Philadelphia Phillies’ Right-Handed Bat Need Should Be Solved by Marcus Thames

I’m about to do something unheard of in sports journalism.  I am going to write an entire article about Marcus Thames.  Yes, that Marcus Thames, the 33-year-old outfielder who hit .288 with 12 HR for the Yankees last year.  The one the Yankees haven’t re-signed.

Why am I writing about Thames?  Because he would be the perfect addition to the cash strapped Phillies roster.  We all know the Phillies lineup is too left-handed heavy.  We all know they need a right-handed bat that can platoon a little bit in the outfield and provide depth.

Why not Marcus Thames, a guy who has made a career of killing left handed pitching?  Thames has hit more than 25 HR twice in his career and is known as a left-handed specialist. 

He has limitations in the field, which hurt his value, but that would not be a huge deal for the Phillies.  If you platoon him in left field with Ibanez, I can’t imagine you are losing much defensively going from Ibanez to Thames.  You can also take him out late in games for defensive replacements if need be.

I know what you are thinking, this guy is way too excited about signing a journeyman outfielder.  Maybe so, but let me ask you, is there anyone else on the market that makes more sense than Thames? 

His strength, hitting left-handed pitching, is exactly what the Phillies need.  His contract will be in the Phillies’ range.  He has power, which will come out big time at the band box that is Citizens Bank Park.  His defense can’t possibly be worse than Raul Ibanez’s, so there won’t be much of a loss there.

How many other guys who have hit 25+ HRs twice in the last few years are available for so little money?  Not many.  I am here to tell you the Phillies should sign Thames because it makes too much sense not to.  You don’t have to give up anything to get him and he doesn’t demand a lot of salary.

Sounds like the perfect solution to me.

So please Phillies, make it happen. Thames in Phillies red in 2011!

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Philadelphia Phillies: Should They Trade Joe Blanton?

With the Fab Four of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels already locked up in their starting rotation, do the Phillies still need Joe Blanton? 

The righty has two years left on his contract, which will earn him a total of $17 million dollars.

In his two and a half years with the Phillies, Blanton has a combined record of 25-14 with an average 4.36 ERA in 72 starts. For a fifth starter in the rotation, these are pretty good numbers.

In comparison, Kyle Kendrick has a 25-20 record with a 4.55 ERA in 63 starts since the 2008 season. The statistics are similar, but it should also be noted that Kendrick spent a good amount of time bouncing back and forth from the majors to the minors in 2009. 

And last year, Blanton spent time on the disabled list.

Another alternative for the fifth starter position is rookie Vance Worley. In two starts with the Phillies in 2010, Worley pitched 13 innings and recorded a 1.38 ERA. Between AA and AAA last year, Worley recorded a combined 10-7 record with a 3.36 ERA over 27 starts. But Worley is still a big unknown; he is young and lacks experience.

With these options, it seems that either Blanton or Kendrick would be the best fit for the role. If the Phillies are concerned with payroll, trading Blanton may be a good idea as Kendrick is still under team control.

When asked if payroll would move him to trade Blanton, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told the media, “I really don’t have to do anything.”

A lower payroll would help if Amaro has other future moves in mind, however, it does not appear to be necessary right now.

If money is not a true motivator at this times, the Phillies may be better served to keep Blanton. Having both Blanton and Kendrick provides tremendous pitching depth. In the event that one of the Fab Four gets injured, the decision to then move Kendrick into the rotation to fill the hole should be a no-brainer.

Blanton also has experience in eight different playoff series, including two World Series. Kendrick pitched less than four innings in the 2007 NLDS and has not seen any playoff action since that time.

And if the Phillies start the year off with Halladay, Lee, Oswalt, Hamels and Blanton, then Kendrick can fill a hole in the bullpen as a long reliever. With Chad Durbin still unsigned, there may be a greater need for a long man.

It appears that keeping Blanton is probably a good idea. Of course, if another team makes a good offer, the Phillies still have other options for the fifth spot in the rotation. 

But until the season actually begins, anything can happen.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Which Remaining Free Agents Could the Team Sign?

The Philadelphia Phillies have made a major splash in free agency this past offseason. The only person of note they lost was Jayson Werth, who signed with the Washington Nationals, and they signed Cliff Lee to a deal seemingly out of nowhere.

Beyond that huge signing, most of their contracts were either minor league offers, such as signing Kevin Cash, and re-signing their own free agents, like Jose Contreras.

