Baseball America’s Top 10 Phillies Prospects

By Matt Forman
December 17, 2012

Baseball America’s Top 10 Prospects

Lists are based on projections of a player’s long-term worth after discussions with scouting and player-development personnel. All players who haven’t exceeded the major league rookie standards of 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched (without regard to service time) are eligible.

Scouting reports for the Top 10 Prospects   (How to subscribe)

Pre-Order the 2013 Prospect Handbook 30 scouting reports on every team

TOP TEN PROSPECTS

1. Jesse Biddle, lhp 2. Roman Quinn, ss 3. Tommy Joseph, c 4. Jon Pettibone, rhp 5. Adam Morgan, lhp 6. Ethan Martin, rhp 7. Cody Asche, 3b 8. Maikel Franco, 3b 9. Darin Ruf, 1b/of 10. Carlos Tocci, of

BEST TOOLS

Best Hitter for Average Cody Asche Best Power Hitter Darin Ruf Best Strike Zone Discipline Darin Ruf Fastest Baserunner Roman Quinn Best Athlete Roman Quinn Best Fastball Kenny Giles Best Curveball Jesse Biddle Best Slider Adam Morgan Best Changeup Jon Pettibone Best Control Jon Pettibone Best Defensive Catcher Sebastian Valle Best Defensive Infielder Cesar Hernandez Best Infield Arm Maikel Franco Best Defensive OF Tyson Gillies Best Outfield Arm Kyrell Hudson

PROJECTED 2016 LINEUP

Catcher Tommy Joseph First Base Ryan Howard Second Base Chase Utley Third Base Cody Asche Shortstop Roman Quinn Left Field Darin Ruf Center Field Ben Revere Right Field Domonic Brown No. 1 Starter Cole Hamels No. 2 Starter Cliff Lee No. 3 Starter Roy Halladay No. 4 Starter Jesse Biddle No. 5 Starter Jonathan Pettibone Closer Jonathan Papelbon

TOP PROSPECTS OF THE DECADE

Year Player, Pos 2012 Org 2003 Gavin Floyd, rhp White Sox 2004 Cole Hamels, lhp Phillies 2005 Ryan Howard, 1b Phillies 2006 Cole Hamels, lhp Phillies 2007 Carlos Carrasco, rhp Indians 2008 Carlos Carrasco, rhp Indians 2009 Domonic Brown, of Phillies 2010 Domonic Brown, of Phillies 2011 Domonic Brown, of Phillies 2012 Trevor May, rhp Phillies

TOP DRAFT PICKS OF THE DECADE

Year Player, Pos 2012 Org 2003 Tim Moss, 2B (3rd round) Out of baseball 2004 Greg Golson, OF Yankees 2005 Mike Costanzo, 3B (2nd round) Reds 2006 Kyle Drabek, RHP/SS Blue Jays 2007 Joe Savery, LHP Phillies 2008 Anthony Hewitt, SS Phillies 2009 Kelly Dugan, OF Phillies 2010 Jesse Biddle, LHP Phillies 2011 Larry Greene, OF Phillies 2012 Shane Watson, RHP Phillies

LARGEST BONUSES IN CLUB HISTORY

Gavin Floyd, 2001 $4,200,000 Pat Burrell, 1998 $3,150,000 Brett Myers, 1999 $2,050,000 Cole Hamels, 2002 $2,000,000 Chase Utley, 2000 $1,780,000

PHILLIES LINKS

Phillies Team Page Phillies Top 10 Scouting Reports   Last Year’s Phillies Top 10 Prospects 2012 Draft: Phillies 2012 Draft Report Cards: Philadelphia Phillies  Complete Index of Top 10 Prospects Pre-Order the 2013 Prospect Handbook

For different reasons, the Phillies’ last two seasons have ended in disappointment. In 2011, the playoff run that had become an annual expectation in Philadelphia ended too early. In 2012, there was no postseason baseball in Philadelphia at all, for the first time in six years.

The Phillies expected their season to start slowly because of lingering injuries to Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, but it never really got on its projected course, at least until it was too late. The Phillies finished 81-81, their worst record since 2002, and needed a late-season blitz just to break even after falling 14 games under .500 at one point. Philadelphia lost several more players for significant time to injuries, including Jose Contreras, Freddy Galvis, Roy Halladay, Placido Polanco, Mike Stutes and Vance Worley.

As a result, the Phillies were sellers on the trade market for the first time since 2006. One year after acquiring Hunter Pence, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. shipped him to the Giants for Nate Schierholtz and a pair of prospects (catcher Tommy Joseph and righthander Seth Rosin). Amaro also sent Joe Blanton and Shane Victorino to the Dodgers in separate deals for Josh Lindblom and righthanders Ethan Martin and Ryan O’Sullivan.

The big league struggles gave Philadelphia a chance to evaluate its system, as eight rookies debuted in the majors, the most since it had 15 in 1996. Along with the unexpected development of a few prospects, that ensured the last two months of the season weren’t completely irrelevant.

Once considered an organization player, first baseman/outfielder Darin Ruf blasted 20 homers in Double-A in August to tie Sammy Sosa’s pro record for a single month, then hit three more during a September callup. Tyler Cloyd, a soft-tossing righty who’s short on stuff but strong on pitching sense, made his major league debut in August and won two of his six starts. Longtime minor league veteran Eric Kratz showed some pop, while Phillippe Aumont flashed his plus stuff out of the bullpen. In varying capacities, they all figure to contribute in 2013.

Meanwhile, the Phillies’ .500 finish secured them a higher first-round pick than any in recent memory, as long as they don’t sign a free agent who requires compensation. They’re slated to select 16th, their highest selection since they took Gavin Floyd fourth overall in 2001.

