Philadelphia Phillies Weekly Trends: 3 Up & 1 Down
The early swoons of the 2022 and 2023 seasons look like a thing of the past. The Philadelphia Phillies pounded some weak opponents with a +24 run differential to sweep a pair of three-game sets and improve to 14-8.
Trea Turner unsurprisingly led the way, but Johan Rojas more surprisingly showed off his potential as a hitter in his best week of the season.
Up: Johan Rojas
Rojas became the hot topic at the end of an otherwise dull spring training. His slow start at the plate pushed his critics to downplay his excellent defense. Jayson Stark even revealed an alarming perception from some opposing pitchers about Johan Rojas as a hitter.
“When he steps in there, the other team looks at him and thinks he’s an out, unless they screw up. We might have to except that is what he is as a hitter.”
— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) April 10, 2024
-@jaysonst on Johan Rojas
📸-Jeff Le/Getty Images pic.twitter.com/bA4Nxu0DKa
The quick center fielder has never left a doubt with his glove. His first step in the outfield helps him cover ground as well as a veteran Gold Glover.
However, his contributions finally spilled over to the plate with an excellent week. He took advantage of two weak opponents in five games against the Rockies and White Sox with a 7-16 (.438) stretch.
While Johan Rojas might naturally cool off as a hitter, he has found a way to utilize his speed offensively. He stole a base in four consecutive starts from April 17-21 and brought his season total to six. He’s only been caught once, and speed doesn’t go into many slumps.
Up: Trea Turner
The underwhelming performance from Trea Turner in the first season of his 11-year contract left the Phillies expecting a full season of success in 2024. So far, so good.
Turner took his hot start one step further by going 12-26 (.462) the past week. He raised his season average from .302 to .348.
Five doubles and one home run also raised his season OPS to 1.251 (MLB Average in 2023: .734). The former batting champion’s short swing has helped him pull the ball for power consistently throughout the first month of the season.
Turner has shown good range from side to side in the field. Grounders hit directly at him have caused problems, but some plus plays in the field have helped offset three errors early in the season.
Up: Every Starting Pitcher
The Phillies have arguably the best starting staff in the majors. The rotation dominated weak hitting and jumped toward the top in most statistical categories.
- Aaron Nola (Monday 4/15 vs. Rockies): 7 ⅓ IP, 1 R
- Ranger Suarez (Tuesday 4/16 vs. Rockies): 9 IP, 0 R
- Cristopher Sanchez (Wednesday 4/17 vs. Rockies): 6 IP, 1 R (0 ER)
- Spencer Turnbull (Friday 4/19 vs. White Sox): 7 IP, 0 ER
- Zack Wheeler (Saturday 4/20 vs. White Sox): 7 ⅓ IP, 0 R
- Aaron Nola (Sunday 4/21 vs. White Sox): 8 IP, 2 ER
The staff has comfortably moved up to second in the majors with a 2.25 ERA behind an otherworldly 1.73 ERA from Boston Red Sox starters.
Turnbull took a no-hitter into the seventh inning on Friday night. Wheeler outdid him by taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning on Saturday. Nola recovered from a rough first inning on Sunday to get through eight and close the sweep against the lowly White Sox.
Taijuan Walker made his final minor league rehab start on Sunday. Will he rejoin a rotation that’s rolling on all cylinders? The fifth starter controversy has become The Great Debate of 2024.
Down: Ricardo Pinto
The eighth and final man in the bullpen is the only weak link to point out in the past two series. Pinto’s stint with the Phillies began as an interesting story of a baseball journeyman, but his run in the majors might be over.
He entered in the ninth inning of Saturday night’s blowout with a 9-0 lead. Opposing pitchers had shut out the White Sox in seven of their first 19 games, and their team batting average was below .200.
Pinto couldn’t close the deal. He allowed five earned runs and loaded the bases before Rob Thomson went to Jose Alvarado to close the game.
Don’t expect to see Pinto with the Phillies much longer. He’s now allowed 10 earned runs in his last three appearances.
Walker will soon join the active roster and force some tinkering. Nick Nelson also looks like a better option at the bottom of the depth chart if the Phillies make a call-up down the road.
Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.
The All-Time Roster Of MLB Players From the Philadelphia Area
1. Joey Wendle (SS)
Wendle grew up in Chester County before attending West Chester University. He’s put together a solid major league career as a reliable infielder for four different teams. He finished fourth in voting for the AL Rookie of the Year and made an All-Star appearance in 2021. Wendle was born in Wilmington, DE.
