Ricky Bo- Analyzing the Phillies Options on the Bench
Putting up numbers is great in Spring Training. Especially when you are trying to make a statement and make a roster. But numbers can also be a little deceiving. For players on the bubble in Phillies camp, now is the time to put up those numbers. Now is the time to look like you can help a team in the regular season. The Phillies have some spots to fill on their bench. An interesting piece is Scott Kingery (.462 BA, .533 OBP). He has had a stellar two weeks, with a new swing and some work with Kevin Long. But will it be enough? Kingery is already under contract and due 8 million dollars this year. The issue, he is not on the 40-man roster.
…
Next Darick Hall (.310 BA, .286 BA, and HR vs LHP) the knock on him was hitting left-handed pitching. He obviously worked on that and the early numbers show that. He is a guy that was thrown into the fire in 2022 (Called up and put right in the cleanup hitter role). Hall is a guy with power that can be a left-handed asset off the bench and can give a breather to Rhys Hoskins at 1st.
Dalton Guthrie, a player the Phillies wanted to step up and be the guy has had his struggles this Spring (.185 BA and .185 OBP). Those numbers speak of a guy trying to find himself in a situation that has some pressure for him to perform now!
Jake Cave, also having a great spring, hitting over .400 and 2 HR’s is in the mix. He is an outfielder by trade so this could only help out his situation. Being a LHH only sweetens the deal.
With all the players in a mix for limited spots on the bench, it goes back to my original thought. Today (2 weeks from opening day) should be when judgment starts. First, not everybody is 100% ready to go full bore on February 15th, but as a month has passed, there are players who are very close to opening day ready. Now is the time we start to see true A+ play. So with this being said, I believe now is the time to start the competition, let’s see where these players go from here. If Kingery continues to hit and play at a high level, he may break with the team and make the bench!!! That would be an accomplishment in itself from where he was two years ago!
It’s now crunch time….for all…Time to get ready to Ring the Damn Bell!!!