At Least Some Things are Working in Philly

As per usual this decade, the Philadelphia Phillies have gelled into a disappointing spot in the division.

It's been a tough few years. First the problem was that everyone was too old, now the problem is that everyone's too young. Also, a ton of the starters are big, home-run machines that are instead striking out like hell. So people like Michael Saunders, Tommy Joseph, Freddy Galvis, Cameron Rupp and Maikel Franco just aren't really faring well this season. And sadly, that's half the lineup. A ton of people are just not up to their standards.

It's a good thing we have Aaron Altherr and Cesar Hernandez hanging around, or else we'd be truly screwed. Altherr is a great player that's just needed a full season to prove it, and it's looking like 2017 is gonna be that full season. Hernandez is the more ESPN-friendly guy, and he's the guy that might end up getting the sole ASG nod if Jeremy Hellickson doesn't come in for the kill, but Aaron Altherr's a legitimately talented hitter. I saw him in one of his first few games in 2015, and I could see it then. He's a talented player, and if he gets a good roster to base around him, he's gonna bring the Phillies back.

That thought is definitely a-ways away, as they're in 4th place in the division, only in front of the suddenly-horrible Marlins. If Aaron Altherr can stay good for a while, maybe there's hope for the Phillies.

Coming Tonight: The Yankees' closer just went on the DL. Sometimes I like to fantasize about how things would be if Brian Cashman wasn't so trigger-happy and we got to keep the second head on the three-headed relief monster from 2016.