Biggest Winners and Losers of Phillies’ Second Week of Games

The Philadelphia Phillies have a pitching staff built to contend. You can’t win ballgames without giving those pitchers a lead, however, so the Phillies spent most of the offseason retooling their lineup, both in and out of house. 

Through the second week of games, most of those new additions are playing well. That includes newcomers like Ben Revere and Michael Young, and returning superstars like Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. 

With the second week of games coming to a close, it’s time once again to see how some of those aforementioned names and the rest of the club have fared early in the spring. 

The usual spring training caveat applies here: Numbers aren’t everything. For most of this club, spring training is going to be a time of preparation—not performance. Keep that in mind as we evaluate the winners and loser from the second week of Grapefruit League action.

Begin Slideshow

One Thing Every Phillies Player Needs to Fix Before Opening Day

If there are kinks to be worked out in the game of baseball, you better fix them while the games do not count. For most players currently on this Philadelphia Phillies roster, that’s the point of spring training. 

The Phillies have a pretty good idea of what their lineup is going to look like on Opening Day. Assuming that the rest of the club can stay healthy, they’ll add guys like Carlos Ruiz and Delmon Young back into the mix early in the season and utilize the lineup that they want to put on the field.

Until that moment (and even beyond), this is a team that needs to spend the spring preparing for a long regular season. They’re an older, veteran club that will have to contain the youth of teams like the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves. 

In order to do so, they’ll need to operate at 100 percent. To operate at 100 percent, there are certain aspects of each player’s game that needs to be addressed this spring.

Begin Slideshow

15 Dark Horses Who Could Win a Phillies Roster Spot on Opening Day

As a veteran team, the Philadelphia Phillies don’t have many openings on their 25-man roster this spring. Forecasting what the club will look like on Opening Day, barring injuries, isn’t too much of a challenge. 

Even in positions where the spot is realistically up for grabs there are players who are favorites to come out on top. The Phillies need two corner outfielders, and Domonic Brown and Darin Ruf are strong favorites to make the club. Names like Phillippe Aumont, Justin De Fratus and Jeremy Horst are early favorites in the bullpen. 

But things can change in a hurry during spring training. Players can get off to a hot start and win the favor of the coaching staff. The next thing you know, they’re on the Opening Day roster. 

There aren’t likely to be many—if any at all—of those players this spring, but there are a few names to keep an eye on. The following slideshow will take a look at some of the camp’s “dark-horse” candidates to make the roster on Opening Day.

Begin Slideshow

Biggest Winners and Losers of Phillies’ First Week of Games

With just a week’s worth of spring training games in the books. it is far too soon to formulate a realistic opinion of any one player. But it is never too soon for a player to make a good impression. Of course, it’s never too soon for a player to make a bad impression either. 

The Philadelphia Phillies have had their share of good and bad moments early in the spring, and we’ll take a look at some of its early winners and losers in the following slides. With that in mind, however, a word of caution: Don’t read too deeply into spring stats. 

For most players on this roster, the spring is a time of preparation, not competition. Veteran players and most pitchers are trying to fine-tune themselves for the regular season and are not focused on putting up good numbers. 

But there is more to it than that. It’s about how certain players look and feel during the spring as well. For the Phillies, a lot will have to fall in their direction this upcoming season. How certain players look and feel during the first week of the spring could go a long way. 

Here are the early winners and losers. 

Begin Slideshow

25 Predictions for the Philadelphia Phillies in the Month of March

Spring training is in full swing and the Philadelphia Phillies have enough storylines to make your eyes spin. There’s everything from a simple position battle to whether potential starters can actually field their designated positions.

But, hey, that’s the glory of spring training.

As the Phillies try to sort through their problems, it’s time to offer up some predictions for what this month of March will contain for a team desperately trying to claw its way back to the top of the mountain.

It’s not going to be easy. The Phillies’ division is tough with powerhouse teams such as the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves. Their league is tough, as they’ll square off with the Los Angeles Dodgers and defending champion San Francisco Giants, among others.

If this Phillies team wants to play in October, a lot of things will have to break right for them.

It all starts in spring training.

Begin Slideshow

8 Keys to Phillies Second Baseman Chase Utley Staying Healthy This Season

Playing a grueling game like baseball at the professional level is no walk in the park. Playing baseball on a pair of chronically degenerating knees is something that would not be feasible for most athletes, but Chase Utley isn’t like most athletes. 

For the last decade, the former first-round pick out of UCLA has been one of most integral parts of this Philadelphia Phillies team, captivating fans and players alike. When he isn’t in the lineup, this is a different team, and they’re certainly not better without him. 

Utley, who has suffered from numerous injuries throughout his career, has had the most trouble with his knees, suffering from a wide array of conditions including cartilage damage, bone inflammation, patellar tendinitis and chondromalacia. 

For the first time since 2010, the Phillies second baseman is participating in the Grapefruit League, a good sign that he’ll be prepared for the regular season, and this is a club that definitely needs him in the lineup. 

But how does a guy like Utley, who has had a smorgasbord of knee injuries, stay on the field for an entire season? The following slideshow will try to answer that question by taking a look at all of the possibilities. 

Begin Slideshow

Key Factors That Will Determine Winners of Phillies’ Outfield Position Battles

For the first time in quite a while, the Philadelphia Phillies will begin Grapefruit League play with both corner outfield positions up for grabs.

Just who wins those jobs, and what they’ll entail, is one of a number of variables this spring. 

In a lot of ways, these position battles will come down to which players the Phillies can trust the most. Can they trust Domonic Brown to perform? Can they trust Darin Ruf to continue his extraordinary development? Can they trust Delmon Young to change? 

