Philadelphia Phillies: The Numbers Tell the Story of Historic Phillies Season

Another Phillies game, another Phillies win.  Honestly, I’m not sure what to say anymore.  I’ve run out of superlatives.  This Phillies’ season is simply impossible to put into words.  So instead, I’ll let the numbers do the talking.  And let me tell you, these are some unbelievable numbers. 

42: The Phillies are 42 games over .500 for the first time in franchise history with their league-best record of  88-46.

116: The number of pitches thrown by Roy Oswalt last night while earning his seventh win against the Florida Marlins.  That is his most since coming off the DL.

.330: Hunter Pence’s team-high batting average.  He is 36-for-109 since joining the Phillies and the Phillies are 22-7 since acquiring Pence from the Astros.

27: The number of saves for Ryan Madson in 29 save opportunities after last night’s scoreless ninth in which also had two strikeouts.

13: John Mayberry’s home run total after his two-run blast last night.  He also had three more RBI, bringing his total to 44.

6: It is now six seasons in a row that Ryan Howard has hit over 30 home runs with over 100 RBI, which is a Phillies franchise record.

.110: This is the paltry batting average opponents have managed against Phillies reliever Antonio Bastardo, which is the best in baseball history over the last 50 years. Bastardo has a 1.35 ERA with 66 strikeouts in 53.1 innings pitched. To put it in perspective, Dodgers closer Eric Gagne held hitters to a .133 average in 2003, the year he won the Cy Young Award.

17: The number of hits for Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz in his last 11 starts, during which he has raised his batting average 20 points.  Choooooch!

37.1: Cliff Lee’s leading total in the Phillies pitchers’ informal hitting competition.  Cole Hamels is second with 33.1 and Roy Halladay third with 31.

And last but certainly not least:

19: The Phillies magic number to clinch the NL East division title!

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Philadelphia Phillies: Will They Try To Acquire Aaron Rowand Again?

Andrew Carpenter has been waived by the Philadelphia Phillies and was claimed by the San Diego Padres. This means that the Phillies now have an open spot on the 40-man roster and Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly speculates that spot might soon belong to Aaron Rowand.

Rowand was recently waived by the San Francisco Giants, so the Phillies could grab him for the rest of the season. He would provide some support off the bench as he is batting .286 against left-handed pitchers. Since this has been a weakness for the Phillies, this move does make sense.

Overall, Rowand is batting .233 with four home runs and 24 RBI.

He is remembered best in Philadelphia for going all out every time he played, even though it did lead to some less than desirable results occasionally. He was loved in Philadelphia, so this could be a very popular move with the fans.

The downside to this acquisition would be that Rowand would not be eligible for postseason play. Nevertheless, he might be worth acquiring for a month.

This season, Carpenter appeared in six games for the Phillies and posted a 7.71 ERA. He had a 1.821 WHIP which translates to 12.5 hits per nine innings and 3.9 walks per nine innings—definitely not stellar numbers in the major leagues.

However, he was dominating in AAA Lehigh Valley. In 34 appearances there he went 5-1 with a 1.79 ERA. He also barely allowed any base runners as shown by his 0.978 WHIP.

The other reason for opening up this roster spot could possibly be to prepare for the return of Joe Blanton from the DL. Nevertheless, Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said, “We needed some roster space–just in case.”

Amaro’s quote seems to imply that something unexpected and could happen, so the return of Blanton has been anticipated. We will just have to wait and see what will happen for the Phillies.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Why Vance Worley is the Most Underrated Player in MLB

Even on the days when he takes the mound, Vance Worley is the least talked-about member of the Philadelphia Phillies pitching rotation. With the way Worley has been playing this season, he just may start to finally get the respect he deserves. 

At the beginning of the season, the Philadelphia starting rotation was the most talked about commodity in all of baseball. Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt were all expected to be anchors for the team with the fifth and final spot up for grabs.

As expected, the first three have been nothing short of spectacular. Oswalt, on the other hand, has missed much of the season due to a persisting back injury and is now struggling to return to form.

With injuries to the former Houston Astros hurler as well as veteran Joe Blanton, fans once were understandably worried about how they would round out the pitching rotation. 

They aren’t worried anymore. 

In short, Worley has been phenomenal this year. In 19 games played, the “Vanimal,” as Phillies fans affectionately call him, has posted a 10-1 record with a 2.85 ERA and 90 strikeouts. The Phillies have won 13 consecutive games with Worley as a starter.

That stat gives him and Philadelphia the third-most consecutive start wins in the National League in the last 15 years. 

What’s even more impressive is that he’s done all of this under, and often off, the radar. 

Had Worley been putting up these kinds of numbers on a dismal Astros, Twins or even White Sox pitching staff, the coverage would be different. There he’d be an ace or top three in the rotation for sure.

Instead, Worley basks in the shadows of three MLB titans. The names ahead of him on the depth chart will all likely be written down once it is time to vote for the recipient of the NL Cy Young award. 