Nonetheless, the team still has a couple voids remaining. They could use a number five starter, although they don’t seem to be in a hurry to trade Joe Blanton. Having an extra proven lefty alongside J.C. Romero could help as well.

While Ruben Amaro has noted that he’s fine with the roster as is, here are some players that the Phillies could bring in.

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Ed Wade Strikes Again: Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros Swap Spare Parts

The Philadelphia Phillies and their fans are very familiar with Ed Wade and his work.

When Wade assumed the role of General Manager with the Phillies in 1998, he made trades and signings that never sat well with the fans.

During his tenure with the Phillies, he traded franchise cornerstones Curt Schilling and Scott Rolen for little return and made questionable signings on the free agent market, committing multi-year deals to players like Jose Mesa, David Bell, Jim Thome and Jon Lieber.

The Phillies consistently underperformed under his reigns, posting a record of 643-652 during his tenure.

Needless to say, when he was relieved of his duties after the 2005 season, there weren’t many Phillies fans losing sleep over the team’s decision.

After Wade was long gone, however, the fruits of his labor began to produce for the Phillies. Players drafted under his watch, including Pat Burrell, Ryan Madson, Brett Myers, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, Kyle Kendrick and JA Happ, all formed part of the core of the Phillies team that won the World Series in 2008.

Other players that Wade drafted, including Happ, Lou Marson, Josh Outman, Michael Bourn, Geoff Geary and Michael Costanzo would be part of packages that would land the Phillies integral pieces like Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, Joe Blanton and Brad Lidge.

He also signed a number of amateur free agents, including Carlos Ruiz and Carlos Carrasco, who would eventually become yet another piece to the Lee trade.

So, while his tenure didn’t pay immediate dividends for the Phillies, his stint as General Manager provided crucial pieces to today’s team. Wade would go on to become the General Manager of the Houston Astros on September 20, 2007 and has kept in touch with the Phillies ever since.

One of the first deals he made as the General Manager of the Astros was to send closer Brad Lidge and utility infielder Eric Bruntlett to the Phillies for prospects Michael Bourn and Mike Costanzo and reliever Geoff Geary.

He has signed many former Phillies, including Brett Myers and Pedro Feliz.

This trend continued right into 2010, as he traded the long-time face of the Astros’ franchise, Roy Oswalt, to the Phillies for JA Happ, Jonathan Villar and Anthony Gose.

On January 11, 2011, Ed Wade struck again.

On a much smaller scale than the Lidge and Oswalt deals, the Phillies and Astros swapped minor leaguers Sergio Escalona and Albert Cartwright.

When asked about the deal, Wade said, “Sergio adds depth to the competition for left-handers in our bullpen. Our scouts have liked his stuff and believe he’s got a chance to be very effective in left-on-left situations.”

Escalona, 26, is going to need a chance at the major league level to prove Wade right. His brief stint in the major leagues with the Phillies in 2009 didn’t yield impressive results. He appeared in 14 games and posted a record of 1-0 and an ERA of 4.61. He struggled with command, walking more than three and striking out just over six batters per nine innings in that span of time.

Wade is relying heavily on his numbers in the minor leagues. In 2010, Escalona spent the season with the Phillies AA affiliate, posting a record of 4-8 and an ERA of 3.81. He’s had tremendous success at AA, posting ERAs of 2.22 and 1.77 in 2008 and 2009 respectively, but has struggled at AAA and in the majors.

If he wants to break camp with the Astros, he’s going to have to beat out fellow lefties Wesley Wright, Fernando Abad and Gustavo Chacin.

The Phillies, on the other hand, added much-needed depth to their system’s middle infield.

Cartwright, 23, has played second base in the Astros system over the last four seasons. He’s had a few very streaky seasons, and struggled at AA in 2010. However, he also played in 92 games at A+ ball, hitting .318/.381/.551, with 10 home runs.

Though an extremely high BABIP of .389 suggests those numbers will come down some, the potential for improvement is there.

The Phillies, who designated Escalona for assignment this week, were lucky to get anything in return for him. When the opportunity to swap him for a middle infielder presented itself, they were quite satisified.

Cartwright won’t be the next Chase Utley, but he’ll join other middle infielders Michael Martinez, Harold Garcia, Freddy Galvis, Brian Bocock and Carlos Rivero as the Phillies attempt to find another diamond in the rough.

