Uncustomed Heroes of 2021: Phillies

 

The Philadelphia Phillies had an MVP, a Cy Young candidate, and a sleeper standout named Ranger, along with so much talent, a few former All-Stars, an ex-MVP and some awesome trade deadline energy...and EVEN THAT couldn't get them into the playoffs. 

Look...I imagine it's tough. Especially in the NL East, where pretty much everyone was human and had flaws. But the Phillies had a chance in July and August to take the East, and lost the lead, paving the way for the Braves to take the east and eventually the MLB. 

The Phillies had most of the season with their rotation hydra of Wheeler-Nola-Eflin, but after 18 games, Eflin hit the IL. To that point, he'd had a 4.17 ERA and 99 Ks, but a 4-7 record. If he'd stayed healthy, yes we might not get the legend of Ranger Suarez, but maybe there'd be more rotation security and less reasons to start Chase Anderson and Matt Moore.

2022 Prediction: A healthy year, with better numbers, dwarfed by Wheeler and Nola still. 

2021 marked the return of Bamboo Brad to Citizens Bank Park. After being a trusted bench bat in St. Louis, Brad Miller kept the magic going in Philly, with 20 home runs and 49 RBIs in 140 games. More importantly, he became a steady replacement for Rhys Hoskins after his injury.

2022 Prediction: So many people could sign him. I'd honestly say the Red Sox, A's and Braves have the best chance. Unless the Phils bring him back, which I'd love, but I'm not 100% sure will happen.

With Adam Haseley, Scott Kingery and Roman Quinn all failing to make a run at the center field spot...Odubel Herrera returned from exile to take it back. Accusations be damned. In 124 games, El Torito had a comeback campaign, with a .260 average, 13 homers, and solid defensive numbers.

2022 Predictions: I get this sinking feeling that the Phils are gonna bring him back.

THANKFULLY, Hector Neris will not be playing for Philadelphia next season. I know, he did have some moments of success, and struck out 98 this season with 13 saves, but his save blows, his 3.63 ERA, and his inconsistency continued to piss off fans and management alike. 

2022 Prediction: Not even the Astros can save him, and he'll be trying to keep his ERA under 4 all year.

Didi Gregorius was injured for a portion of the year, so Joe Girardi did exactly what he did the last time Didi got injured under his watch- HE WENT AND GOT RONALD TORREYES AS BACK UP! Seeing Toe in Philly brought a tear to my eye, as he's just as fun as he was with the Yanks. In 111 games, Toe hit .242 with 41 RBIs and 7 homers, plus some dazzling defensive plays and fun moments. I think the Phillies fans enjoyed him as much as the Yankee ones did.

2022 Prediction: Somebody cool signs him, and he does well enough there, albeit in a bench role.

As for the rookies who tried to find playing time this year, Luke Williams played the biggest role in one of his first games, where he had an insane walk-off that made the fanbase learn his name very quickly. In 58 games he hit .245 with 24 hits and 6 RBIs, a decent outfield audition but not enough to get past Herrera.

2022 Prediction: Falls into a backup role.

The real impressive rookie audition came from Matt Vierling, the contact aficionado who hit .324 with 23 hits and 6 RBIs in 34 games, just coming onto the scene and immediately catching fire. Vierling had the most presence late in the season, which paved the way for potential 2022 success.

2022 Prediction: There's a starting spot with his name on it, and he's gonna keep pounding them where they ain't all the way to a .300 average.

The trade deadline returned Freddy Galvis to Philly, where he came to prominence as an everyday slap-hitter. Galvis's magic has worn off, but he still did decently enough on his return to Philly, hitting .224 with 14 RBIs and 5 homers in 32 games.

2022 Prediction: A season in the Korean leagues to ramp him back up to some humble late-career years in a few years.

And when we needed a closing option, Ian Kennedy came along off of an exceptional start in Arlington, and....Philly happened to him. As it does to all great closers who come this way recently. Kennedy did have 10 saves, let's be clear, but he also had a 4.13 ERA, and 3 blown saves. He was not this human in Texas. The Philly adjustment did a number on him, and even if he had 27 Ks, he was still a bit stifled by it all.