Philadelphia has stuck with its philosophy of drafting high-upside athletes, with scouting director Marti Wolever preferring lefthanded pitching and speed. That’s reflected on this list, which begins with a southpaw (Jesse Biddle) and a fleet-footed shortstop (Roman Quinn). Quinn is one of several members of a talented 2011 draft class who took a big step forward in their first full pro seasons, a group that also included lefthander Adam Morgan, third baseman Cody Asche and flamethrowing reliever Kenny Giles.

Most of the Phillies’ best prospects are at least a year or two away from being ready for Citizens Bank Park, so Amaro swung two trades for veteran offensive help in December. He acquired Ben Revere from the Twins for Vance Worley and enigmatic righthander Trevor May, then dispatched Lindblom and righty Lisalverto Bonilla to get Michael Young from the Rangers.

It’s not all doom and gloom for the Phillies, who will return several significant players from their 2007-11 National League East championship clubs in 2013. If they can stay healthy—certainly not a guarantee given the age of many of the players—their season could have a happier ending.

Related articles

• The Phillies discussed a Domonic Brown for Alfonso Soriano trade (hardballtalk.nbcsports.com)
• Phils Land Set Up Man Adams & Starter Lannan (philadelphiatale.wordpress.com)
• Revere looks to provide energy to Phils’ outfield (mlb.mlb.com)
• Who should the Phillies target at CF? (philly.sbnation.com)
• Should the Philadelphia Phillies Trade Pitching to Fix Other Major Holes? (bleacherreport.com)
• Philadelphia Phillies: Is Darin Ruf a Legitimate Option in Left Field for 2013? (bleacherreport.com)
• Phillies agree to one-year deal with Lannan (mlb.mlb.com)
• Michael Young could bat 2nd in Phillies’ batting order (philly.sbnation.com)
• Opening Day Lineup: Take 1 (zozone.mlblogs.com)

Phillies Insider

Larry Shenk, Vice President of Alumni Relations, shares his notes, quotes and anecdotes from the world of baseball.

One Streak Ends

Everything has an ending, except promises by politicians.

The longest sellout streak in NL history ended last night, 257 regular-season games since 7/7/09.  During the incredible streak, the Phillies averaged an amazing 45,082.  That’s a real tribute to passionate Phillies fans.  So, thanks, thanks, thanks.

Only streaks longer are 772 by the current Red Sox (Fenway capacity 37,493) and 455 by Cleveland, 1995-2001.

One streak that hasn’t ended is the Braves’ spell over the Phillies.  Atlanta made it seven in a row last night. Phillies haven’t beaten the Braves at Citizens Bank Park since 9/11/11. During the seven games, Atlanta has outscored the Phillies, 35-11.  Braves also have fewer errors, 7-0.

Down On The Farm

Lehigh Valley ended six straight games against Pawtucket with a 7-1 loss.  Two home game and then four in the road.  One of the strange schedule quirks.  2B Cesar Hernandez had half of LV’s 4 hits.  Since his promotion to AAA, he’s hitting .333.  Remember the name.

Reading and Clearwater were not scheduled.

Lakewood ended a 3-game losing streak by beating West Virginia, 8-5. 1B Brock Stassi, 3 hits, 4 RBI.  Win went to 19-year-old Lino Martinez (6-5), who matched his career high set a year ago at Williamsport.

Williamsport lost its fourth in a row to Connecticut, 7-1.  19-year-old SS Roman Quinn, single, 5th double, league-leading ninth triple and an RBI.

Gulf Coast League Phillies dropped their third straight, 4-2, to the Braves.  LV CF Derrick Mitchell, rehabbing in Clearwater, hit a home run. So, Atlanta defeated Philadelphia on the major league level and rookie league ball in the same day.

Alumni Weekend.

A Phillies tradition in which stars from the past return is right around the corner.  It starts with a Thursday noon luncheon for Seniors and ends on Sunday afternoon, when Alumni will surprise fans several times.  Check everything at http://www.phillies.com.alumni.

Posted on August 7, 2012 at 1:03 pm Permalink No

Out of the cellar

Weekend in review…………..

**By winning the series, the Phillies now have done that back-to-back which is good enough to get them out of the cellar.

**Shutout on Saturday night was the Phillies first at Citizens Bank Park since September 5, 2011.

**Doc’s win was his first since May 17.

**Cliff is winless in his last 10 starts at home.  But, back-to-back strong outings by Doc and Cliff bodes well for the future.

**Ryan’s walk-off single was the eighth of his career, most of anybody on the team.

**Five of the Phillies last six wins at home have come in their final at-bat.

**In this season of disbelief, yet another injury, Chooch, their most consistent player. The All-Star catcher could miss the rest of the season.

**Given an opportunity, Kratz has stepped up big time behind the plate.

**J-Roll moved into third place ahead of Larry Bowa for games played in Phillies history.  He trails only Richie Ashburn (1,794) and Mike Schmidt (2,404).  Sometime next week, Jimmy will pass Bowa for the most games played at shortstop in team history.

**Chase’s homer on Sunday was his 195th, tying former teammate Bobby Abreu for ninth place on the all-time list.  Dick Allen is eighth, 204.

Phlashback

Del Ennis became the second Phillie to reach 1,000 RBI 57 years ago. Check out http://www.phillies.com/alumni for a vintage photo of Del and three teammates acknowledging that accomplishment.

Posted on August 6, 2012 at 11:29 am Permalink No Comments

via Phillies Insider.

Phils Playoff Chances Heading Into Halfway Point

How Many Wins Will the Phillies Need to Make the Playoffs?

June 21, 2012, 2:10 pm

By Andrew Kulp  (email)
The700Level.com

The Daily News ran a column this morning that set out to answer that very question. David Murphy did the leg work, and based on results from previous years, he concluded the Phillies need to reach the 88-win markto qualify for the postseason.The reasoning is simple. In each full season since the Wild Card was adopted in 1995, the club that would have earned the newly invented second WC spot finished with at least 88 wins on all but two out of 16 occasions.