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MLB Rumors: 10 Reasons Phillies Can’t Risk Playing Hard Ball with Cole Hamels

With the Philadelphia Phillies picking up Cliff Lee in a deal that shocked all of baseball last month, there has been a lot of talk about the how good the Phillies current rotation is, which ranks probably within the best five rotations in baseball history. The 2011 Phillies rotation compares to the rotations of the Atlanta Braves from the mid-1990s, the 1971 Orioles with Jim Palmer, and the 1966 Dodgers with Sandy Koufax.

Sadly for the Phillies fans, this rotation has a life of probably no more than two years. After the 2011 season, two of the pitchers of this potentially legendary rotation could be seeking new contracts. Cole Hamels’ contract ends after this season, and Roy Oswalt has a $16 million club option for the 2012 season. It is possible that the option might occur for 2012, but he is only 33 and may be seeking a multi-year contract following 2011.

Assuming that Oswalt will be looking for an opportunity following 2011 to find a multi-year deal to retire with, it is vitally important for the Phillies to sign Hamels to a contract very soon in order to avoid a contract war. Hamels is not eligible to be a free agent until after the season of 2012, but he is due arbitration following this coming season, which would put his value much higher than his current contract. The 2010-2011 offseason has seen a great deal of pitcher changes, and the Phillies need to insure soon that Hamels is not among that list for next season.

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Philadelphia Phillies’ Fire Arms: 10 Bold Predictions for the Phillies Pitchers

December 15, 2009: The Philadelphia Phillies acquire right-handed pitcher and AL Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay and Seattle prospects Phillippe Aumont, Tyson Gillies and J.C. Ramirez in a blockbuster trade that sent left-handed pitcher and reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee and Phillies prospects Michael Taylor, Travis d’Arnaud and Kyle Drabek to Seattle and Toronto.

July 29, 2010: The Philadelphia Phillies trade away left-handed starting pitcher and top prospect J.A. Happ, and prospects Jonathan Villar and Anthony Gose to Houston for right-handed starting pitcher Roy Oswalt.  This acquisition was seen as a redemption-like move for Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. since he had traded away Cliff Lee for prospects that are yet to show any sign of brilliance.  

With this rotation, the Phillies finished off the last 68 games of their season by going a whopping 49-19!  However, the “Big Three” were not enough to go to the World Series, as the offense was shut down by the San Francisco Giants’ “Big Four.”  

The Giants went on to win the World Series and the Phillies were left with many unanswered questions, but none pertaining to the rotation.  The rotation seemed set for the 2011 season and the main focus was set on the bullpen and in right field, or at least we thought..

December 14, 2010: The Philadelphia Phillies pull one of the biggest upsets of the decade and sign left-handed pitcher Cliff Lee, who was universally expected to sign with the New York Yankees or Texas Rangers.  They signed him to a five-year $120 million contract with a sixth year option.  

This astonishing move startled writers, fans and even players.  With this “Big Four,” the expectations of Philadelphia fans for the 2011 season are higher than ever and the four aces are now expected to perform at a historic level.  

It is almost difficult to remember that there are other pitchers on the Phillies, such as: RHP closer Brad Lidge, RHP set-up man Ryan Madson, LHP reliever J.C Romero, RHP starter Joe Blanton (who could be traded before the season begins), RHP starter Kyle Kendrick and RHP starter and rookie Vance Worley.

The only question that still stands for Philadelphia fans about their pitchers is how they will perform this coming season?  Here are 10 predictions about the Phillies pitchers that may answer some questions: 

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Philadelphia Phillies: Give Vance Worley the 5th Spot in the Rotation

Vance who?

Vance Worley was selected in the third round of the 2008 MLB Amateur Player Draft.

He became one of the Phillies’ top pitching prospects, and perhaps the top pitching prospect after Kyle Drabek, son of former Cy Young Award Winner, Doug Drabek, was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in the Roy Halladay deal.

After pitching his way through the minor leagues, he made his major league debut in a relief appearance v. the Colorado Rockies, pitching a scoreless ninth inning and recording two punch-outs. In his first major league start he was a victim of lack of run support even though he only allowed two earned runs with six hits.

In his short big-league career he is 1-1 with a 1.38 ERA.

Worley features a two-seam and four-seam fastball, a slider, curve ball, and cutting fastball. He’d be in a rotation with four great starters to take the pressure off him. He’d learn from great starters and be the young infusion that the aging Phillies may need.

