Phillies Fans Need To Be Less Obsessed With Prospects
Prospects are fun. They represent hope for the future. I love looking at updated prospect rankings to see if any Phillies guys are there. But I am begging Phillies fans, stop obsessing over them as much as you do,
When the Phillies made a trade for Carlos Esteves, without giving up any of their prized prospects, I was ecstatic. I didn’t think there was any reason to dislike the trade. They got a great arm to bolster the bullpen, without giving up their best assets.
Related: Carlos Estevez Heading To Phillies For 2 Pitching Prospects
Then I made the mistake of going to Twitter. I saw people losing their minds because they traded George Klassen. A 22-year old pitcher still in single A, who as of yet is not a top 100 prospect.
I am not going to put down Klassen. He might turn into a fine player. But I am also not going to anoint him the next Jacob deGrom because he was putting up great numbers in Low A ball. But that is exactly who Phillies fans seem to think they gave up.
All Prospects Are Lottery Tickets
I am not someone who wants to give up every single prospect. Teams that have long-term success need to have young affordable players constantly coming through their system. This is why the Phillies held onto their top 3 guys, Andrew Painter, Justin Crawford, and Aiden Miller.
But prospects are all, even the best ones, lottery tickets. Dom Brown was one of the best prospects in the league. what did he become? We heard similar things about Spencer Howard that we now hear about Klassen, where is he? Sixto Sanchez and Kyle Drabek were called untouchable.
It is more likely Klassen never pitches in the Majors than he becomes a solid pitcher. Carlos Estevez may already have more seasons pitched than the two pitching prospects the Phillies gave up will ever have combined.
We have been burned by it a ton. We have gotten excited, only to see these players never make it. Scott Kingery, Maikel Franco, Cody Asche, Nick Williams. The list goes on and on. You think we would learn our lesson. But no. George Klassen had 3 good months as a 22-year-old in Low A, so he is a future Ace.
Carlos Estevez Helps Them Now
The Phillies best shot to win a World Series is now. This team is special. I know they are slumping, but they still have the best record in baseball and seem poised to make some noise come October.
George Klassen does nothing to help them win this year, or even next year. Carlos Estevez dopes help them achieve that goal. He has been among the best closers in the league this season. Like Jeff Hoffman, he seemed to have finally figured it out at 31 years old and has been near untouchable.
They needed bullpen help. Everyone agreed this bullpen could use more high-powered arms. They got one of the best names on the market and kept their best prospects in-house. That is a win.
“You Should Have Gotten More Value”
An argument I have seen is that people are not upset they traded Klassen, they just wish they got more value for him.
Sorry to tell you, this is the market. The new post-season rules make it so most teams are still in contention. Most teams were looking to add, with only a handful of sellers.
Some teams need outfielders, some want a starter, and some want infielders. Everyone wants bullpen help. There is not a contending team out there that would not benefit from adding another arm. They are going to cost something.
No team is going to take a player with no potential. You can’t just send them Simon Muzzioti. Whoever you gave up, had to be a decent prospect. Getting it done while protecting your top 100 guys, is a good thing.
Klassen is a guy with no clear future in the organization. Cashing in on his good season in Single-A, to get someone who can help them this season, is great value. Is it an overpay? If it helps them win a World Series, no. I would give up 100 George Klassen’s to get a World Series.
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MLB All-Star Game: Record 8 Phillies To Represent National League
Bryce Harper
.303/.399/.582
20 home runs, 58 RBI
8th All-Star SelectionBaseball’s greatest showman lands in the headlines constantly. Whether it’s the creative headbands and cleats or the signature celebration slide in the MLB London Series, Bryce Harper is the face of baseball.
Will he compete in the MLB All-Star Game though? The Phillies placed Harper on the 10-day IL on June 28 with no definitive timetable for his return. The league surely wants him at the midsummer classic. He’s an ideal contestant for the Home Run Derby, but Harper and the Phillies also have his long-term health in mind.
Bryce Harper has shown yet another instance of his otherworldly qualities transitioning to a new full-time position at first base. He’s graded as a plus defender already, but he still has room for improvement in the daily fundamentals of a position he hasn’t played very long.
The two-time NL MVP will compete for more hardware if his stint on the IL doesn’t ruin his chances. He ranks seventh in the majors in WAR despite fewer at-bats than the six other top-tier superstars ahead of him.
