Philadelphia Phillies: Will Domonic Brown Ever Live Up to His Huge Potential?

Domonic Brown has been in the Phillies‘ organization since 2006, when he was 18 years old. He started getting major recognition as a prospect in 2009, when Baseball America ranked him the 48th best prospect in the league, and in 2010 he was named the 15th best.

His numbers in the minor leagues have been amazing, most notably his .980 OPS in 2010, when he split time between Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley. His numbers even earned him a MLB debut in 2010, when he was only 22.

But despite Brown’s great minor league numbers and scouting reports, he has struggled mightily in the majors. In 184 at bats last year, he hit a dismal .245, driving in just 19 RBI and five home runs. On top of this, his fielding is comparable to that of a little-leaguer: committing four errors (in 2011) and misplaying countless balls in left field.

After his disappointing year in 2011, Phillies’ GM Ruben Amaro Jr announced that Brown would spend all of 2012 in the minor leagues with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. This raises the question: will Brown ever be as good as people expect him to be, or is his previous MLB performance a sign of things to come?

The short answer is that Brown, 24, will never be a star player. Scouting reports and past hype have made it seem like Brown could do everything: hit for power, average, run with speed and gun a man down from the outfield.

The truth is that Brown is far from being a wizard in the field, and he has never had a season with more than 25 steals, even in the minors. He does seem to have hitting ability in Triple-A, but against MLB competition, he’s just not good enough.

That doesn’t mean that Brown won’t be a starter in 2013, when he’s a year older and more experienced. Another year in Lehigh Valley will help work on his hitting, and more importantly, his fielding. With Ryne Sandberg as his manager (Sandberg was named the best manager in the minor leagues by Baseball America), he’s in good hands and should progress.

What is most impeding Brown’s progress right now is his confidence. When he was considered a Top Prospect, he could do no wrong; after his failure in the MLB last year, he couldn’t do anything right.

After his demotion last July, Brown hit .227 and made four errors in just 30 games. If the Phillies keep bringing him up the MLB just to send him down again, his confidence, and consequently his numbers, will continue to drop.

The Phillies best bet for Domonic Brown is to trade him. He has been so over-hyped by the media that fans expect him to be the greatest prospect ever, and he’s not. If things go badly for him, fans have no patience and will call for his head on a platter. In an environment where the crowds aren’t as harsh and less is expected of him, he’ll do fine.

But in Philadelphia, Domonic Brown will never live up to his massive potential  

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MLB Philadelphia Phillies: Grading Concerns at Each Position

After a big 2011 season, one would think that concerns for another playoff run would be minimal.

However, the 2012 Phillies are a team that has drawn some considerable concern. This concern generally arises from nagging injuries and lack of major-league-ready depth. After a 102-win season, it certainly isn’t time to hit the panic button yet, but there are a few holes on the team that may become exposed as the season progresses, which ultimately may prove problematic.

The grading system will be as such: An A+ means that there is absolutely no concern at the position. An F means that there is major concern, and that the position will more than likely prove detrimental to the Phillies in 2012. I will be focusing more so on the expected opening day roster, and will not focus as much on possible late season call-ups. 

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Philadelphia Phillies: Bold Predictions for Phillies’ Top 25 Prospects in 2012

The Philadelphia Phillies have invested a lot of time and money into the future of the franchise, and when you dig into the facts, it shows. Though the Phillies have been competitive at the MLB level for quite some time now, they’ve also been quite competitive in building the farm system in order to sustain the big-league roster.

How they’ve used that system has varied. Fans of the club will see the fruits of those labors in Major League talents like Chase Utley or Cole Hamels, or similarly, in players acquired from other clubs, like Hunter Pence or Roy Halladay. Inversely, most of the fruits of that labor are yet to be seen.

Though prospects are certainly no guarantee to work out at the major league level, teams spend top dollar on resources to help them make sound decisions, and the Phillies are no different. This list will analyze the Phils’ top 25 prospects and offer a bold prediction or two about what 2012 has in store for each of these players.

Before we begin, however, it is important to note that the actual ranking here is secondary. The top 10 prospects on this list were organized by esteemed baseball scouting organization Baseball America, and the rest were filled in by yours truly.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Winter Meetings’ Storylines

Although the Philadelphia Phillies really didn’t make many key moves, they still set the foundation for moves to be made in the future.

The big story of the 2011 winter meetings was the signing of Albert Pujols to the Angels.  If anything, this helps out the Phillies greatly because they won’t have to see Prince Albert until the World Series.

Also, some may criticize Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. for not making any block-buster deals, but I think he knew exactly what he was doing during the winter meetings. 

Read on to see why the winter meetings were so crucial to the future success of the Phillies. 

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7 Minor-League Prospects Ready to Help the Phillies This Season

In a perfect world, the Phillies would not need to rely on replacement players in 2012. Everyone on the roster would stay healthy and perform well, and all the prospects in the minors would stay where they are.