The choice of the fifth spot could be an inconsistent Joe Blanton, or a very inconsistent Kyle Kendrick. Blanton and Kendrick had a combined 20-16 record with 218 K’s. However, each had a ERA over 4.70 (Kendrick—4.73 and Blanton—4.82). 

Big Joe Blanton is 30 years old and Kyle Kendrick is 26, but Worley could be a better pitcher in the long run, but only time would tell.

On a side note, if you don’t put him in the rotation, put him in the ‘pen. I mean, anyone—or anything—is better than Danys Baez.

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Dilemma in Philly: Whom Do the Phillies Play in Right Field in 2011?

The Phillies are going into the 2011 season with sky-high expectations. Of course, they earned those expectations with a rotation of the god-like right arm of Roy Halladay, big free agent signing Cliff Lee, 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels, and former 20-game winner Roy Oswalt. But, like an old cliche says, “Nobody is perfect.” The Phillies have one big flaw, and that is right field. The dilemma grows in Philadelphia, and everybody is uncertain who will play in right field for the Phillies with the loss of Jayson Werth. Here are a few options for the Phillies in 2011:

1. Ross Gload

Ross Gload is a great pinch hitter. Not an everyday player. Charlie Manuel has already expressed his concerns in Gload as a fielder. Gload, typically an infielder, does not have much experience in the outfield. Last season, as mostly a pinch hitter, Gload hit .281 and had 128 total at-bats. He added six HRs and 22 RBI. Gload’s left-handed bat would overload the Phillies lineup with lefties and switch hitters like Raul Ibanez, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Shane Victorino and Jimmy Rollins. Teams could strategically tear the Phillies apart with late-inning left-handed specialist relievers.

 

2. Ben Francisco

Ben Francisco is a very legitimate answer to the Phillies’ right field problem. Last season, he hit .268 with 6 HRs and 28 RBI. Francisco was a starter on rest days for Raul Ibanez and Jayson Werth, and usually a defensive substitution for Ibanez in late innings. Francisco has decent speed, which will make up for some of the lost speed in Jayson Werth. Francisco, a tested veteran, could be a valuable asset for the Phillies in 2011.

 

3. Domonic Brown

Domonic Brown is the Phillies’ biggest up-and-coming prospect. Last year, in a short stint in the majors, Brown hit two HRs and drove in 13 RBI. He hit .210. One of his two home runs was a towering shot that broke the 400′ mark, and landed in the second deck of Citizens Bank Park.

In 65 games in Double-A Reading last season, Brown hit 15 HRs and drove in 47 runs. In 28 games in Triple-A Lehigh Valley, he hit five HRs and drove in 21 runs—very impressive numbers. Also, to add on to those, he stole a total of 18 bases in double and triple-A ball.

Brown has very good speed, which would definitely replace that of Werth. Brown also has a rocket arm. He might not be ready for the majors yet, and that showed last year, but he is our right fielder of the future. Brown has postseason expierence, which many rookies coming into the league lack.

Another option is John Mayberry, Jr. He is a long shot for making the team, but certainly will be a consideration. He has great speed and power and is a decent fielder. He has six home runs in 69 major league at bats. Not to mention, Mayberry’s genes have baseball in them. John Mayberry, Sr. was a great player for the Kansas City Royals. Mayberry will most likely end up in the minors, but there’s a chance the Phillies will keep him up in the majors.

All in all, the Phillies, year after year, have made the right moves when needed and always get the job done. All fans have confidence in the Phillies front office, and if their outfield does not produce, look for a move to be made at the trade deadline. The Phillies in the end will make the right choice and have success in 2011.

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Roy Halladay Hall-Worthy? What The Future Holds For The Phillies’ Ace

The first week in January is one of baseball’s most exciting time periods.

Sure, the regular season has been in hibernation for a few months, and a World Series champion has been crowned. The Hot Stove is cooling down quickly, with most big name free agents having already been signed to lucrative deals.

However, during that first week in January, grown men who have given their lives to the game of baseball wait by their telephones like children wait by the tree on Christmas morning, waiting for a call that welcomes them into baseball immortality—the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

On January 5, 2010, the Hall of Fame welcomed two newcomers into it’s elite ranks—second baseman, Roberto Alomar, and right handed pitcher, Bert Blyleven. They come from different walks of life.