In practice, the path to get there is not nearly so simple. With a record of 33-37, in order for the Phils to reach 88 wins, they need to go 55-37 the rest of the way — and even that might not be enough. Nine times, or more than half, the runner-up’s win total actually eclipsed 88.

Murphy seems to be operating under the assumption the Phillies won’t win the NL East, a conclusion we’ve more or less drawn on our own. Regardless, sneaking in through the back door doesn’t diagram much easier.

The plan he sets out would require Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, and Vance Worley to revert to their 2011 performances, when the club combined to go 39-17 over their last 56 combined starts. So far this season, the Phils are 11-3 when Hamels starts, but 7-14 when Lee or Worley are pitching. Lee and Worley have also missed games due to injury.

That’s an optimistic projection, though clearly achievable. Plus Roy Halladaywill eventually return, which should help prop up the rest of the rotation, and actually lessen the load on the other three.Yet you can see how staggering a hole the Phillies are in when you break it down like that. A team that has been hovering around or below .500 for the majority of the year likely needs to win at close to a .600 clip for the next three months — and they’re still missing players.

Think they have it in them?

———————————————————

Related Articles…

Philadelphia Phillies: How Chase Utley‘s Return Impacts Team’s Playoff Chances

By

Marilee Gallagher

 (Featured Columnist) on June 22, 2012

The result of Thursday night’s Philadelphia Phillies game, a 4-1 loss to theColorado Rockies, pretty much sums up how the entire season has been going.

Citizen’s Bank Park, a place that boasts loud and passionate fans, used to be a place that other teams dreaded to play in. The home-field advantage was never more obvious than when the Phils took the field at their stadium in the heart of their beloved city. In 2012, however, it has just been a place where the Phillies play their home games. Nothing much is special about it, no added advantage is obvious. The team isn’t winning any more games at home. They aren’t winning games period.

Nothing has been easy for the Phils this season. Whether it has been the injuries to key members of the team, uncharacteristic errors in the field, a lack of success against other teams’ bullpens or just an inability to score with runners on base with less than two outs, the championship formula this team has had in the past few years is not there.

Morale is down and frustration is obvious. It is on the faces of the players, the dumbfounded looks of the manager and the disappointment from the fans.

This team needs something, well a lot of things. It needs to get help in the bullpen. It needs to get its ace and sluggers off of the DL. It needs its other ace to find a way to win a game. It needs to score more runs. It needs to make less errors, both mental and on the score sheet. It needs to take action, to play inspired baseball. Most importantly, this team needs to get its swagger, its confidence, its personality back.

Most of what the Phils need, most of what I described, is embodied in the heart and soul of one player. He is someone who doesn’t shy away from a challenge, someone who plays with grit and passion, someone who is a leader. He may have arthritic knees but that doesn’t change the fact that when healthy, he can really smack the cover off of a baseball.

Will Chase Utley’s return make the Phils a better team?

No, one player is not enough to solve their problems.Yes, Utley will help this team make up ground in the East.It depends on how his knees are for the rest of the season.Submit Vote vote to see results

If you haven’t figured it out, the person I am referring to is All-Star second baseman Chase Utley.

Having yet to face major league pitching and the wear and tear of major league fielding, Utley is close to making his 2012 debut. In fact, according to a recent report via AOL Sporting News, Utley could be back before the calendar turns to July.

While Utley’s return has been long anticipated, at this point in the season, one has to wonder if it will be enough or if the Phils have already dug themselves a hole too deep to climb out of.

Even then, a bigger question arises. When Utley comes back, how will he be? Will he go back to how he was pre-2011? Will he be able to play back-to-back games? Will his knees hold up for the rest of the season?

With all of these questions and so far, not enough information to create the answers, it is hard to predict how Utley’s return will impact the team’s chances at a sixth consecutive playoff berth. If Utley is healthy, however, and returns to the form he has had in the best years of his career, it would not be surprising to see the Phillies once again atop the NL East.

On the field, Utley brings solid defensive skills. He has never been perfect in the field but it is something he has invested time and energy in improving. With the bat, Utley has offensive prowess. His quick swing enables him to get the barrel on the ball and helps him get around on pitches. He grinds out each at-bat and is rarely ever an easy out.

Rich Schultz/Getty Images

Something else that the Phillies desperately need is situational hitting and when at his best, Utley does this as well as anyone else in the game. With a runner on second, nobody out, such as in Thursday’s game when Ty Wigginton led off the inning with a double, Utley knows what he has to do and more often than not executes.

In addition to what Utley offers with his bat and his glove, depending on his knees, he can also be a threat on the bases. Although not the fastest, Utley has also had good career numbers in base stealing percentage. Just like every other aspect of his game, he works so hard at it and as a result, when he does run, he picks his moments, and more often than not, he chooses them wisely.

In the dugout, in the clubhouse, in the locker room and on the field, Chase Utley is a leader. For someone who keeps his life relatively under wraps in terms of the media, Utley has proven himself to be a vital part of who the team is. Much of the confidence, swagger and personality this team alludes comes from the way Utley plays the game. The younger players on the team imitate him and the older players respect him.

If Jimmy Rollins is the fire and Ryan Howard is the heart of the line up, Chase Utley is obviously the soul. Without its heart and soul, Rollins’ fire is just an extinguishing flame. It goes without saying that with Utley back, this team will start to get some of its morale back. Rollins’ flame, which has been starting to light up, will catch fire. Led by Rollins and Utley, the rest of this offense will catch fire too, just in time for a late playoff push in the heat of the summer months.