2022 Prediction: A cheap closing option somewhere. Maybe he returns to Arlington.

Tomorrow, some last remnants of another forgettable Pirates team.

O Negative

 The Baltimore Orioles are one of two teams with 30 losses [ironically, in the same division as one of two teams with 30 wins, HMMM]. Damn if they're not having fun while doing it, though.

This is rare for a bad team, but three of the best players in baseball right now are on the Orioles. John Means has the highest WAR for pitchers right now, and that's a very big deal for this team. Cedric Mullins is still playing like a pro, hitting .294 with 53 hits. And Trey Mancini is having the comeback season of the gods, leading the league in RBIs with 41 and knocking 10 homers. Those three are a nice amount of talents, and if this were a more even division, could be leading them towards .500

But this is not a normal division. The Sox, Rays, Yankees and Jays are all going for the gold, meaning any series with one of those four could amount to a series loss. All four AL East teams are better than the Orioles, a good amount of the Orioles' season is division matchups- the O's are GOING to struggle this year. There's a reason their no-no came at the hands of a non-division team like the Mariners.

Aside from those three, there are some good performances in Baltimore, like Austin Hays, Freddy Galvis, and the slow return of Anthony Santander's power numbers. But the majority of this team is under .250 hitters, 5.50+ ERA pitchers, and several prospects who aren't delivering what they promised in 2020. Dean Kremer and Ryan Mountcastle were wonderful last year, and neither one is delivering anything close to last year's keep. Matt Harvey, after a few early starts worth of classic Dark Knight material, is now back to a 6.00 ERA and a negative W/L ratio. Maikel Franco's completely reneged on his 2020 comeback. Pedro Severino's having his first down season in Baltimore. It's all just churning into a mess.

Of the three big players, I honestly think that only really Mancini has a chance of being dealt, but I could be very wrong. I also don't think Mancini WANTS to leave Baltimore, though he may not really have a choice. I know there's a lot of fun in this team, but I don't want it to continue to depress me, and fans, week after week.

Coming Tomorrow- deReturn.

Better Off Fred

Freddy Galvis is probably one of the best MLB players to completely avoid being a household name.

He wasn't one with the Phils taking over for Jimmy Rollins, he wasn't one with the Padres or Jays, and he probably won't be one with the Reds, despite playing in an infield that features Joey Votto, Mike Moustakas and Eugenio Suarez, all three household names, at least in the midwest.

And even stranger, looking at the Reds' 2020 lineup, with Castellanos, Akiyama and Winker in the outfield, and Tucker Barnhart catching...Galvis is one of the more pedestrian names on there. He's still probably gonna start 52 games at 2nd and do a bang-up job, maybe  hit .300, but he's not gonna be one of the main takeaway. And yet the fact that he's still expected to succeed and do well and not really  be a main factor in the Reds' season...says a lot about  where the Reds are going this year.

I mean...the rotation is Gray-Bauer-Castillo-Desclafani-Miley. That is pretty damn sharp. The bullpen is even stronger than last year, the bench is thicker than any team's, the lineup looks strong and unified, Suarez is coming off his biggest hitting year....this team might be looking at big things.

But then, there's the NL Central competition. The Cardinals might have the best chance to take the division, as they're tricky as hell. You also have to factor in the Cubs  and Brewers, who are sliding a bit from last year, and the Pirates, who can still win games in between their usual tanking. But the Reds have  more upward momentum than they've had in a decade, they look to be even more feel good than they did last year, and they lack a lot of the instability and questions that have plagued then in years past.

This could be  their year. And I'm excited to see how it rolls out, even if it is only 60 games.

Coming Tonight: After 3 years of playing in New York, this Jersey native heads to Arlington, who also have a stronger team than they've had in years.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2019: Reds (Part Two)

In addition to the Reds from earlier who began the season with the team, you also have to account for call-ups and trades and everything, which made the team even more interesting as we went on.

For instance, Nick Senzel, the big rookie prospect who was blocked at third by Eugenio Suarez, so spent the season in the outfield with Jesse Winker. Senzel did fairly well, hitting .256 in 105 games, with 42 RBIs...despite being one of the 3 Reds to strike out more than 100 times.
Why Him in 2019?: Big rookie prospect debut.
2020 Prediction: Will up his production to about a .280, and will reach 25 homers.