But, seeing as how this is not a perfect world, some of the Phillies’ minor leaguers will have to step up this season. From injuries to Ryan Howard and Placido Polanco to an unsure back-end of the bullpen, the Phillies may have to call up some prospects to fill holes.

Not all prospects are ready, though. Baby Aces, like Trevor May and Jesse Biddle, touted as they may be, are nowhere near prepared for MLB action.

This list includes seven prospects who are ready and likely to help in some way in 2012.

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Picking the Philadelphia Phillies’ MVP for Each of the Last 25 Seasons

In good times, and in bad times. In sickness, and in health.

For those who have watched the Philadelphia Phillies play baseball over the last 25 seasons, that has been the feeling. Though the marriage has been rocky at times, specifically, through most of the 1990s and into the early 2000s, those who have been able to endure have been rewarded, the highlight of the agreement—a big, shiny World Series trophy in 2008.

It hasn’t been easy. The club has featured superstars and replacement level players. Stars have demanded trades that would send them as far away from the Phillies as possible, and then again, players would only waive their trade rights if the Phils came calling.

In the last 25 years, they said that Veterans Stadium needed to go. It was old and decrepit and sucking the life out of the franchise, and it did. Thus, Citizens Bank Park was built. In its infancy, they said that pitchers would never come to Philadelphia to play there, and now that time has worn on, the Phillies have the best pitching staff in baseball.

The point is this: Things change. People change.

However, one thing that absolutely can not change from season to season is that no matter how good or how bad a club may be, they’ll have a best player. Whether that player was the cream of the crop or the best of a bunch of mediocre guys, the Phillies have had a team Most Valuable Player over each of the 25 seasons.

Some players won’t come as much of a surprise, but others…Well, you’ll just have to read on to find out.

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MLB Philadelphia Phillies: Grading the Top 6 Moves of the Offseason so Far

The offseason is not over yet, but the Philadelphia Phillies have been relatively active already. This really shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, because the Phillies always seem to be pretty busy.

However, activity doesn’t always mean success. Therefore, let’s take a look at the six biggest moves of the offseason for the Phillies so far and give each one a grade.

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The Philadelphia Phillies 12 Days of Christmas

With Christmas being just a week away, Christmas music has taken over the airwaves. Sitting in my car listening to “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” I couldn’t help but sing along, adding my own lyrics.

Then I thought, why not make it about the Philadelphia Philies? There have been so many gifts the Phillies have given the fans over the last few years, so it should be easy to make a song with 12 different gifts. Well, it wasn’t. After a few hours of sitting at a blank computer screen, I finally came up with what I think is a pretty good song. To save some time, we’ll start off with the twelfth day.

If you have any ideas for different lyrics, or any suggestions, feel free to post a comment.

On the 12th day of Christmas, The Phillies gave to me…

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What the Jimmy Rollins Signing Means for the Phillies in 2012

According to Jim Salisbury of CSN, shortstop Jimmy Rollins has signed a three-year, $33 million deal with the Phillies.

While it’s a relief to hear that J-Roll is coming back, one must also consider what his signing means to other aspects of the team.

Jimmy Rollins may only be the shortstop, but his impact is far-reaching throughout the organization.

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MLB Free Agents: Jimmy Rollins Deal a Steal for Philadelphia Phillies

For all the mounting criticism directed at Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr.—he traded Cliff Lee, overpaid Ryan Howard, failed to extend Cole Hamels (so far)—he and the franchise made out beautifully in the just-announced re-signing of incumbent shortstop Jimmy Rollins.

The Phillies gave Rollins a three-year deal worth $33 million with a vesting option fourth year. From the get-go, Rollins wanted a five-year deal and the Phillies felt they couldn’t go higher than three.

In the end, the Phillies got their man at their price. For a team with scant alternatives, the deal validates Amaro’s hard line and keeps Philadelphia’s window for a third championship open for the next few years.

And for those preoccupied with Rollins’ shortcomings—pops up too much, doesn’t see enough pitches, takes plays off—the stats tell the story.

Here are Rollins’ ranks among major league shortstops over the last five seasons in the major player value categories:

WAR: 5th

HR: 5th

RBI: 5th

Walks: 7th

SB: 2nd

 

SLG%: 5th

OPS : 5th

The argument against Rollins is largely one of passion and inference. But looking at the numbers, it’s clear Rollins is one of the best at his craft.

Add to all that the fact that Rollins has been one of the league’s most valuable defenders and efficient base runners, and I’d say the Phillies just got one of the league’s better shortstops for a mighty reasonable price.

Even accounting for the indignities of old age, Rollins figures to be one of baseball’s ten best at his position over the life of his contract.

All of it amounts to tremendous value for a team built to compete for a World Series over the next few seasons.

The Phillies made sure his talents stayed planted in South Philadelphia and secured a franchise great through the waning years of his decorated career. Bravo.

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