Spring Training is over, and the regular season is finally upon us. BOGO dog nights, walk-off hits, and Bryce Harper home runs are no longer on the horizon.
The Phillies mailbag is here right before the season begins to answer your burning questions. I partnered with lead Phillies writer at PSN, Kyle Fisher, to answer some of those questions.
Do you trust Brandon Marsh to face lefties yet?
Kylee: To me, the best and most productive way for players to learn is by having them face it live. You have to balance them consistently learning with their confidence, but you never know until you just let it rip every night. I am much more concerned about lowering the strikeouts than hitting .300 against a left-handed pitcher. He has been working on it constantly and is going to be given a chance to prove himself early.
Kyle: I am not guaranteeing results; no one can. However, after seeing the work that he puts in and speaking to Brandon about his mindset, I realized that he is motivated to perform better against LHP. Don’t let his loose demeanor fool you – Marsh works his tail off and knows this is a place he must improve to prove he is an everyday player. His best season against LHP was the year he got the most exposure – his first full season with the Phillies (2023). Getting an early run against same-handed pitching will give him exposure, and that should result in an improvement. He doesn’t need to be a world-beater – just competent.
Did the Phillies lineup get better? Is Topper on the Hot Seat?
Kylee: To be brutally honest, no. I do not think the lineup got better. To get better means you have to upgrade to a position. Max Kepler was their only signing that wasn’t a pitcher. He was hurt in 2024, but his 2023 season doesn’t show improvement at a position of need. He hit .260/.332/.484/.816 with 24 home runs and 66 RBI. The Phillies want someone who can hit lefties, and while he hit them better in 2024, he’s not a guy that “mashes lefties” daily. I also do not think Thomson is anywhere near the hot seat. He doesn’t control who the team signs and has taken them to the playoffs every year as a manager.
Kyle: On paper, the lineup is mostly the same. However, with Stott and Bohm being healthy, Consistency and a new face in LF, and a lineup so deep Marsh is projected to hit 8th or 9th – the lineup is better without much in the way of change. As for the manager, Rob Thomson should NOT be on the hot seat. Only 10 managers have more years than him as head of the Phillies – and he has the best winning percentage of them all. Barring a sudden collapse, the job should be his until he no longer wants it.
Why do you think people feel less enthusiastic about the Phillies going into this year, compared to years prior?
Kylee: Fans seem to be scared that the Phillies are trending toward another team that plays in the sports complex, and it doesn’t help that they’re following the 2006-2011 Phillies without the championship (yet). Heartbreaking losses and playoff chokes happen to every single contending team, and that’s easy to forget when you’re not in the playoffs for a decade. The Dodgers had been contenders for a very long time before they won in 2020. It happens. Maybe they’ll win it all with this core, maybe they won’t. That doesn’t change the fact that it’s exciting to watch a competitive baseball team every year.
Kyle: Generational trauma is a hell of a thing. If you or your close family were around for the 07-11 run, it ran a similar course – but they got a championship. This core may be aging, but that doesn’t mean they are old. People see the team finishing one round sooner each season and how good both the Dodgers and the division have become, and they feel like they are lost before the season even started. Don’t forget all those years where the Dodgers were supposed to be best in the league and got bounced. Anything can happen in October, and this team is as poised as any to win it all.
Is there any chance we’ll see Stott and Turner swap positions this season? What is Turner’s long-term position with this franchise?
Kylee: I would be surprised to see Bryson Stott and Trea Turner switch positions this season, but I see it shortly. Stott is a gold glove caliber defender at both positions, and while I prefer him playing second, a switch does seem possible. Not only is Turner getting older, but he also isn’t known as a gold glover at shortstop.
Kyle: THIS season – No. I think the Phillies give Turner a chance to earn his keep. One of the reasons he was paid so much, beyond the star power and the offense, was the position he plays. Philadelphia wants to maximize their investment and keep him there as long as possible. Next year might be a stretch too, but it’s more realistic then. If I had to guess, I would say 2027 for a position change for Turner – not before. Stott might be better at SS, but his fielding numbers are about average there. He is Gold Glove caliber at 2B – no need to mess with that right now.
How soon do you think Andrew Painter will arrive for good in the rotation?
Kylee: The much-anticipated debut is going to have to wait a bit, I think. I don’t expect to see Andrew Painter until after the trade deadline. Ranger Suárez will be healthy, and the Phillies will go to a six-man rotation to prepare for the postseason. Painter pitched in the Fall and is coming back from Tommy John surgery. He is young, and they want to be smart about handling him.
Kyle: I think Painter is called up sometime in mid-to-late July. He will be like a deadline addition without surrendering anything and will be in Philly to stay the moment he arrives.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