Still, in 10 of his 17 starts it is Worley that has allowed only one or fewer runs. Even more impressive is Worley hasn’t lost a start for the Phils since his May 29 game against the New York Mets.

When stats like these go unnoticed, underrated doesn’t even begin to explain it. 

Fortunately for Worley, he’s not entirely underrated in Philadelphia. Fans have not let his astounding accomplishments go unnoticed. “Vanimal” shirts and signs have showed up all over Citizen’s Bank Park and the fans always let Worley know he is appreciated by giving him generous amounts of support at home games. 

Worley has a theory as to why he is such a big hit with Philadelphia fans.

“I think it’s my stupid haircut and glasses more than anything,” he says.

Who doesn’t love a nice Mohawk?  

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MLB Playoffs: Each Contender’s Nightmare October Matchup

In every sport, the postseason is about match-ups.

This was exemplified a year ago when the San Francisco Giants pitching staff neutralized the offensive firepower of the Phillies. The Giants beat the Phillies in six and rode their wave of momentum to their first World Series crown in the city of San Francisco.

In this article, I included the teams that would be in the postseason if the season ended today. I also didn’t include potential World Series combatants; you have to get there first.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Does Domonic Brown Deserve a September Call-Up?

The Philadelphia Phillies once considered Domonic Brown to be untouchable, but now he may be unwanted. Brown’s struggles on the field have put him in a position where he might not even have a spot on the Phillies’ expanded roster.

If you’re unfamiliar with the expanded roster rules, then here’s a quick rundown for you: Teams are comprised of a 40-man roster and for the majority of the season—from April to August. Teams can only use 25 of those players to put together their lineup. But when September rolls around, teams are free to use their full 40-man roster during games.

This is when you typically see teams reward some of their top prospects with Major League playing time. So, when Domonic Brown was sent down to triple-A Lehigh Valley after the Hunter Pence trade, most people assumed that when September rolled around Brown would be called back up almost immediately.

Well, in honor of college football starting this week, let me hit you with a little Lee Corso and say, “Not so fast my friend!”

The first thing holding back any September call-ups is the fact that the Lehigh Valley IronPigs have a week left in their season and are right in the middle of a playoff race. This might seem stupid in the sense that minor-league teams are there to facilitate the needs of major league teams, but in this case I get it.

The Phillies have a comfortable lead in the NL East, and this being the IronPigs’ fourth year of existence, it is the first time they’ve even had a winning season. Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer recently interviewed Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr, and when asked about any minor league call-ups that the team might make, Amaro replied, “We’ll let them play out the season there and see how it goes—unless we have any urgent needs, which right now I don’t think we do.”

If you were wondering about the specifics of the situation, the IronPigs have four games left in their season and are two games back in their division, while also being tied with the Braves‘ triple-A squad in the wild-card race.

But even when that situation plays itself out, the question will still remain: has Brown’s play on the field earned him a spot on the roster? There is no question that Brown, who was Baseball America’s No. 1 prospect in 2010, has all the physical tools to be able to contribute something to this team. The problem is that, ever since being sent down to Lehigh Valley, Brown has struggled mightily, hitting only .217 in August.

Things really took a turn for the worse on Monday when the IronPigs were playing a doubleheader at home. Brown didn’t have a single hit in six at-bats and struck out four times. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he also made several mistakes in the field, misjudging several fly balls and flat out dropping a routine pop up.

It’s one thing to see a player struggle with a position change, even one as seemingly simple as switching from right field to left field. But Brown’s struggles have been compounded with what appears to be a lack of hustle and competitiveness, which actually resulted in him being booed in recent games.

The one saving grace for Dom Brown is the fact that he’s got the skipper on his side. As reported by Matt Gelb, earlier this week when asked about Brown, Charlie Manuel said, “I would definitely recommend him coming back. To us, he’s still a big prospect. We look at him as a guy who has a chance to play for us. There’s no sense in why we shouldn’t bring him back.”

Though, later that same day, Amaro said, “I think he kind of needs to get away,” insinuating that it might be best to send Brown home once the triple-A season ends so he can clear his mind.

While Amaro might be higher up on the chain of command, I think he’ll likely trust Manuel to decide who he wants on his bench. Even with his struggles in the field and at the plate, Brown would be one of the fastest guys on the bench and could help in pinch-running situations. Plus, with the whole 33 games in 31 days schedule, I’m sure Manuel can get Brown a few at-bats to try to break out of his slump and regain a little of his confidence.

In the end, I think bringing back Domonic Brown is absolutely the right move. The risk is minimal and the reward could be substantial. Besides, if he’s not inspired to play better and give his maximum effort while being surrounded by this group of Phillies, then maybe he’s doomed to be one of those athletically gifted players who just can’t put it together on the field.

As a Phillies fan, I’m hoping that the kid figures it out, because he’s got the kind of skills that could really come in handy in a pinch—hit that is.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Ranking Citizens Bank Park’s Top 10 Moments of 2011

The Philadelphia Phillies are the best team in the MLB, and they have had some great moments at home in Citizens Bank Park. Whether it’s Hunter Pence or Cliff Lee making a debut, or it’s an exciting play, there have been a lot of great moments this year.

