The headline “Pitchers and Catchers Report!” really doesn’t have the same excitement that we have been accustomed to. After becoming the one of the best teams in baseball, the Phillies are now in the basement, gearing up for a long, Sixer-like rebuilding season. Here is how the 162-game marathon will turn out for the Phils.
Jerad Eickhoff Becomes the Crown Jewel of the Hamels Trade
The centerpieces in the Cole Hamels trade, at the time, were OF Nick Williams and C Jorge Alfaro. Don’t get me wrong they may turn out to be fantastic big league players, but hidden in the package was 25 year old RHP Jerad Eickhoff. Surprisingly he became the Phillies best starting pitcher when it was all said and done last season, sporting an impressive 2.65 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 8.65 K/9. Eickhoff will continue his performance this year, maybe not with identical numbers, but by the end of the year, he will be viewed as one of the better young pitchers in the NL.
Ryan Howard Flashes Some Vintage “Big Piece”, Falls Off Before Phillies Can Trade Him
This might be the boldest of all, but if he platoons with Darin Ruf, his stats may inflate enough for the Phillies to finally discuss moving him. He was pitiful against lefties last year (.130 avg), but perhaps, if he focuses on right handed pitchers, the hits and homers will come, and teams around the league will be interested in the aging first basemen. And just when the Phillies are about to trade Howard, similar to Aaron Harang last year, his play will dramatically fall off, far enough to silence any discussions of moving him. He will finish the season with the Phillies sporting similar the below average numbers of last year.
Odubel Herrera Is the Phillies Lone All Star
The MLB has a rule that states that every team must be represented in the All Star Game, and without that rule, the Phillies may not be represented. Nonetheless, they will have on this year and it will be OF Odubell Herrera. Following a breakout rookie year, the former Rule-5 selection is the only outfielder in spring training who has solidified a spot in the lineup. Herrera will carry his impressive debut season into this year and when it comes time to vote players into the All Star game, Herrera will edge out Eickhoff as the Phillies lone representative.
J.P. Cawford and Nick Williams Flash A Ton of Upside, While Mark Appel Continues to Disappoint
SS J.P. Crawford and OF Nick Williams are arguably the Phillies top two prospects respectively and by the end of the year, they both will have had a taste of the MLB. Before that call up, they play outstandingly well down in the minors, giving Phillies fans much needed hope about the future. On the other hand, recently acquired top pick RHP Mark Appel, will end up not living up to the hype again. There’s definitely a reason for the former Stanford pitcher to be drafted number one, but unfortunately, after a rough season this year in the minors, even the patient Phillies will have a tough time waiting for Appel to come around.
Maikel Franco and Aaron Nola Have Sophomore Slumps
If there is any excitement around the 2016 Phillies, it starts with 3B Maikel Franco and RHP Aaron Nola. Each played well enough last year to warrant rather high expectations for this upcoming season. To the Phillies dismay, those expectations are not reached. Franco has All Star-type upside but in his encore season, he will put up Mark Reynolds-like numbers (.220 AVG/ 20 HR/ 75 RBI), leaving many to doubt that potential. Nola, who will probably start Opening Day, hovers around a 4.5 ERA all year and slips to 3rd or 4th in the rotation behind Eickhoff, and RHP Vincent Velasquez.
Finish Strong, 3rd in NL East
In the end, the 2016 Phillies are actually not going to be that bad. The emergences of Eickhoff, Velasquez, Herrera, Crawford, and Williams will have the Phillies sitting in 3rd in the NL East in late September, ahead of the Marlins and Braves. Along with strong years from those players, Franco and Nola will come on towards the end of the year, once again providing hope for Phillies fans.
By the time the offseason rolls around, the Phillies will be trending upward. The combination of a strong farm system, high draft picks, and an amazingly large budget, the Phillies will be contending sooner rather than later.