Alomar, who hails from Ponce, Puerto Rico, spent just two years on the ballot before having his plaque engraved. On the other hand, Blyleven, born in Zeist, Netherlands, spent 15 years on the ballot before achieving greatness.

More than anything, this got me to thinking—how many of today’s great players will one day be enshrined in Cooperstown?

Narrowing that down even further, I wondered, “Just how good is Roy Halladay?”

Halladay, 33, completed a smooth transition into the National League in 2010, posting a record of 21-10 with the Philadelphia Phillies.

He took the National League by storm, finishing first in the NL in wins (21), innings pitched (250.2), CG (9), BB/9 (1.08), LOB % (82.7%), and WAR (6.6).

He finished second in a number of other categories, including strikeouts (219), and third in other categories, including ERA (2.44), pitching his way to the National League Cy Young Award, the second Cy Young Award of his career.

According to the Baseball Writer’s Association of America, Halladay was, without a doubt, the best pitcher in the National League in 2010. Though voting was completed before the post-season, the baseball world would know of Halladay’s lore before the award was announced.

On May 29, 2010, Halladay threw a perfect game against the Florida Marlins, and a few months later, on October 6, 2010, he threw a second no-hitter, this time against the Cincinnati Reds.

He became just the second pitcher in the history of baseball to throw a post-season no-hitter—the first since Don Larsen of the New York Yankees threw arguably the greatest game of all time, a perfect game against the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game Five of the 1956 World Series.

Halladay’s 2010 accomplishments have been well documented, but the most recent season was far from an oddity for the man who also won the American League Cy Young Award in 2003, as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.

During that season, he posted a record of 22-7, with stats that nearly mirrored those he posted in 2010, creating the argument that moving to the National League added years to the ace’s career.

Premature as it may be, we must ask ourselves—”Are we witnessing one of the greatest pitcher’s of all time? Will this man eventually have a spot in Cooperstown?”

There is plenty of evidence to support his case.

Through the first 13 years of his career (which includes just two games in 1998), Halladay has posted a career record of 169 – 86, to go along with a career ERA of 3.32.

Over the course of his career, he has won 20 games three times, and in 2003, came close by winning 19.

He posted an ERA under four 11 times in his career and—more impressively—posted ERA’s below three, six times, including a rookie season that boasted an ERA below two.

His resume already includes some very impressive feats, including winning the Cy Young Award twice, being selected as an All-Star seven times, being named the Starting Pitcher of the Year in 2010, leading the league in wins twice, and throwing two no-hitters.

Though his accomplishments are impressive to date, his career is far from over.

He has yet to rank in the top 50 in any of the major pitching categories, though that can change the longer he extends his career.

The common benchmark for pitching is wins, and 300 is the “guarantee marker.” Well, in order for Roy Halladay to win 300 games by the age of 40, he would have to average 19 wins per season over the next seven seasons.

Though it is possible, it is also unlikely.

On the other hand, the Baseball Hall of Fame finally opened it’s doors to Bert Blyleven in 2011, and his resume featured just 287 wins, though he was on the ballet for an incredible 15 years, the last of his eligibility.

According to Baseball-Reference.com’s Similarity Scores (through age 33), Halladay ranks favorably among two Hall of Fame pitchers —Carl Hubbell and Jim Bunning.

Through age 33, Hubbell posted a record of 170 – 94, with an ERA of 2.79.

He played for a total of 16 seasons with the New York Giants, and finished with a career record of 253 – 154, with an ERA of 2.98.

He threw an incredible 3,590.1 innings over the entirety of his career with the Giants, and finished with an impressive accolades resume of his own, including nine All-Star selections, two National League MVP awards, and the ability to call himself a World Champion, something Halladay has yet to do in his career.

Bunning’s line through age 33 featured much of the same.

Through his first 11 seasons, Bunning posted a record of 156 – 104, and an ERA of 3.53. Over the course of his career with the Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Los Angeles Dodgers, he posted a record of 224 – 184, with an ERA of 3.27.

Like many Hall of Fame pitchers, he boasts several career accolades, including nine All-Star selections and pitching a perfect game.

Though Carl Hubbell and Jim Bunning pitched in a different era, where many starting pitchers threw complete games and logged ridiculous amounts of innings with incredible frequency, the fact of the matter remains the same—through the first 13 years of his career, Roy Halladay has pitched like a potential Hall of Famer.

