2011 Record: 102 – 60 (1st in NL East, Best Record in NL)
Runs Scored: 713, (7th in the NL)
Runs Allowed: 529, (Best in the NL)
Season Recap:
With three aces firing on all cylinders, the Phillies were hot out of the gate, hot in the summer, and hot all the way into the playoffs, until they ran into a team that got REALLY hot – the Cardinals. When the season ended, the team looked old and out of it – and their most productive hitter was unable to crawl to first base as Ryan Howard blew out his Achilles tendon.
Starting Pitching:
Nobody brings the aces like the Phillies, with Roy Halliday, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels going 1 – 2 – 3. They had Roy Oswalt in the four slot – and he wasn’t horrible – and when Joe Blanton couldn’t make decent starts, the club turned to Vance Worley, who went 11 – 3. Even Kyle Kendrick was above average in terms of runs prevented.
In 2012, the big three return, albeit a year older. Roy Oswalt is gone, so Blanton or Kendrick will get the fifth slot behind Worley. This still still a talented group. I’m not 100% convinced that the big three will be as good as last year – Instead of averaging 40 runs saved per starter over 220 innings each, they could still be in the top ten and save just 30 runs per slot. Worley had a nice record, but it was a tad too good. Kyle Kendrick is a candidate for a big drop in production. They will still be the best starting pitchers in captivity – they just might not be as dominant.
Relief Pitching:
Ryan Madson was solid again – he’s never really had a bad year – and for that, he was summarily told to look elsewhere for work. In his place, the Phillies tossed millions toward former Red Sox closer, Jonathan Papelbon. Relative to the league, Madson was a couple of runs better, but essentially this is a wash. The question is what will the rest of the bullpen look like. Last year, Antonio Bastardo, Michael Stutes, and David Herndon were pretty good – and, thankfully, little used. Danys Baez struggled – the weak link in an otherwise decent bullpen. Another change? No more Brad Lidge, who moves to Washington. Look for someone like Brian Sanches, an NRI pitcher, to get a shot at middle relief.
Catching:
Carlos Ruiz was remarkable – arguably the best catcher in the NL other than Yadier Molina – and added a .280+ batting average and +.370 on base percentage. Back up Brian Schneider struggled, though – batting all of .176. This will remain a strength so long as Ruiz is on the job.
Infield:
Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, and Placido Polanco all provided decent production. Even saying that, Ryan Howard fell off to fewer than 100 runs created (33 – 116 – .254, with a .349 OBP and sub .500 slugging). Chase Utley’s knees are problematic. Jimmy Rollins was above average at the plate but remains a liability in the field with below average range. Polanco’s batting is now an issue – his batting average fell to .277 with just 19 extra base hits. His fielding is fading, though the heavy lefty rotation kept Polanco’s stats in check. The problem with this foursome is that they are old and fading. Howard isn’t going to be 100% and there is no date yet for his return. Utley is seeing a specialist regarding his knee, and both Rollins and Polanco are fighting father time.
To help out, the Phillies brought in former power source Jim Thome, who would be great in a limited role but might have to play a bit more first base than planned. John Mayberry is likely going to be his platoon partner – Mayberry hits a little like Ryan Howard, but not like the old Howard. It’s hard to see this group providing as much offense as last year – and if rookie Freddy Galvis can’t hit when playing for Utley, this could be a 50 – 75 run fall off from last year. Another option might be Ty Wigginton, who can play all infield positions if necessary. His defense might not be as good as Polanco’s, for example, but he can put more runs on the board these days.
Outfield:
The Phillies have had productive bats in the outfield for years now, and 2012 will be no exception. Hunter Pence remains in right field – a bit of a liability defensively, but a solid bat that can be found anywhere from third to sixth in this lineup depending on who is playing that day. He could move to left field to accommodate Domonic Brown, who should get a full-time shot in the outfield now that Raul Ibanez is gone. Brown has a decent enough arm, youthful range, and room to grow. Shane Victorino nearly generated 100 runs of offense with his speed and power – 27 doubles, 16 triples, and 17 homers. He remains the Phillies best leadoff option.
Mayberry remains to play left field or right field, and Laynce Nix is in town as a fifth outfielder – not a bad player to have around.
Bench:
With Wigginton and Mayberry the Phillies have plenty of flexibility, and Brown might be able to give you a few innings in center. You’d like a little more offense out of Brian Schneider, but the Phillies don’t seem to have another option. The Non-Roster Invite list in Spring Training is pretty thick with potential bench options (Scott Podsednik, Juan Pierre, Dave Bush, Brian Sanches, Kevin Frandsen, Pete Orr), but I can’t see them all sticking…
Prospects:
Most of the guys who played at AAA Lehigh Valley (Go Pigs!) are guys who have had enough cups of coffee or playing time to warrant their own Starbucks franchise. The only real prospects to go through there are Brown and Galvis. Pitcher Justin De Fratus could help in the bullpen – with Lehigh he went 2 – 3 with a 3.73 ERA, but 56 Ks and 11 BBs in his 41 innings there.
Looking at AA Reading, Matt Rizzotti had a solid year – (24 – 84 -.295) and was able to get a taste of AAA. He’s a bit old for a prospect, but not as old as Mike Spidale, who hit .326 and reminds you of Juan Pierre. Since the Phillies have the real Juan Pierre, having Spidale seems redundant. Another outfielder who can hit appears to be Steve Susdorf, who was a late round pick in 2008 out of Fresno State and when given at bats in AA batted .339 – which is what he always seems to do. Unlike Spilale, though, he doesn’t seem to have speed and may run out of gas at AAA. The arms look better – Austin Hyatt made 28 starts and finished 12 – 6 with 171 Ks and 49 BBs in 154.1 innings. Tyler Cloyd made 17 starts, went 6 – 3, and fanned 99 to just 13 walks in his 106.2 innings. And Phillippe Aumont passed through AA on the way to AAA and was dominant as a reliever.
A+ Clearwater featured 1B Darin Ruf, a hitter – 43 doubles and 17 homers, batting .308 – and Cesar Hernandez, a 21 year old second baseman with speed and a decent glove. Catcher Sebastian Valle hit .284 and might make the MLB roster in 2014. The staff featured Trevor May (208Ks in 151.1 innings) and Julio Rodriguez (168Ks in 156.2 innings, 16 – 7 record) – they are now old enough to drink after games.
2012 Forecast:
Teams that win 100 games don’t often repeat that level of success. Defensively, this team is going to slide because it’s getting older in the infield and the guys replacing Howard at first won’t be as good as Ryan is – and he’s just league average. Domonic Brown will help the outfield some, but the catching – even as good as it is – is reaching a point where age is going to catch up. There isn’t a lot of upside in the batting order – most every one here has peaked, except Domonic Brown who can’t be expected to do WAY more than Ibanez. In truth, this team could lose 50 runs in offense and 30 – 50 runs on defense. If it’s 30 runs on defense, the team likely wins 95 games, which could be enough to win the division. If it’s 50 runs on defense, the team wins 92 games, which might not be enough considering the Marlins, Braves, and Nationals are all chomping at the bit.
My fear is that it’s going to be the lower number – the Phillies will be in it and might take a wild card slot, but I think 92 wins will be a good season.
Mighty Casey Baseball 