So even though the Chase Utley Phillies fans will see is still in question, what isn’t in question is what he means to this team. So much of Utley’s value is not measured in a box score. It is in the intangibles he exudes just when he takes the field. For the Phils, getting Utley back will impact their playoff chances and could very well make them a playoff team again.

No matter what, though, the Phillies will be an interesting story to watch as the final, pivotal months of the season are underway.

Related articles

• Why Ryan Howard, Chase Utley Are Now Incapable of Playing Phillies’ Hero Role (bleacherreport.com)
• Injuries only part of Phillies’ NL East standing (mlb.mlb.com)
• Not a stretch to see Phillies make a stretch run (mlb.mlb.com)
• Utley could be in Phils’ lineup on Wednesday (mlb.mlb.com)
• Report: Phillies Unlikely To Trade Hunter Pence Or Cliff Lee, And Unlikely To Sign Cole Hamels (philadelphia.cbslocal.com)
• Philadelphia Phillies storyline: One armed man (isportsweb.com)
• Help Us Chase Utley … You’re Our Only Hope (philebrity.com)
• Chase Utley Update: Utley Hits First HR In Rehab Assignment (philly.sbnation.com)
• Rounding Third: Hold off on that Phillies eulogy (bnd.com)

Phils By The Numbers Through April 26

2012 Philadelphia Phillies   Batting, Pitching, & Fielding Statistics

9-10, 4th place in NL East (Schedule and Results)
View League Standings and Leaders

Manager: Charlie Manuel (9-10)
Scored 63 runs, Allowed 62 runs. Pythagorean W-L: 10-9

Ballparks: Citizens Bank Park · Attendance: 272,692 (1st of 16)
Park Factors  Over 100 favors batters, under 100 favors pitchers.
multi-year: Batting – 103, Pitching – 101 · one-year: Batting – 107, Pitching – 107

Carlos Ruiz

BATTING

Rk	Pos		AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG
1	C	Carlos Ruiz	53	6	16	3	0	2	5	0	3	6	.302	.328	.472
2	1B	Ty Wigginton	46	8	14	3	0	1	6	0	5	11	.304	.365	.435
3	2B	Freddy Galvis#	60	4	12	4	0	1	5	0	3	10	.200	.238	.317
4	SS	Jimmy Rollins#	70	8	16	2	0	0	3	4	4	15	.229	.267	.257
5	3B	Placido Polanco	59	6	14	2	0	0	2	0	4	7	.237	.297	.271
6	LF	Juan Pierre*	59	6	20	0	1	0	4	3	2	2	.339	.361	.373
7	CF	Shane Victorino#	75	10	19	1	0	4	8	6	6	9	.253	.309	.427
8	RF	Hunter Pence	71	10	19	2	0	3	11	2	4	18	.268	.316	.423
Rk	Pos		AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG
9	UT	John Mayberry	45	0	9	2	0	0	2	0	0	14	.200	.200	.244
10	UT	Laynce Nix*	23	3	8	4	0	1	6	0	2	7	.348	.400	.652
11	1B	Jim Thome*	17	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	10	.118	.211	.118
12	C	Brian Schneider*	15	1	4	0	0	0	1	0	1	3	.267	.313	.267
13	2B	Pete Orr*	15	1	4	2	1	0	3	0	0	4	.267	.267	.533
Rk	Pos		AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG
14	P	Roy Halladay	11	0	3	0	0	0	1	0	0	5	.273	.273	.273
15	P	Cole Hamels*	10	0	3	1	0	0	2	0	0	3	.300	.300	.400
16	P	Vance Worley	9	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	.000	.000	.000
17	P	Cliff Lee*	6	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	.333	.333	.333
18	P	Joe Blanton	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	.000	.200	.000
19	P	Kyle Kendrick	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	.000	.000	.000
20	P	David Herndon	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	.000	.000	.000
21	P	Michael Stutes	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
22	P	Joe Savery*	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
23	P	Antonio Bastardo	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
24	P	Chad Qualls	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
25	P	Michael Schwimer	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
26	P	Jose Contreras	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
27	P	Jonathan Papelbon	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
		Team Totals	650	63	165	26	2	12	59	15	37	132	.254	.294	.355
		Rank in 16 NL teams	5	14	5	15	13	11		4	15	10	6	14	12
Rk	Pos		AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG

Cliff Lee

PITCHING

Rk	Pos		W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	SV	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	WHIP	BB/9	SO/9
1	SP	Roy Halladay	3	1	.750	1.50	4	0	30.0	19	5	8	19	0.900	2.4	5.7
2	SP	Cole Hamels*	3	1	.750	2.73	4	0	26.1	24	8	3	30	1.025	1.0	10.3
3	SP	Vance Worley	2	1	.667	2.16	4	0	25.0	22	6	9	27	1.240	3.2	9.7
4	SP	Cliff Lee*	0	1	.000	1.96	3	0	23.0	14	5	2	18	0.696	0.8	7.0
5	SP	Joe Blanton	1	3	.250	4.34	4	0	18.2	23	9	3	7	1.393	1.4	3.4
Rk	Pos		W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	SV	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	WHIP	BB/9	SO/9
6	CL	Jonathan Papelbon	0	0		1.13	8	6	8.0	6	1	2	7	1.000	2.3	7.9
7	RP	Kyle Kendrick	0	1	.000	9.39	5	0	7.2	15	8	4	3	2.478	4.7	3.5
8	RP	Chad Qualls	0	0		1.29	7	0	7.0	4	1	2	4	0.857	2.6	5.1
9	RP	Michael Stutes	0	0		6.35	6	0	5.2	7	4	4	5	1.941	6.4	7.9
10	RP	Antonio Bastardo*	0	1	.000	3.86	5	0	2.1	3	1	2	5	2.143	7.7	19.3
Rk	Pos		W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	SV	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	WHIP	BB/9	SO/9
11		Joe Savery*	0	0		1.59	4	0	5.2	2	1	1	1	0.529	1.6	1.6
12		David Herndon	0	1	.000	3.18	4	0	5.2	7	2	1	7	1.412	1.6	11.1
13		Jose Contreras	0	0		10.13	3	0	2.2	4	3	2	2	2.250	6.8	6.8
14		Michael Schwimer	0	0		0.00	1	0	1.0	0	0	0	0	0.000	0.0	0.0
		Team Totals	9	10	.474	2.88	19	6	168.2	150	54	43	135	1.144	2.3	7.2
		Rank in 16 NL teams	7	5		4		6	8	7	4	2	10
Rk	Pos		W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	SV	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	WHIP	BB/9	SO/9