He already boasts several of the game’s greatest feats, including winning the Cy Young Award in both leagues, being selected as an All-Star in both leagues, leading both leagues in wins, and throwing multiple no-hitters, including a perfect game.

If, over the course of the next seven seasons, Halladay can compile 55 more wins, which seems like a great possibility, he will have surpassed those of Jim Bunning, and if he can win 84 more games, he will have pulled even with Carl Hubbell.

You can also make the argument that he has already achieved more in the game, minus winning the World Series, than Hubbell or Bunning ever have, and finishing out his career would simply make Halladay a Hall of Fame pitcher.

Several intangibles also give Halladay a boost, in the minds of eligible voters.

In an era plagued by the clouds of steroids and performance enhancing drugs, Halladay has dominated both leagues while never testing positive for a substance. He has never been involved in controversy, and has represented Major League Baseball with the greatest of pride.

So the question remains—Will Roy Halladay be a Hall of Fame pitcher when his career is over?

Based on his track record, it’s hard to believe that he won’t be.

If Jim Bunning and Carl Hubbell are the litmus test, then Halladay arrives in Cooperstown as a First Ballot player. As mentioned, he has already achieved, in just 13 seasons, many of the feats that voters look for—no-hitters, 20-win seasons, and notable awards, including the Cy Young, twice.

Two things, in my mind, would hold him up, assuming he finishes his career on the track he’s heading—new statistics and wins.

We live in an ever-evolving world, and with the introduction of SABRmetrics a few years back, baseball statistics have changed greatly.

With more and more baseball writers familiarizing themselves with said stats, a deeper evaluation of those eligible for the Hall of Fame has gone underway. Though SABRmetrics favor Halladay highly, you never know what the future holds.

In the same regard, Halladay will have to pass at least Bunning in wins at this point, and though he may not be a sure-fire 300-game winner, if anyone has the chance to pitch effectively into his forties’, it is Roy Halladay.

However, with his accomplishments, and a resume that is likely to be added to, it is hard to believe that Halladay won’t win over 250 games, and perhaps, finish his career with just two Cy Young Awards.

Though nothing in baseball is guaranteed, pitchers like Roy Halladay don’t come along often.

The Hall of Fame features just 60 pitchers as of 2011, but several years in the future, the consensus says that Cooperstown will be opening it’s doors for one more, the only question that remains is—what hat will he wear?

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RISP Factor: A Key Element in Determining Philadelphia Phillies’ Wins or Losses

Since the Washington Nationals signed Jayson Werth to a mega deal for $126 million over seven years in December, the Philadelphia Phllies lost Werth’s ability to hit for power, which is a valuable asset to have in a player.  However, power is not necessarily what makes or breaks a team.  Many teams are very successful by playing small ball baseball or contact hitting.

A player does not need to swing for the fences every time he steps up to the plate.  Getting hits at the right time often determines when a team will win.  It is especially important for a team to get hits with runners in scoring position (RISP).  Although Werth was a dangerous offensive weapon when he was in Philadelphia, the Phillies will still be able to still have an explosive offense as long as they can continue to clutch hit with RISP.

In 2010, the Phillies had the best regular season record in baseball at 97-65.  The Phillies were largely able to win games when they were able to hit well with RISP.  In 2010, the Phillies batted .262 with runners in scoring position, with 371 hits in 1,415 attempts.

However, when the Phillies won a game, their batting average with runners in scoring position was .300, with 295 hits in 984 attempts.  In contrast, for the games that the Phillies lost, their batting average with runners in scoring position was only .176, with 76 hits in 431 attempts.  If the Phillies are able to have a high average in 2011 with runners in scoring position, they can be the same offensive team that they were last year.

The Phillies may no longer have as much power at the plate, but they do have a great potential to win games by playing small ball, which is also strengthened by the fact that the Phillies have four ace starting pitchers.  RISP is a key factor in determining if a team will win games, and if the Phillies can average the same or improve upon their 2010 RISP, the team will have great results in 2011.

By the way, it should be noted that although Werth is a good power hitter, his batting average with runners in scoring position for 2010 was 186. He certainly was not a key contributor to aiding the team’s average with RISP.

Also, since I have recently been plugging Ben Francisco to be the full time starter, it is appropriate to note that Francisco batting average and on base percentage are at their peak with runners in scoring position. Francisco’s batting average for 2010 was .268, and his on base percentage was .327. However, with runners in scoring positions, those percentages were increased to .306 and .386, respectively.

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