His .981 OPS ranks fifth in the majors, and he was on pace for a career high 43 home runs before the injury. Harper has hit .391 with runners in scoring position this season, the second best among qualified hitters.
Harper remarkably earned NL Player of the Month honors in May and June. He is the unquestioned superstar and face of the franchise chasing the elusive World Series title in his 13th MLB season.
Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images
Alec Bohm
.296/.346/.487
11 home runs, 70 RBI
1st All-Star SelectionThe narrative surrounding Alec Bohm is as interesting as his performance in the middle of Philadelphia’s lineup this season.
The homegrown third baseman didn’t look like he’d stick full time at the position during the infamous “I f—ing hate this place” game in 2022.
He spoke with admirable humility after earning his first All-Star appearance two years later.
“It’s obviously one of those things that kinda just makes you think about all the time and all the games you’ve played. The good ones, the bad ones. It makes it all worth it… You play baseball long enough, it’s not always going to be pretty but a lot of those failures and a lot of that stuff are teaching moments, too. Little ways to make yourself better in the long run. I think all of it’s kinda happened exactly how it should. It’s brought me to where I am today.” -Alec Bohm (via NBC Sports Philadelphia)
The 27-year-old unquestionably deserves the accolades over bigger names like Nolan Arenado or Austin Riley.
Only Aaron Judge, Jose Ramirez, and Marcell Ozuna have driven home more runs than Alec Bohm in 2024. The former third-overall pick leads the majors with 30 doubles.
Development in specific areas of the game has driven his overall value to the Phillies. While he’ll probably never compete for a Gold Glove at third base, his steady improvement has allowed the entire lineup to fall into place defensively for a team that looked like it was made up of DHs only two years ago.
Bohm’s abilities to cover the whole plate with his swing and hit to all fields have always been a key element of his talent as a hitter.
However, he’s improved his power numbers by developing a stronger pull swing that’s helped him rack up the extra-base hits. He’ll also participate in the Home Run Derby.
The All-Star appearance should become one of the proudest moments of Alec Bohm’s career.
Trea Turner
.335/.381/.498
7 home runs, 23 RBI
3rd All-Star SelectionMLB rate stats require 3.1 at-bats to qualify as a league leader. Trea Turner isn’t one of the 11 NL shortstops to make the cut.
Go ahead and debate the merits of the voting process that elected a player who missed 38 games in the first half of the season. However, the fans vote for the players they’d like to see most in an event designed to promote baseball.
Turner has been excellent in the 51 games he’s played for the Phillies, however.
The same star shortstop from late in the 2023 season showed up to begin the 2024 season. Turner hit .343 with an .852 OPS through May 3, when he rounded third to (successfully) steal home and suffered a hamstring injury that kept him out until June 17.
The 2021 NL batting champ picked up where he left off in the two-hole for Rob Thomson. His two-run single capped off an excellent comeback against the Miami Marlins on June 30 two days after Harper and Kyle Schwarber went to the IL. He carried the offense again with the two sluggers out in a series-opening win at Wrigley Field two days later.
Turner has raised his OPS to .879. He’s stolen 11 bases in 12 tries, and his perfect form slide is an x-factor the stats can’t quantify.
While his glove hasn’t impressed consistently, Turner ranks second in batting average behind only Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians among hitters with 170 plate appearances.
Zack Wheeler
9-4, 2.74 ERA, 0.99 WHIP (18 starts)
2nd All-Star SelectionThe ace of the staff went 3-0 with a 1.95 ERA during the 2023 MLB Playoffs. The domination pushed Dave Dombrowski to sign Zack Wheeler to a three-year extension worth over $41 million in average annual value.
Wheeler has shown why he’s worth that kind of money. He is one of only three MLB pitchers with an ERA under 3.00, a WHIP under 1.00, an opponent batting average under .200, and over 100 innings pitched.
He’s struck out at least 10 batters in three different starts in 2024. Wheeler brings the heat with a four-seam fastball that clocks at 96 miles per hour consistently, but he also mixes pitches well to help establish a standard the Phillies staff shoots for.
Philadelphia’s starters attack hitters as well as any MLB starting rotation. Their ace leads by example and gives less experienced pitchers like Ranger Suarez and Cristopher Sanchez someone to emulate.
The 34-year-old right-hander has even drawn comparisons to Roy Halladay because of his competitive demeanor and intense focus. He’s listed as the NL Cy Young favorite by most sportsbooks.