FIELDING

	G	Ch	PO	A	E	DP	Fld%	RF/9	RF/G	PB	WP	CS	PO	Pos. Summary
Antonio Bastardo	5	0	0	0	0	0		0.00	0.00			0	0	P
Joe Blanton	4	6	1	4	1	0	.833	2.41	1.25			2	0	P
Jose Contreras	3	0	0	0	0	0		0.00	0.00			0	0	P
Freddy Galvis	19	99	30	68	1	14	.990	5.74	4.67					2B-SS
Roy Halladay	4	5	3	2	0	0	1.000	1.50	1.25			0	0	P
Cole Hamels	4	8	2	5	1	0	.875	2.39	1.75			3	2	P
David Herndon	4	2	1	1	0	0	1.000	3.18	0.50			0	0	P
Kyle Kendrick	5	1	0	1	0	0	1.000	1.17	0.20			0	0	P
Cliff Lee	3	2	1	1	0	1	1.000	0.78	0.67			0	0	P
John Mayberry	17	48	46	2	0	3	1.000	4.55	2.82					LF-1B-RF
Laynce Nix	7	50	46	3	1	6	.980	9.59	6.13					1B-LF
Pete Orr	4	14	3	10	1	2	.929	4.81	3.25					2B
Jonathan Papelbon	8	3	1	2	0	0	1.000	3.38	0.38			0	0	P
Hunter Pence	18	29	29	0	0	0	1.000	1.62	1.61					RF
Juan Pierre	14	18	18	0	0	0	1.000	1.53	1.29					LF
Placido Polanco	17	43	11	32	0	2	1.000	2.95	2.53					3B
Chad Qualls	7	2	1	1	0	0	1.000	2.57	0.29			0	0	P
Jimmy Rollins	19	73	23	49	1	15	.986	4.07	3.79					SS
Carlos Ruiz	17	118	107	11	0	2	1.000	8.19	6.94	1	1	6	0	C
Joe Savery	4	1	0	0	1	0	.000	0.00	0.00			0	0	P
Brian Schneider	5	36	30	6	0	0	1.000	8.31	7.20	0	1	1	0	C
Michael Schwimer	1	0	0	0	0	0		0.00	0.00			0	0	P
Michael Stutes	6	0	0	0	0	0		0.00	0.00			0	0	P
Jim Thome	3	32	29	2	1	3	.969	12.13	10.33					1B
Shane Victorino	19	44	43	1	0	1	1.000	2.35	2.32					CF
Ty Wigginton	15	94	79	13	2	9	.979	7.35	5.11					1B-3B
Vance Worley	4	8	2	6	0	1	1.000	2.88	2.00			2	0	P
Team Totals	19	736	506	220	10	59	.986	4.30	3.00	1	2	7	2
Rank in 16 NL teams					14	3	1
	G	Ch	PO	A	E	DP	Fld%	RF/9	RF/G	PB	WP	CS	PO	Pos. Summary

Win Probability

	PA	BtRuns	BtWins	Plays	WPA	WPA+	WPA-	WPA/LI	Clutch	REW	boLI	RE24/boLI	PHlev
Joe Blanton	6	-0.8	-0.1	6	-0.1	0.0	-0.1	-0.1	0.0	-0.1	0.76	-1.0
Freddy Galvis#	65	-4.1	-0.4	65	-0.5	0.8	-1.3	-0.5	-0.0	-0.5	1.01	-4.9
Roy Halladay	12	-0.8	-0.1	12	-0.0	0.1	-0.2	-0.0	0.0	-0.1	1.00	-0.6
Cole Hamels*	11	-0.1	-0.0	11	0.0	0.1	-0.1	-0.0	0.0	0.1	0.84	-0.1
David Herndon	1	-0.3	-0.0	1	-0.0	0.0	-0.0	-0.0	-0.0	-0.0	0.86	-0.3
Kyle Kendrick	1	-0.3	-0.0	1	-0.0	0.0	-0.0	-0.0	-0.0	-0.0	1.17	-0.3
Cliff Lee*	7	-0.2	-0.0	8	-0.1	0.1	-0.1	-0.0	-0.0	-0.0	0.76	-0.2
John Mayberry	45	-4.9	-0.5	45	-0.6	0.4	-1.0	-0.6	-0.1	-0.7	1.01	-5.6	1.09
Laynce Nix*	25	2.7	0.3	25	0.0	0.6	-0.6	0.2	-0.1	0.2	1.03	2.0	1.21
Pete Orr*	15	0.2	0.0	15	-0.1	0.1	-0.2	-0.1	0.0	0.1	0.93	-0.0	0.11
Hunter Pence	76	-0.2	-0.0	78	0.2	1.6	-1.3	-0.0	0.3	-0.0	1.00	-0.6
Juan Pierre*	61	-0.1	-0.0	69	0.2	1.1	-0.9	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.94	0.4	0.86
Placido Polanco	65	-3.4	-0.3	66	-0.2	0.7	-0.9	-0.2	-0.0	-0.0	0.87	-1.0	0.61
Jimmy Rollins#	76	-5.3	-0.5	85	-0.1	1.0	-1.2	-0.3	0.2	-0.3	0.94	-3.6
Carlos Ruiz	58	1.3	0.1	59	-0.2	0.6	-0.9	0.0	-0.3	-0.2	0.98	-0.4	0.26
Brian Schneider*	16	-0.8	-0.1	16	-0.2	0.2	-0.4	-0.1	-0.0	-0.1	1.08	-1.3
Jim Thome*	19	-2.5	-0.3	19	-0.5	0.1	-0.7	-0.3	-0.2	-0.4	0.99	-2.6	1.59
Shane Victorino#	82	-0.4	-0.0	87	-0.0	1.1	-1.1	0.2	-0.2	0.2	0.95	1.0
Ty Wigginton	52	1.5	0.2	52	-0.0	0.7	-0.7	0.1	-0.1	0.4	0.89	1.2	0.97
Vance Worley	9	-2.5	-0.3	9	-0.2	0.0	-0.2	-0.2	0.0	-0.2	0.73	-2.3
League Average
Team Total	702	-20.9	-2.2	729	-2.4	9.5	-11.9	-2.0	-0.5	-1.4	0.95	-20.5	1.12
	PA	BtRuns	BtWins	Plays	WPA	WPA+	WPA-	WPA/LI	Clutch	REW	boLI	RE24/boLI	PHlev