2. Mike Trout (OF)
Phillies fans have been calling for Mike Trout to return “home” since he broke out as the AL Rookie of the Year in 2012. The pride of Millville, NJ has won three AL MVP Awards with the Los Angeles Angels, and his statistical prime was as good as any major leaguer in the history of the game. He won three MVP awards in six seasons from 2014-2019.
Catch Mike Trout as a celebrity fan at Eagles home games.
3. Reggie Jackson (OF)
Mr. October was one of the best playoff performers in MLB history. Jackson won five World Series and made 14 All-Star appearances in 21 major league seasons, most notably with the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees. He entered the Hall of Fame in 1993. Jackson was born in Abington, PA.
4. Paul Goldschmidt (1B)
Goldschmidt established himself as one of the hardest-hitting sluggers of the 2010s. The first baseman spent eight years with the Arizona Diamondbacks before moving to the St. Louis Cardinals in his 30s.
He won his first National League MVP with the St. Louis Cardinals after previously finishing sixth or higher in voting five times. He was born in Wilmington, DE.
5. Mike Piazza (DH)
Mike Piazza grew up in Phoenixville, PA. The Los Angeles Dodgers found an all-time steal in the 62nd round of the 1988 MLB Draft.
He built the basis of his Hall of Fame resume in seven seasons with the Dodgers and eight with the New York Mets. He was the best offensive catcher in the league during the 1990s and early 2000s.
8. Christian Walker (3B)
The pool of third basemen isn’t very deep, so a Gold Glover at first base would need to make the transition. Christian Walker grew up in Norristown and attended the former Kennedy-Kenrick before his MLB career began.
Phillies fans remember his contributions to the NLCS upset in 2023. Walker was a key piece of the National League champion Arizona Diamondbacks.
9. Phil Gosselin (2B)
The utility infielder isn’t the most accomplished baseball player in this hypothetical lineup. However, he earned a spot with a respectable career as a journeyman who recognized his role and mastered it.
Phil Gosselin became a high school star at local powerhouse Malvern Prep. He dropped one of the best feel-good lines in Philly sports history after a bases-clearing double early in his first season with the Phillies in 2019.
“I’ve been up with the bases loaded a lot for the Phillies. It was just in my backyard as a kid, and it didn’t really count.” –Phil Gosselin
SP- Zac Gallen
Every soul in South Jersey seems to have a connection to Zac Gallen or his family members. The Arizona Diamondbacks ace has flirted with an NL Cy Young Award in the prime years of his career.
His role with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2023 sticks in the heads of Phillies fans. Gallen was the top starter for an Arizona team that stunned the Phillies in the NLCS.
SP- Jamie Moyer
The Phillies acquired Jamie Moyer in 2006 as a veteran deadline acquisition at age 43. He remarkably pitched in parts of five seasons into his late 40s and even pitched for the Colorado Rockies at age 49.
The Souderton, PA native and Saint Joseph’s University graduate became one of the feel-good stories of the 2008 World Series as the local kid who returned home to win the title. He famously dug up the mound at Citizens Bank Park after the Game 6 clincher.
SP- Mark Gubicza
Mark Gubicza spent the better part of the 1980s in the starting rotation for the Kansas City Royals. He won 132 games over a 14-year MLB career. He grew up in Philadelphia and attended Penn Charter.
Gubicza came to the Royals just after they faced the Phillies in the World Series in 1980.
Closer- Joe Kerrigan
Philadelphia will always celebrate a graduate of Father Judge and Temple University. Joe Kerrigan spent only four seasons in major league bullpens.
Kerrigan returned to Philadelphia for a stint as the Phillies pitching coach in 2003 and 2004. He managed Larry Bowa’s staff well during his short tenure.
Middle Relief- Mo’ne Davis
She didn’t make it to the major leagues. We’re aware. However, Mo’ne Davis surprisingly took the sports world by storm during the 2014 Little League World Series. The memorable novelty of a Little League team playing just off South Street deserved acknowledgment in a look back at local baseball history.
Manager- Joe McCarthy
McCarthy won seven World Series in 16 seasons from 1931-1946 as the skipper for the Bronx Bombers. The Yankees must’ve thought highly of him if they ignored interest from Babe Ruth to become their manager. The decision certainly paid off.
He grew up playing baseball in Germantown.