 Casali technically did start the year on the roster, but didn't really make an impact til around May, where he hit .304 with 11 RBI. Casali also was a major asset as a backup, and is arguably a better hitter than Barnhart.
Why Him in 2019?: Started some games in Barnhart's absence, which helps.
2020 Prediction: Will be starting by September.

 The other amusing Reds OF rookie was Josh Van Meter, though he was overshadowed in the long run. Van Meter hit .237 in 95 games, with 23 RBIs. Not bad, but there were other options.
Why Him in 2019?: In 15 July games he hit .417 with 4 homers- not bad for pre-Aquino rookie hitting.
2020 Prediction: Due to Winker, Senzel, Aquino and Phil Ervin, might not get much starting time.

 And speaking of Ervin, after a refreshing rookie campaign in 2018, he came back for the stretch run and hit .271, with 11 doubles and 64 hits in 94 games.
Why Him in 2019?: Hit .432 in July- again, the whole outfield must have been scorching that month
2020 Prediction: Will be given a full season and will become a fan favorite, and hit .300

 The big midseason move the Reds made was giving up Yasiel Puig and Taylor Trammell for Trevor Bauer, who was off to a nice start on the other side of Ohio. It took a little bit for Bauer to get acclimated to Cincinnati though, as he had a 8.40 ERA in August. He did a little better in Sept (4.10), but he'd definitely diluted his 2019 totals by then.
Why Him in 2019?: One of the biggest arms in baseball finished disappointingly, and not making a custom is just humanity erasure.
2020 Prediction: 15 wins, 250 strikeouts, like the 2nd half never happened

 The other pitching piece that came up in the second half was Alex Wood, who'd been injured since Spring Training. Once he did come up, he averaged a 5.80 ERA in 7 starts, despite 30 strikeouts.
Why Him in 2019?: Finally made starts after an injury, which is more than the Reds could have asked for given the circumstances.
2020 Prediction: Someone'll sign him, and he'll be a modest 4th starter somewhere.

And after all of this, the Reds decided to pick up Freddy Galvis from Toronto to help the infield, and that was an insanely smart move. Not only was Galvis still riding high off his Jays numbers (16 RBIs in 32 games), but he was a defensive upgrade from Dietrich and Peraza, and he fit right into the infield.
Why Him in 2019?: Saved the Reds from scrounging an unsavory outfield
2020 Prediction: Will become a Cincinnati mainstay, and will likely see more time at SS.

Coming Tomorrow- Nothing, as I usually take off on Xmas. But on Thursday, expect some remnants of a disappointing Rockies team.

A Fred Full of Dreams

Breaking: Blue Jays continue to be a weird frigging team.

Like, you'd think that this team would get a lot bigger immediately after the call-up of their two top prospects, like the Braves did once Albies and Acuna got brought up. But even with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Cavan Biggio in the lineup, they're still extremely okay. And Vlad's only hitting .256, and only has 7 homers. Granted, it's early, and he could heat up more as we go along, but...not a great deal of difference has been made. The Jays are still fun but harmless.

And yet developments are making me think they're striving for more. For instance, Clayton Richard is pitching really well for a guy who was deemed too meh for San Diego last year. Dude's got a 3.55 ERA in 3 starts. Not bad at all. Edwin Jackson is...a bit less put-together, but he's a veteran option on a young team, and he's got that record down, so I guess he's staying put. Aaron Sanchez has recovered from a slow start, but his W/L ratio concerns me. And Ken Giles...is STILL a really good closer. Where are the blown saves that cost him the gig in Houston? Where's the arrogance?

Meanwhile, the lineup is still rallying behind the fun efforts of Eric Sogard, and the default-leadership of Justin Smoak, while Randal Grichuk, Teoscar Hernandez and Freddy Galvis try, and ultimately fail, to regain consistency. Cavan Biggio's hitting .214. Hooray. Neither catching option is hitting above the Mendoza line. Rowdy Tellez is...a fine DH, but nothing special. And this is kinda what we have to deal with.