Team Batting Ratios

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 4/27/2012.

	PA	HR%	SO%	BB%	XBH%	X/H%	SO/BB	AB/SO	AB/HR	AB/RBI	GB/FB	GO/AO
Joe Blanton	6	0.0%	16.7%	16.7%	0.0%		1.00	4.0
Freddy Galvis#	65	1.5%	15.4%	4.6%	7.7%	42%	3.33	6.0	60.0	12.0	0.68	1.32
Roy Halladay	12	0.0%	41.7%	0.0%	0.0%	0%		2.2		11.0	2.00
Cole Hamels*	11	0.0%	27.3%	0.0%	9.1%	33%		3.3		5.0	1.33	4.00
David Herndon	1	0.0%	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%			1.0
Kyle Kendrick	1	0.0%	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%			1.0
Cliff Lee*	7	0.0%	14.3%	0.0%	0.0%	0%		6.0			0.25	1.00
John Mayberry	45	0.0%	31.1%	0.0%	4.4%	22%		3.2		22.5	0.72	0.71
Laynce Nix*	25	4.0%	28.0%	8.0%	20.0%	63%	3.50	3.3	23.0	3.8	0.67	2.33
Pete Orr*	15	0.0%	26.7%	0.0%	20.0%	75%		3.8		5.0	1.20	2.50
Hunter Pence	76	4.0%	23.7%	5.3%	6.6%	26%	4.50	3.9	23.7	6.5	1.30	1.64
Juan Pierre*	61	0.0%	3.3%	3.3%	1.6%	5%	1.00	29.5		14.8	1.20	1.85
Placido Polanco	65	0.0%	10.8%	6.2%	3.1%	14%	1.75	8.4		29.5	1.00	1.38
Jimmy Rollins#	76	0.0%	19.7%	5.3%	2.6%	13%	3.75	4.7		23.3	0.83	1.00
Carlos Ruiz	58	3.5%	10.3%	5.2%	8.6%	31%	2.00	8.8	26.5	10.6	0.81	1.27
Brian Schneider*	16	0.0%	18.8%	6.3%	0.0%	0%	3.00	5.0		15.0	1.00	1.50
Jim Thome*	19	0.0%	52.6%	10.5%	0.0%	0%	5.00	1.7			0.75	0.67
Shane Victorino#	82	4.9%	11.0%	7.3%	6.1%	26%	1.50	8.3	18.8	9.4	0.67	0.92
Ty Wigginton	52	1.9%	21.2%	9.6%	7.7%	29%	2.20	4.2	46.0	7.7	0.71	0.57
Vance Worley	9	0.0%	44.4%	0.0%	0.0%			2.3
League Average		2.2%	19.8%	8.3%	7.2%	33%	2.37	4.5	40.8	8.9	0.87	1.19
Team Total	702	1.7%	18.8%	5.3%	5.7%	24%	3.57	4.9	54.2	11.0	0.90	1.29
	PA	HR%	SO%	BB%	XBH%	X/H%	SO/BB	AB/SO	AB/HR	AB/RBI	GB/FB	GO/AO

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 4/27/2012.

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Oswalt Back? Utley Rebound? Charlie Looking For Bats Crushing Balls

Oswalt remains unsigned; Philly return possible

By Todd Zolecki / MLB.com

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Roy Oswalt remains a free agent, and his agent said Thursday that Oswalt might wait to sign until later in the season.

Don’t be surprised if the Phillies make a run at him, if they need him.

While there are multiple reports Oswalt’s top two choices are the Cardinals and Rangers, a source told MLB.com on Thursday that Oswalt also is very interested in returning to Philadelphia. It is not a stretch to think that if something happens to one of the Phils’ starters that Philadelphia general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. would sign Oswalt as a replacement.

Hitting foremost on Manuel’s mind this spring

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Charlie Manuel is setting a clear tone for his hitters in Spring Training.

The Phillies manager talked with Jimmy Rollins for more than 15 minutes in his office Thursday, on the eve of the team’s first full-squad workout Friday.

“We talked about how we wanted to play, we talked some about hitting,” Manuel said. “It was good. Jimmy’s always been a good student as far as knowing how to play the game and all about the game, and I felt like before we got going here that I would want to sit down and talk to him.”