When a team is 83-46, and 46-22 at home, they are bound to not only be an excellent team but also be exciting to watch.

This Phillies team has battled through injuries and adversity to take over a healthy lead as the No. 1 team in baseball.

There have been many great moments this year, one of which was the best in baseball this season and perhaps beyond. If you want to know what I think could be the greatest moments in a stadium in AT LEAST a decade, keep reading.

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Antonio Bastardo Help Making Ryan Madson Expendable in 2012

With the emergence and improvement of Antonio Bastardo, free agent-to-be Ryan Madson and his lofty price tag have become expendable. Would it be nice if Madson would return? Absolutely. He’s clearly better than any Phillies relievers not named Antonio.

It’s unfortunate, with the future payroll obligations and Madson’s likely $8 million dollar plus multi-year deal, that he cannot return. Bastardo, who is just as good while being five years younger and very cheap, can fill the closer void with Madson’s departure. 

While Bastardo is not as good as his 1.42 ERA might suggest, due to good BABIP(.149) and left on base percentage(93%) luck, he’s still been tremendous, posting a 2.38 SIERA and 2.71 FIP. The primary reason for the jump is his ability to get swing and misses. His contact percentage has dipped below 70 percent, good for eighth among major league relievers with a minimum of 40 innings. Madson has not been too shabby in his own right with a contact percentage just north of 70 percent.

Like Madson’s changeup, Bastardo’s go to pitch has been a devastating slider. According to Fangraphs, his slider has saved 3.81 runs per 100 pitches, good for ninth among relievers in the majors. There will probably be some regression with that number, but it is still very impressive.  

If Bastardo did not progress the way he has, Ruben Amaro Jr. would be in a tough predicament of either overpaying yet another player or risk having a questionable bullpen in 2012. Amaro better offer arbitration in order to receive first round compensation when he signs elsewhere. In the worst-case scenario Madson surprisingly accepts arbitration and we have him for another year at roughly $8 million.  

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Philadelphia Phillies: Ranking the Importance of All Their Injury-Prone Stars

This season, the Philadelphia Phillies have seen over half of their 25-man roster land on the disabled list.

In total, the Phils have sent five infielders, four relief pitchers, three starting pitchers and one outfielder to the DL.

Yet, they have kept on winning.

Thanks to players such as Ryan Howard, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee missing minimal, if any, time, and Michael Martinez, Wilson Valdez and John Mayberry, Jr., coming off the bench, the Phils have hardly skipped a beat this season.

But, as the team begins the final stretch of the regular season, and with the playoffs only a month away, a healthy roster is as important as ever.

While the Phils have had time to adjust to certain injuries, other, more recent trips to the disabled list could deal the team a blow that is difficult to recover from in a short amount of time.

But which of the Phils injury-prone stars this season is the most important the rest of the way, and whose health may have championship implications hinging on it?

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Philadelphia Phillies: Top Outfielders Selected in the 2011 MLB Draft

This is the third and final article covering the Phillies 2011 draft.  Previously, the infield and pitching selections have been recapped.  Now it is time to cover the outfield.

Typically speaking, the Phillies emerge from the draft each year with a glut of ultra-athletic, toolsy but raw outfield prospects.  Sometimes these players hit it big and skyrocket through the system like Domonic Brown.  Other times, these players are duds and stall in A-ball for three years and counting like Anthony Hewitt.

But it has been an approach the Phillies have had a lot of success with.  They have flipped many of these toolsy outfielders (Michael Taylor, Anthony Gose, Greg Golson, Domingo Santana) for players such as Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, John Mayberry Jr. and Hunter Pence.

As previously covered, this year showed a shift in draft emphasis.  There were less toolsy outfielders and much more of a focus on infielders.  Given that the system is well stocked with young outfielders and mostly barren of legitimate infield prospects, that may have been a wise decision.

As a result, the Phils actually only drafted and signed a total of five outfield prospects from this year’s draft. So this is a ranking of those five.

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MLB Playoff Races: How I Anticipate Each Division Winding Up

With a month remaining in the season, I offer up my predictions for the remainder of the season. I attempt to identify which team will win the division and how the rest will shape up.

Some teams made it easy for me, as at least 10 will probably be mathematically eliminated within two weeks.

Other division races were tougher.

For the close races I try to pinpoint why the team in first is in first, why the team I had expected to win the division is in third and so on. 

On the second-to-last slide I list end-of-year standings according to how I expect them to finish. On the last slide, I made an admittedly arbitrary prediction of how the playoffs might unfold, according to the teams I expect to make it there.

For that, I didn’t put a whole lot of analysis into it. I just used what I know about these teams and how the playoffs work. Then, I went with the first result that popped into my head and remained there for longer than a few seconds.

Keep in mind that the best team on paper can lose a short series. Don’t take those predictions too seriously, I fully expect some of them to be wrong.

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