I don't know if this team will change for the better, or even for the worse, even if Vlad and Biggio start hitting. I don't know if anything can lift this team above fourth for right now.

Coming Tonight: He's essentially replacing Bryce Harper, and he's doing a fine job.

Friar Straits

So...if THREE players end up on the 60-day-DL within the first week of your season...and your flagship star winds up on the 10-day-DL right off the bat as well......not a great start to your year.

You have to feel for the Padres at this point. This is the umpteenth attempt at revitalizing the oft-dead roster with contracts and fun stars, and while adding Freddy Galvis and Eric Hosmer is doing wonders for said players' averages thus far, it's not helping the entire team, because the rest of the team still sucks. The Padres once again fail to realize that bringing in some contracts to aid a team won't do anything if the farm system and roster is full of people that aren't very good.

Yes, Hosmer and Galvis are doing fine, and yes we're finally seeing some young guys like Carlos Asuaje and Hunter Renfroe finally learn to hit, but...a lot of the old guard of people trusted with starting positions have not begun to produce offensively. Cory Spangenberg's hitting as usual, but he's also doing so from the bench. The pitching's not much better, as the rotation's full of has-beens, untested rookies, Tyson Ross, and a surprisingly adept performance by somebody named Joey Lucchesi.

This is still very much a team in disarray, and I'm not sure how many more dissections of the roster it's going to take to get a 1st place team out of San Diego. It also doesn't help that the other four people in this division are all trying to compete, so expect them to lose a TON of games this year...more than they would have already.

Coming Tomorrow- Speaking of shortstops, the one that has been hitting up a storm for my team.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2017: Phillies

While the Phillies didn't exactly blow any doors down this year, they weren't exactly terrible. Even as the games were being lost, and fans were refusing to go to games, a new youth movement was forming, starting with call-ups from Nick Williams, Rhys Hoskins and J.P. Crawford.

Cesar Hernandez was one of the few vets that made a case for permanence, having a great start, and a great finish, while being injured for most of the mid-season.

Freddy Galvis had another great defensive season at shortstop, nearly winning a gold glove, and bringing some good presence to games. He'll be playing in San Diego next season, though.

Cameron Rupp, while not exactly matching his 2016 season, did fairly well behind the plate, despite rampant competition from Andrew Knapp and Jorge Alfaro. It's uncertain what his role will be in the 2018 squad, though I'm guessing he'll be backing up Alfaro.

It's even more nebulous as to what role Tommy Joseph will have in the 2018 squad. After a subpar year, focusing more on home runs and less on..actually having a good season, Carlos Santana has been called in to play first in Philly, leaving Joseph without a job. I imagine they'll trade him, as he's not exactly the 'face of the franchise' type I was thinking he'd be.

In the absence of veteran pitchers who knew what they were doing, Nick Pivetta came in this year and did a decent enough job playing second fiddle to Aaron Nola. His strong mechanics were only undone by the poor Philly defense.

Meanwhile, Hector Neris, like it or not, is still the Phillies' closer. He does his job well, but he racks up blown saves and he's not typically at need, forcing the subpar bullpen to be overly relied on. With better luck, maybe he'll give us a better season.

And then there's Jorge Alfaro, the guy that certainly wasn't ready for prime time in 2016, but had a great September and nearly made the catching position his for next year. The guy's young, he's hitting well, and he's a decent enough defensive catcher, which is more altogether than I can say for Rupp and Knapp. Perhaps he'll be the starting choice, but with Crawford, Hoskins and Williams looking at starting gigs, and Scott Kingery looking mighty ready to take 2nd, he may be part of a rookie-led team that might not succeed all the way.

Coming Tomorrow- They tried, but the aging core of a once-powerful team could only do so much against some young, promising rosters.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2016: Phillies

Not too many times I can be semi-optimistic about a fourth-place team, but...here we are.

The Philadelphia Phillies made it to second place for about a month, and gave some players some much-needed days in the sun. Now, it was a tough year to be competitive- not only were the Nationals and Mets working on division runs, but the Marlins were also pretty positive as well. So, by default, the Phillies went to fourth, but this wasn't...especially a truly BAD team.