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
Ranger Suarez
10-3 , 2.58 ERA, 1.02 WHIP (18 starts)
1st All-Star SelectionRanger Suarez unexpectedly led the major leagues in ERA through the first half of 2024. He pitched 32 consecutive scoreless innings in April, using his off-speed pitches to make opposing hitters look helpless.
His two most recent starts have dropped his stats out of the top tier of MLB starters. However, his 1.02 WHIP, one of the predictive stats for pitchers, still ranks 11th in the majors.
Phillies fans have known the cool, confident demeanor of Ranger Suarez from his MLB debut in 2018 to his breakout season in 2021 to his spot as a key piece of a World Series hopeful team in 2024. They’ve come to expect business as usual when he takes the mound every fifth game.
The Venezuelan southpaw has finally drawn national attention this season. He’s a legitimate candidate for NL Cy Young past the midway point.
Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
Matt Strahm
36 games , 1.59 ERA, 0.82 WHIP
1st All-Star SelectionThe Phillies locked up Matt Strahm to a two-year extension just before the 2024 season began. The 32-year-old journeyman has made Dave Dombrowski look like a genius for his foresight.
Strahm allowed two earned runs in ⅓ of an inning on Opening Day against the Atlanta Braves. He went on an absolute tear as Rob Thomson’s “Swiss army knife” out of the bullpen.
The Phillies have utilized the veteran lefty in high-leverage spots throughout the season.
“I trust him as much as anybody really. He’s throwing the baseball really well right now, as good as I’ve seen him to tell you the truth… His fastball is really getting on people. His secondary pitches are good. He has no heartbeat. He really lives for those moments.” -Rob Thomson
Strahm told Andrew Salciunas during spring training that he allowed a big hit to Carson Wentz in his last high school game when the two future professionals faced each other in North Dakota.
Perhaps he’s trying to make it up to the city of Philadelphia.
Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images
Jeff Hoffman
38 games , 1.21 ERA, 0.88 WHIP (38 games)
1st All-Star SelectionThe Phillies didn’t expect Jeff Hoffman to play a key bullpen role in 2023. They certainly didn’t expect him to overtake Seranthony Dominguez as the top right-hander during the postseason.
They probably didn’t expect him to match his career-best season in 2024. He’s somehow exceeded that statistical output.
Hoffman has developed into a power pitcher whose 6-foot-5 reach and high 90s fastball intimidates opposing hitters. He has earned his role as Thomson’s preferred righty at the back end of one of the best major league bullpens.
While he doesn’t boast the profile of a shutdown closer, Hoffman has been as good as any MLB reliever in 2024.
“We have a lot of talent, whether it’s the young kid Orion (Kerkering) or Alvy (Jose Alvarado), or Ser (Seranthony Dominguez) or (Gregory) Soto, we have so many guys with closing experience, so many guys with experience pitching at the back end. I think that’s going to be a really, really big strength for us not having to necessarily dictate ‘This guy is our 9th inning guy. This guy is our 8th inning guy.’ I think we have so many different weapons that we can use in those situations.” –Jeff Hoffman on 97.5 The Fanatic
Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
BONUS: Cristopher Sanchez
7-4, 2.96 ERA, 1.23 WHIP (18 starts)
1st All-Star SelectionEvery veteran starting pitcher on the market came up in MLB hot stove conversations involving the Phillies. Dave Dombrowski showed confidence in an internal option instead.
Cristopher Sanchez has blossomed into an MLB All-Star at age 27. The best starting rotation in the majors consists of pitchers who feed off each other’s success. Sanchez has benefitted as much as anyone from the presence of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, and other veterans in the clubhouse.
Dombrowski rewarded Sanchez’s outstanding development in June with a four-year contract extension.
The Dominican southpaw outperformed all reasonable expectations with a 1.83 ERA in 10 starts in May and June.
He capped off his NL Pitcher of the Month effort in June with a complete game shutout against the Miami Marlins on June 28. Rob Thomson echoed Dombrowski’s vote of confidence after the dominant performance.
“I’m so proud of this kid because he’s come so far. He’s a dominant pitcher really in Major League Baseball. You saw him a couple years ago. I didn’t think he’d be able to do it, but he’s worked hard. He’s trusted his coaches in the minor leagues, his coaches here, and it’s phenomenal.” -Rob Thomson
The original NL All-Star roster included Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves,. However, the resurgent veteran lefty will start on Sunday, July 14 just two days before the game.
The Phillies extended a franchise record when they received their eighth invitation.
Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images