Manuel wants his team to take a better approach at the plate, and he wants his hitters to talk more about their hitting during the season. He hopes that will help the Phillies avoid the postseason offensive slumps that played a big role in ending their last two seasons.

“I want to talk to all of our guys,” Manuel said. “I want our guys to talk about hitting. I want guys like Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins and [Ryan] Howard and [Shane] Victorino … I want to have more talk about hitting, talking about getting good balls to hit, not giving away at-bats, things like that.

“With our pitching and everything like that, we need to score the runs that we’re supposed to score. If we have a guy on third base with less than two outs early in the game, we need to score one run. If we have two guys on, we need to make sure we score one run, instead of a guy standing there maybe trying to bust the game open.”

Manuel also confirmed Rollins will be his leadoff hitter this season, which is not a surprise.

Utley has utmost confidence he’ll bounce back

By Todd Zolecki

CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Phillies saved arguably the biggest storyline for last.

Almost every day since Spring Training started, the Phillies sent a different player to the media room at Bright House Field for a news conference. Jonathan Papelbon spoke last Friday about leaving the Red Sox and joining the Phillies. Cole Hamels talked Monday about his impending free agency. Roy Halladay spoke Tuesday about his continued pursuit of a World Series championship and his (embellished) encounter with an anaconda on the Amazon River. Ryan Howard talked Wednesday about his recovery from left Achilles surgery.

Chase Utley spoke Thursday.

Utley could mean the most to the Phillies’ success in 2012. He certainly seems to be the most intriguing player to watch. While Howard’s recovery is important, he might not feel completely like himself until next season. And while Hamels’ future with the Phillies is key, Utley is trying to bounce back from the worst season of his career while playing with a chronic right knee condition.

If Utley bounces back this season, it would be a tremendous boost to the lineup and make the Phillies feel a little better about their future.

If he’s unable to bounce back, it could signal a premature end to one of the best second basemen of his generation.

Naturally, Utley likes his chances of turning around his career.

“I think I can overcome this without a doubt,” Utley said. “I have pride in how I play and the way I play and that’s not going to change.”

But pride can’t overcome an unhealthy body. Utley missed the first 46 games last season because of a chronic knee condition. Utley avoided surgery, which could have ended his career, but he could not keep his legs strong through the rest of the season. The result? He hit just .259 with 11 home runs, 44 RBIs and a .769 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in 398 at-bats. Utley showed little of the power he had in the past. His .769 OPS was his worst since his rookie season in 2003.

It was a precipitous fall for Utley. He had a .915 OPS as a first-time everyday second baseman in 2005. It went to .906 in ’06, .976 in ’07, .915 in ’08, .905 in ’09 and .832 in ’10 before dipping under .800 last season.

Utley said he is confident he can return to his All-Star form.

“It feels significantly better,” he said. “Last year, it was very uncomfortable, especially the first week [of Spring Training]. Right now, I think I’m in a good place. The goal for me is to kind of stay in the same place and improve in small increments and not try to irritate it to the point where I’d have to slow down. So we’ll see how it goes.”

Utley changed his offseason workout routine, incorporating more stretching and manual therapy and not as much weightlifting. He tried to make his legs stronger without putting as much strain and pounding on his knees.

“This offseason, I was able to strengthen them, maybe not quite as much as in the past, but they’re definitely stronger than they were going into last year,” Utley said. “My goal now is to maintain that. Ideally, it would be nice to make them stronger, but at the same time, I have to keep them loose and take it easy.”

Utley will have a lighter workload this spring. Fewer hours on the field, maybe fewer games. The whole idea is keeping him as fresh and strong as possible for the season. And even then, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said Utley won’t play more than 150 games this season.

“It’s something I’m always going to have to monitor, forever, to be honest,” Utley said of his knee. “But I think I have a game plan put together that I’m able to overcome it. But again, it’s something I’m going to have to deal with on a daily basis, and I’m willing to put the effort into making sure it’s OK.”

Utley struggled so much last season that Manuel finally pulled him from the No. 3 spot in the lineup. It’s likely Utley opens the season back in that spot, but Manuel might be forced to pull him again if he can’t knock in runs like he has in the past.

“It’s always frustrating when you’re not playing well,” Utley said. “Even when I am playing well, I’m still not satisfied. You still have to have that drive on a daily basis and try to figure out ways to help the team win.”

Utley had a chance to help his team in the ninth inning in Game 5 of the National League Division Series. He flied out to the warning track, momentarily giving Phillies fans in the ballpark hope that the team might tie the game.

Utley acknowledged there were a few balls last season that he thought he squared up, but couldn’t drive like he had in the past because of his weaker legs.

“I tried not to let it affect me mentally,” he said. “Once you think about it mentally, it’s going to change your approach and make you even more frustrated. And that’s something you don’t want to be. I tried to put it behind me. I tried to take every game the same way, try to find a way to win. Where that’s hitting a home run, getting on base, drawing a walk, getting hit by a pitch, those are the things I try to do on a daily basis.”

His ability to do all those things with regularity will play big in the Phillies’ success in 2012.

Todd Zolecki is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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I Hate To See Wilson Go- But That’s Phillywood

Phillies deal Valdez to Reds for lefty Horst

By Paul Hagen / MLB.com

The Phillies have addressed their need for left-handed depth in the bullpen by acquiring 26-year-old Jeremy Horst from the Cincinnati Reds for utility infielder Wilson Valdez.

Antonio Bastardo was the only dependable lefty reliever the Phils had in 2011. Philadelphia has since added veteran Dontrelle Willis as a free agent. Horst, who will be a Minor League invitee to Spring Training, and Joe Savery are also expected to compete for spots.

Wiilis

Horst made his Major League debut for the Reds last season and appeared in 12 games for Cincinnati with a 2.93 ERA. In 36 games at Triple-A Louisville, Horst had a 2.81 ERA and allowed 41 hits in 51 1/3 innings with 42 strikeouts and 14 walks. He held opponents to a .219 batting average.