Tommy Joseph came in at first- he's the first person to consistently play 1st Base after Ryan Howard's...demotion and subsequent release (...I think). He did an admirable job, giving flashbacks of Jim Thome, one of my absolute favorite Philadelphia Phillies that doesn't bare my surname.

Cesar Hernandez made his rookie season in 2014, making most of the starts at 2nd base instead of Chase Utley. This was the first season where he truly excelled at the plate, leading the MLB in triples and sporting a .300 average. For someone I wrote off a few years ago, he did a fairly solid job. Not sure if he's sticking around indefinitely, but he's a nice touch.

Jeanmar Gomez closed the Phils this year, and instead of being some no-name that gets maybe 15 saves and middle-relieves next year, he did a more-than-admirable job, nabbing 37 saves and helping the Phillies win waaay more games than they should have.

Freddy Galvis has been with the team since the 2012 season, and took over at 2nd base when Chase Utley began the season on the DL. Last year he had his first full season, and this season he had his first legitimate MLB season. He's set to start at short again for the Phils, and hopefully he'll have another nice season.

Ryan Howard played his last season as a Philadelphia Phillie in 2016, ten years after his MVP season, five years after his career-altering leg surgery. He'll probably suit up in a DH role somewhere else, or just end his career now. Still, he's still gonna go down as a Philadelphia legend, even after his skid in the 2010's.

Coming Tomorrow- The down-but-not-yet-out Pittsburgh Pirates

So, who can the Phillies afford to KEEP?

We've got about a month left until the trade deadline. The Phillies are practically DOA at this point, which means they've got to decide who to keep and who to let go. Right now, they have to think of the team that's gonna win championships in the future, and not the squad they've currently got. So, technically, they can get rid of anybody they want if it'll mean getting more prospects.

So...if nobody's safe, then who...is safe? I don't think I worded that properly.

Anyway, here are the guys that, in my opinion, are not in danger of being traded away this postseason.

-Freddy Galvis, the man above the header. He did go down a few notches in my book because he took steroids during his big breakout season. However, this season he's much more important, because he's taken over at shortstop full time, and he's actually hitting pretty well...or at least well enough to stick around. I don't think he's hot enough to be traded.

-Carlos Ruiz. He's not doing too well this season, and he's coming upon on his tenth season as a Phillie, as their starting catcher. He's not hitting well enough for people to want him.

-Maikel Franco, Odubel Herrera and Ken Giles- these three are going to be HUGE in five years. Giles will be the future closer, and by the future, I probably mean 'by August'. Herrera and Franco are already hitting well enough to be noticed. Wouldn't be surprised if Franco gets some semblance of an AS nod.

-Aaron Harang. Because the Phils need at least one competent starter when Cole leaves. The word competent being a huge embellishment in this point.

-Darin Ruf. Currently in the minors, but unless for some reason the Phillies run out of room...he's sticking around.

-Cody Asche. Hasn't been as indispensable as usual, and isn't the starting third baseman, but he's useful enough organization-wise to stay around. This one could change, and he could end up being a throw-in for any huge deals.

-Ben Revere. Went back and forth on this one. Ben Revere has the capacity to be the face of this franchise. Only problem is he's hitting so well that he's put a huge target on his back for the trade deadline. This isn't 100%, but in my opinion, he'll stick around.

-Chase Utley. Biggest shock. I think he's sticking around because he's not had a very nice season. Therefore, nobody wants to take him, if he's not in top shape. If he had 2014 numbers, this would be easier. Utley will stay around for a little while longer.

This means that Hamels, Howard, Papelbon and possibly Francoeur, will be dealt at the deadline. I think Howard will have enough allure for other teams. The other two are sure things.

Coming Tomorrow- The Twins are still red hot. Here's the guy who's been in charge of fueling the comeback.

Year by Year Customs: 1968

 

Overall, a nice mish-mosh of players for today. Not much else to say.

Oooooh, if only I got that team emblem right for Stanton. That alone ruins it. That's the only subpar thing about that custom, cause the rest of it's amazing.

 

Sigh...this guy used steroids.

 

 

This is a great shot, but I think that's Matt LeBlanc in the stands. You be the judge.

Coming Tomorrow- one of the heroes of the World Series, plus 3 other guys.