Amy Fadool On Tyrese Maxey, Phillies Ceiling, and More
It is a busy time for Philly Sports. The Sixers are competing for one of the top seeds in the Eastern Conference. The Phillies have kicked off Spring Training. Eagles are in the offseason. And the Flyers… well we won’t talk about them right now. And to talk about some of what is going on in Philly Sports, Amy Fadool from NBC Sports Philly joined The Best Show Ever.
One of the first things they asked Amy Fadool was her take on Tyrese Maxey’s recent struggles coming off the bench. here is what she had to say about that…
“I think he is not getting enough minutes to get into the rhythm he is used to. He is used to being out there, helping facilitate, and running around. And when you only give the kid 22, 23, or 24 minutes, it is a little problematic. So he needs to work his way through to this is my role, I am going to accept it. Then he needs to learn how to play in it. Look at the game where he is getting those starter minutes, it is much more this rhythm, and the numbers bare it out.
The question that needs to be answered is if he is not getting starters minutes because he is not playing well? Because I think it might be that. He is out there, he is struggling, and he gets pulled. Now he is that guy who is always looking over his shoulder. That takes him out of sorts… If you don’t get that figured out, that will happen in the playoffs. And that cant’t happen in the playoffs.”
And she also made her prediction on what the Phillies will accomplish this season after losing in the World Series last year…
“In my mind, that is a World Series team. Obviously, the chips need to fall in their favor. They need to be able to get a really strong starting rotation. You look at what they were able to do last year without maybe a strong rotation. I think they are in a better position if possible. They addressed some of the pitching problems, and bat problems that held them back at times. A World Series is completely feasible. It is a rational thing to say that team should be back in the World Serie. But I will hedge my bets, and say NLCS.”
You can listen to the full conversation with Amy Fadool here…
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7 Phillies Named To MLB's Top 100 Players List
Rhys Hoskins (94)
Rhys is as hot and cold as players come. When he is hitting, he does it better than anyone. But the inconsistency, and the struggles in the field, keep him at 94. Which seems fair. The dumb errors can be maddening. But there is no run to the World Series without Rhys Hoskins. His bat is why they beat the Braves and the Padres. It is his last year before free agency, so he may be up for a career year.
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Aaron Nola (79)
Aaron Nola has had his up and downs as a Phillie. A few years back he was a genuine Cy Young candidate. But he struggled to get back to that for a while. Until last year. He put together a great regular season and even broke the trend of September swoons. The ending was less than spectacular, with him struggling vs the Astros in the World Series. But Nola is a big reason they were there to begin with. And his great play was rewarded by cracking the Top 11, coming in at number 79.
(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Kyle Schwarber (44)
When the Phillies signed Schwarber, fans knew they were getting a power bat. What they did not know was that he would provide as much of it as he went on to. He sent 52 balls into the outfield seats between the regular season and the postseason. Well, that is not technically true. Because I am pretty sure the one he hit in Game 1 vs the Padres never landed in the seats and is still in orbit. Schwarber is among the best power hitters in the sport. His below-average fielding, and low batting average, keep him out of the top 40.
But you will take those trade-offs when a guy does what Schwarber can with a bat. And while the batting average is low, he walks a ton to make up for it. He jumped from 80 last year up to 44.
(Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
Zack Wheeler (35)
Wheeler is about as good as they come. They asked a lot of him last season, and he delivered. There was a tiny hiccup vs the Astros. But for the most part, he pitched like a Cy Young last year. And he could have been if there weren’t pitchers like Sandy Alcantara doing inhuman things. They may go a bit easier on Wheeler this year, just so there is less fatigue in the playoffs. But we know for a fact that Wheeler will be as good as any pitcher when it matters most. He came in at 35 this year, after being ranked 25 in 2022.
(Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
JT Realmuto (29)
It looked a little bit dicey early in the season. But by the end of the year, JT Realmuto once against confirmed he is the best catcher in baseball. In the second half, there are few players who hit better than him period. He had the 5th best OPS after the All-Star Break in the entire MLB. And behind the plate, no one prevents steals better than him. His efforts helped him jump from 54 last year up to 29 for this season.
(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Bryce Harper (17)
Harper will, unfortunately, miss the first couple of months as he recovers from Tommy Johns. But when he is healthy, there may not be 5 better players in the league than him, let alone 16. That was on full display in the playoffs where he at times carried the Phillies lineup, including one of the most clutch home runs in Phillies history in game 5 vs the Padres. Landing at 17 makes sense if you factor in the injury and that he may not be able to play the field until late in the season. But Harper should be much higher if going just by talent. He fell from 5 to 17.
(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Trea Turner (11)
And one of the newest Phillies is also the one who ranks highest on this list. Turner is the best Shortstop in Baseball. He is also probably the fastest man in Baseball. His speed at the top of the lineup could make a huge difference for the Phillies this year. And his range at shortstop could be key with the league banning the shift. He makes consistent contact, plays great in the field, provides some pop, and will steal you a ton of bases. Trea Turner could quickly become one of our favorite all-time Phillies. He comes in at 11, after being ranked 13 last year with the Dodgers.
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