Horst made six appearances of three innings or more for Louisville with an 0.83 ERA in those games.

Joe Savery

Valdez had been a valuable and versatile backup for the Phillies over the past two seasons. As injuries forced Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Placido Polanco from the lineup at various times over the past two years, Valdez started a total of 70 games at shortstop, 68 at second base and 28 at third.

His most memorable Phils moment, however, may have occurred in the early morning hours of May 26, 2011, when he came in to pitch the top of the 19th inning against the Reds at Citizens Bank Park. Valdez retired the side without giving up a run and earned the win when Philadelphia scored in the bottom of the inning.

Valdez, 33, recently signed a one-year, $930,000 contract to avoid arbitration. In the past two years, Valdez batted .254 with a .300 on-base percentage in 210 games. He previously played for the White Sox, Mariners, Padres, Dodgers and Mets.

The most likely candidate to fill his role with the Phillies in the upcoming season is Michael Martinez, the former Rule 5 Draft choice, who not only played third, second and short last season, but also left and center field.

The Phils now have 38 players on their 40-man roster.

Paul Hagen is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Inbox: What are the club’s plans for Brown?

Beat reporter Todd Zolecki answers Phils fans’ questions

By Todd Zolecki / MLB.com

What on earth are the Phillies going to do with Domonic Brown? They have John Mayberry Jr. and Laynce Nix in left field, Shane Victorino in center field and Hunter Pence in right field. Where’s the space for Brown? — Brett L., Broomall, Pa.

There is none, unless there is an injury or Mayberry and Nix don’t perform. Unless things change, Brown is expected to play the 2012 season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he will be looking to regain confidence and learning to play left field.

Nothing really has gone smoothly with Brown the past couple of seasons. The Phillies admittedly erred in the way they have handled him (bringing him up in 2010, only to spend most of the second half of the season sitting on the bench).

Brown performed poorly in winter ball following that season and started slowly in Spring Training 2011 before breaking his hand. He was playing great with Lehigh Valley early last season, when the Phils called him up (after saying they didn’t think he was ready). He did OK, relatively speaking, but once the Phillies acquired Pence and optioned Brown to Lehigh Valley, he struggled.

The Phils are hoping a full season in the Minors will get Brown back on track. Maybe it will, but if Mayberry and Nix perform well in left, I would think Brown could be trade bait at some point.

If Ryan Madson does not come back, where do you think he will sign and why are the Phillies disinterested in him? — Daniel S., Pinellas Park, Fla.

Who said they’re disinterested in Madson? I’m sure general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. would love to have Madson as his setup man, but would Madson come back to set up for Jonathan Papelbon? If I’m Madson, I’m not sure I would. But if Madson can’t get a closer job at closer money, maybe he would come back to a place he’s familiar and set up before hitting the market again next offseason. But I’m betting Madson will take his services elsewhere before Spring Training.

Is Chase Utley healthy this year? — Janet X., Harrisburg, Pa.

The Phillies said late last season that Utley, who had knee issues last year, will be on a different offseason training program that should allow him to strengthen his legs without causing the tendinitis that forced him to miss the first couple of months of the 2011 season. They said that lack of strength in his lower half contributed to his lack of pop at the plate. Will he be the old Utley in 2012, one of the best offensive performers in the game? I’m not sure, but they certainly need him to play much better than he did last season.

How can you argue the Phillies can only get younger at two positions when they have an aging and oft-injured third baseman? — Bob P., Renovo, Pa.

Got lots of questions over the past week about third base, the David Wright rumors, how much they can expect to get from Polanco. Those are good questions, but some of the questions are almost like, “What’s the Phillies’ problem? Why won’t they get David Wright?” Like it were easy. Like Amaro can get Wright (or another stud third baseman) by just snapping his fingers. The Phils would love Wright at third base, but it’s not going to happen right now. The club has said Polanco should be healthy entering the season. If he is, he’s a Gold Glove-caliber third baseman than hits better than .300. That’s not exactly chopped liver.

Do you think the Phillies will hit a wall and not win the National League East? — Steven B., Cheltenham, Pa.

The NL East has improved, but I still think the Phils will] win their sixth straight division title. If everybody is healthy, of course. Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels will win their fair share of games. The offense, which has flopped the previous two postseasons, has been productive during the season. I just don’t see how anybody could catch them.

The bench seems to have gained some much needed depth this year. What impact will this have on the 2012 Phillies? — Zack K., Clarks Summit, Pa.

It gives manager Charlie Manuel more options. If Polanco misses time, Manuel can play Ty Wigginton at third instead of Michael Martinez. When Ryan Howard is out, the Phillies can play Mayberry, Nix, Wigginton or even Jim Thome. They should be able to handle injuries a little better than they have in the past, while not sacrificing as much offense in the process.

Do you see any offensive options the Phillies could pursue at the Trade Deadline, like David Wright or a left fielder? — Jim D., Tabernacle, N.J.

Whoa. We’re already looking at the Trade Deadline? It’s a long way from July 31. Like I mentioned above, I’ve gotten lots of questions about third base, left field, etc. There were similar questions last year at this time about right field, and how the Phillies were going to replace Jayson Werth. The Phils decided they would give Ben Francisco, Brown and Mayberry a shot. If it worked, great. If not, then they could always find somebody else.

I think the same holds true this year. Why not see if Polanco can stay healthy? Why not see if Mayberry and Nix can platoon in left field? If they can’t, they can always try to find somebody else. In my opinion, it wouldn’t be smart emptying the farm system for something that might not happen (Polanco staying healthy, etc.). It would be smarter to see how they do, then reassess midseason.

Todd Zolecki is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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