And that’s just a small taste of what the outfield position battles will entail this spring. The Phillies will have to determine whether those are full-time or part-time roles. They’ll have to determine what their bench looks like behind those regulars. 

This is a mammoth battle. In a lot of ways it is a giant free-for-all with at least four positions up for grabs.

Here are a few things to keep an eye on this spring as we follow the Phillies’ outfield position battle.

Begin Slideshow

Phillies Rewarding Their Homegrown Ace with Likely Opening Day Start

Of the Philadelphia Phillies‘ decorated “Big Three” starting pitchers, just one has accomplished the ultimate baseball goal of leading his team to a World Series title. His name is Cole Hamels.

Now, it seems the Phillies will finally reward their only homegrown ace with a long-deserved Opening Day start in 2013. 

Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee announced Wednesday that Hamels would start Saturday’s Grapefruit League opener against the Houston Astros—a sign that the Phillies also plan to align their starting rotation so that Hamels is the starter on Opening Day in Atlanta, according to CSN Philly’s Jim Salisbury.

If that is the case, Hamels, 29, will make his first career Opening Day start April 1 against the rival Atlanta Braves after signing a six-year, $144 million contract extension to remain a member of the Phillies’ starting rotation last July. 

For a lot of fans, the general opinion about this news seems to be something along the lines of, “It’s about time.” 

Hamels made his MLB debut as a 22-year-old phenom back in 2006 after the Phillies drafted him in the first round (17th overall pick) of the 2002 draft. Over the seven seasons that would follow, Hamels would blossom into one of the league’s elite left-handed starting pitchers. 

The lefty has dazzled spectators and confused hitters with an excellent changeup and a pair of fastballs that he can run at or away from hitters of either handedness. The 2012 season, as a result, was arguably the best of his career as he posted a record of 17-6 and a 3.05 ERA.

But anyone who has ever had even a small taste of Philly sports knows that it’s the 2008 season that will leave a lasting mark on Hamels’ legacy. In that year he did what fellow rotation members Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee have been unable to do—capture a World Series title. 

And he was excellent in the process, earning the honors of National League Championship Series MVP and World Series MVP in a postseason that saw him go 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA. 

Hamels is moving into the prime of his career following one of his greatest statistical seasons on record, but following the contract extension and a few years of studying under guys like Halladay, Lee and Jamie Moyer—veterans who have helped him develop into more of a leader—the time is right for Hamels to take over the reins. 

The fact of the matter here is that the future is now for this Phillies’ rotation. Halladay is 35 years old and will turn 36 in May. Lee is 34 and will turn 35 in August. When you consider that the youngest member of this starting rotation is a 28-year-old John Lannan, it isn’t hard to come to the realization that there are no spring chickens here. 

In the long run, however, an Opening Day start may be nothing more than a nice topic to bring up during a conversation when you’re old and retired and reminiscing about your glory days. Hell, Lannan was once the Opening Day starter for the Washington Nationals. 

But Hamels’ Opening Day start is more symbolic. He’ll lead names like Halladay and Lee into a regular-season, uphill battle against younger teams like the Braves and Nationals. This is the moment when Hamels stops being the student and becomes the teacher. 

This is what the Phillies envisioned for Hamels on draft day back in 2002. Sure, they may not have known that he would eventually sign the most lucrative deal for a starting pitcher in franchise history or get the nod over a pair of former Cy Young Award winners—those things are impossible to predict on day one. 

But for Hamels to make his first of what should be many Opening Day starts as one of the most respected Phillies starting pitchers of all time? That was all according to plan. 

Note: The Phillies have not officially announced Hamels as the Opening Day starter. By setting their rotation in this manner for spring training, the Phillies are strongly indicating that Hamels will be the Opening Day starter.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Odds of Every Notable Phillies Prospect in Camp Making the Roster

When you’re a prospect, cracking your club’s Opening Day roster out of spring training is no simple task. 

Nowadays, clubs aren’t concerned about the here and now with prospects; they’re concerned about the future. Rushing a prospect to MLB could stunt his development and hurt the team in the long-run, and there is a lot on the line for prospects in this day and age. 

But not every prospect follows the rules. The perfect storm of development and circumstance could certainly lead to a player reaching the major leagues before he is supposed to and the Philadelphia Phillies will have a number of players in camp trying to do just that. 

Being realistic, this isn’t an going to be an easy spring for most Phillies prospects. This is an older club with very few openings available. For most of these guys, making the club means that they’ll have done something spectacular in the spring. 

The possibility exists for some of them to make the club, however, and that is the point of this slideshow. We’ll break down the odds of making the Opening Day roster for every prospect in camp with the Phillies this spring, based on a scale of one to 100 percent.

Begin Slideshow

One Weakness of Each Phillies Player to Watch out for This Spring

Throughout this spring, you will hear folks tell you that results don’t matter in spring training, and to a certain extent, that is very true. It’s a time of readiness and preparation and not elite competition between clubs at their best. 

For the Philadelphia Phillies, however, this is a unique spring, and results will matter on some levels. This is a club that needs to excel in health and physical conditioning. It’s a club that needs to be mentally strong, leaving the 2012 season where it belongs—in the past. 

This is a team with a lot of obvious weaknesses. They’re not getting any younger and will host one of the oldest infields in all of baseball this season. Will that be their undoing? How is the outfield situation going to shake out, where the experience dilemma is the exact opposite? 

Can the starting rotation stay healthy over a full season? How about the bullpen, and will they improve their success rate in 2013? 

And those are just some of the obvious concerns. Getting this club to move in the right direction is all about addressing weaknesses on a personal level. This slideshow will analyze each member of the projected 25-man roster and highlight the biggest weakness needing correction in 2013. 

Begin Slideshow

« Previous Page — Next Page »