Innings to see time for Phillies. This is at Chicago. He is done after 6.

    LikeLike

    1. Don…….looks like he is on tract to being the next big ace pitcher in the majors.

       LikeLike

       1. Romus. I have only seen him three or four times, but he sure has been impressive those times. See where he struck out the first 7 today. He is 6’6″ and 235 and only 21. He may be that next great ace. Just have to wait and see how it plays out.

          LikeLike

    2. He looked like DeGrom.

       LikeLike

57. 3up and Romus. This is for you guys. Tonight is the first night I have been home on Friday to see City Connect uniforms. Gosh there is a lot of black on tv to these. Do they look as strange in person as they do on tv. Think JT’s gear looks like one the Brewers wear at times. I keep thinking I am going to get the blue hat but have not yet. Sure, is a different look.

    LikeLike

    1. My wife wants a Harper Jersey, she likes the tops but I’m not a fan. The hats aren’t bad. At least they don’t seem to show the sweat like others do.

       And yes, lots of black with the pants.

       LikeLike

       1. 3up. My 9-year-old grandson has a Harper City Connect jersey. It is ok. I keep thinking about the hat with the Liberty Bell. On tv last night the pants look black. Is that correct or are they a dark blue. Hard to tell on tv.

          LikeLike

58. This switch pitcher might go in the first round this year: https://www.wsj.com/sports/baseball/jurrangelo-cijntje-ambidextrous-pitcher-689c4dca?st=8yzhzw9kdx9c1td&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

    LikeLike

    1. I think this is the kid from Miss. St. I was intrigued the other night when I was told the former 15-year-old who had TJ surgery 2 years ago has added throwing lefthanded. All I was told was 90 righthanded and 80 lefthanded at this time. He is only a junior in high school. He is an excellent athlete.

       LikeLike

59. Phillies with another sweep….though, have played the easiest schedule…by opponent win%…in MLB, with the 13th toughest remaining  but coming are the WS Rangers…though they themselves have struggled a bit…. 24-23…they still have a formidable lineup and will be a good test for the Fightins’—  however the Rangers have lost seven of their last 10 heading into the three game set vs the Phils so maybe the locals will keep the Rangers on the downslide.

    LikeLike

    1. Romus. Sounds good to me. Plus, Braves got pounded last night. I had Phils at 29-21 after first 50. I am glad I was off by a few.

       Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals.

       LikeLike

60. Former Phillies Ace prospect Sixto Sanchez is finally back pitching in the majors. He got rocked yesterday by the Mets. Fastball was in low 90s. He actually threw a few fastballs that were 86/87 mph according to ESPN. A real telling story about prospects.

    LikeLike

61. Indeed, remember when he was this board’s “Cat’s Meow” and people were venting because some would even consider trading him. Something to keep in mind as we plot the future of our new “Cat’s……….., huh?

    LikeLike

    1. I feel like the consensus was that it was a steep price to pay, but a fair one for the best catcher in baseball in his prime with multiple years of control. Also, the reports of his lack of conditioning eased the pain and turned out to be extremely accurate.

       That being said, I don’t know where we could get a similar upgrade this time around even if we were so inclined. Right field, I guess?

       LikeLike

       1. Dan ,,,,,why not an upgrade in the pen….like a closer type…Cardinals’ Ryab Helsley could be out there come July. Now he could cost 2 tier one prospects……plus he is under control for this year and thru 2025. If I were Dombrowski I would not wait until the end of July but try to make an early offer…..around the first week or so of July. Cardinals should know their fate in their division by then.

          LikeLike

          1. Romus. I do think that maybe the most important spot to upgrade is closer. The guys have done really well to this point. If the Phillies can find the guy who is a pretty sure guarantee to lock up the game would be great. I do not know if that is possible without giving up too much. Hoffman and Alvarado have been really good but still give me concerns. Soto might be a x factor. He was really good with Tigers so maybe that is waiting to break through again. All the pitchers have been really good so far so let’s hope this continues.

             LikeLike

             1. Don…….yes, I think the pen can use one more reliable reliever, and once everyone started jumping on Soto….he has turned it around….the change in his approach/mechanics is working. Let’s hope he keeps it going.

                LikeLike

62. Braves are really slumping …up 5-0 vs Padres….Padres come back with 6 and win the opener of their twin-bill.

    LikeLike

    1. Braves weakness in in their pitching, especially the bullpen. Offense isn’t putting up enough to overcome what is a mediocre overall staff.

       Strider injury and several others has really exposed the weakness in their farm system. They have no depth.

       LikeLike

       1. Amazing how losing Strider, their ace, has really dealt them a real blow. And his return in 2025 or beyond is no guarantee he will ever be the same pitcher as before.

          LikeLike

          1. Romus. It seemed Strider gave length in his starts. Many of the others have some question to their durability as season goes on.

             It appears Soto has maybe simplified his delivery some. Sometimes less is more for a pitcher. Whatever seems to be working for the time being. Hoping SerAnthony can get his stuff back in order. He looked better other night. Both would be big help.

             Romus. Did you buy anything at the Phillies auction? It looked yesterday on tv that they had lots of items available. Lots of signed items.

             LikeLike

63. New discussion at

    Phillies Discussion, 5/20/24 | Phuture Phillies

    Closing this one to further comments.

    LikeLike

Comments are closed.