It’s no secret that the Phillies have some holes on their roster. With their depleted bullpen, outfield depth, and uncertainty among their infield and rotation, they have some decisions to make. By hiring Dave Dombrowski to be their new president of baseball operations, history shows that prospects are likely not safe at all. However, if Dombrowski decides to go against his notoriety and hold onto the Phillies’ top prospects, there are a handful of names that could make an impact at one point during the 2021 season. In the third installment of this prospect series, we’ll take a look at outfielders who could make the roster this season.
Phillies’ Former #1 Overall Pick Mickey Moniak
After years of expectations, Mickey Moniak finally got a sneak peak at what the MLB is like this past season. He appeared in eight games, he went 3-14 with four walks. Six of those 11 outs were strikeouts though, something that will have to change. Hopefully, a full season under Joe Dillon will assist this process.
Moniak could make the opening day roster, a battle that he will likely fight against Roman Quinn and possibly even Kyle Garlick. However, more likely than not he will see some time in AAA before being promoted. Moniak will be one of the top outfield options in the event that their starting options go down to injury.
Jhailyn Ortiz
Ortiz is an interesting option in the farm system. He’s a bigger player, standing at 6’3 and 215 pounds. However, he moves well for his size. As MLB.com describes him:
Once there was concern about Ortiz’s size, conditioning and defensive home. But he moves better than you’d think for a bigger guy and the Phillies even had him playing some center field last year. That won’t stick, but he does play a solid right field and has the kind of plus arm to profile well there. He’s plenty young enough to improve his approach so he can have the power profile teams like there as well.
Ortiz is going to be the guy who the Phillies would turn to in the worst case possible. If for some reason they can’t find anyone else, or all other options fail, Ortiz could be a young talent that earns a shot.
Odubel Herrera
Dare I say it… and I did.
Now, there is not much reason that Herrara should even be in the organization come the start of the season. After his domestic violence case last year, he hasn’t played any type of MLB baseball. Herrera should go get a fresh start somewhere else if any other team wants to take a chance on him, but for now, he is *technically* in the Phillies’ organization.
If the Phillies decide to keep Herrera around and give him another shot, he is the most proven option moving forward. For his career, Herrera has slashed .276/.333/.423 with 122 doubles, 16 triples, 60 home runs, 233 RBI, 56 stolen bases, and 171 walks.
Phillies’ Honorable Mentions:
*Disclaimer: these players are not going to play in 2021, but could be worth a thought in the future and will likely climb the later in future years*
- Cornelius Randolph
- Simon Muzziotti
Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire
