2011 Philadelphia Phillies Predictions

While the Philadelphia Phillies won their fourth straight National League East title, they were unable to get back to the World Series for a third consecutive season, falling to the San Francisco Giants 4-2 in the NLCS. The Phillies went out and added yet another ace to their pitching staff in Cliff Lee, giving them one of the best 1-4 starting rotations in baseball history.

Expectations are as high as ever in Philly, and anything outside of a World Series trip this year would be a major let down. Here is a breakdown of what Philadelphia‘s starting lineup and starting rotation will look like heading into this year, plus our MLB predictions on where they will end the year in the NL East.

Starting Lineup

The Phillies offense struggled because of injures in 2010. Both Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins missed significant time, and as a result their production dropped. When healthy these two have the talent to carry the offensive load. 

Ryan Howard is another key ingredient to this offense, as he brings a ton of power in the middle of the lineup. Howard ended the season with 31 home runs and 108 RBIs, his fifth straight season of 30-plus home runs and 100 or more RBIs. 

Placido Polanco might not get the acknowledgment that the other guys get, but he is a solid No. 2 batter who puts the ball in play and sets things up for the rest of the players to drive runs in.
Shane Victorino and Raul Ibanez both had a bit of a down year in 2010, and it would really make this lineup that much better if they could rebound and put together a strong year. 

The Phillies are putting their trust in top prospect Dominic Brown to take over the starting job in right field and are thrilled about what this young player can bring to the plate. Catcher Carlos Ruiz had an outstanding year, hitting .302 with a .400 OBP, if he can come close to those stats in 2011, the Phillies will have one of the more complete lineups in the NL. 

Starting Rotation

The rotation is loaded with four guys who could be No. 1s on other squads.  Roy Halladay was the best pitcher in baseball last year as he won 21 times with a 2.44 ERA and 1.04 WHIP.  He also led the majors in innings, complete games and shutouts.

After Halladay is Cliff Lee.  He comes back to Philly after compiling a 3.18 ERA and 1.00 WHIP last year playing for Seattle and Texas.  Last time he was a Phillie, he had seven wins with a 3.39 ERA in 12 starts.

Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt are both quality arms as well.  Oswalt came over from the Houston Astros last season and compiled 7-1 with a 1.74 ERA and 0.90 WHIP with the Phillies. Hamels had some unfortunate luck last year, as he compiled a career-best 3.06 ERA, but finished with a 12-11 record. While Halladay, Oswalt and Lee have all been around for some time now, Hamels is still very young at 27 and figures to only to get better as time goes on. 

The Phillies could go a couple of different ways at the back of the rotation. Joe Blanton and Kyle Kendrick both have the talent to be an effective No. 5 pitcher. Blanton went 9-6 with a 4.82 ERA last season, while Kendrick compiled an 11-10 record with a 4.73 ERA. No doubt there is a big difference from the top four starters, whoever wins this job could easily finish the year with 10 or more wins. 

2011 Predictions: 1st Place NL East

The Phillies are without question the clear favorites to win the division and represent the NL in the World Series this year and it’s not hard to see why with the starting rotation they will send to the field. The biggest component to the Phillies reaching their goals in 2011 will be health, seven of the eight position players and three of the five starters are over the age of 30.

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