2015 was a year of transition to youth for the Phillies. Departures of long-time veterans Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley opened up space for young talent to get some more work in the infield, but since the beginning of the season, the Phillies outfield was an unknown with Rule-5 pick Odubel Herrera, Ben Revere, Domonic Brown, who was released, and guys like Jeff Francoeur, Darin Ruf and Cody Asche. By the end of the year though, the Phillies were without Revere and Brown and rolled with a consistent that included two rookes, Odubel Herrera and Aaron Altherr.
Selected in the 9th round of the 2009 draft, Altherr finally broke through into the major leagues this season after hitting just .237 during the 2014 season in the minors. In 2015, Altherr began the year with Double-A, where he hit .293 in 60 games before being promoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Altherr hit .294 with the Ironpigs with 13 doubles, eight home runs and 38 home runs. His time in Philadelphia began on August 18th and he tallied his first hits on the 19th. In his first start, Altherr hit a double and a home run, showing off his extra-base power and his speed on the big stage.
Though he hit just .241 with the Phillies, he laced 11 doubles, four triples and also hit five home runs while driving in 22 runs. In addition to that, Altherr hit .276 (8-for-29) with two doubles, a home run and 17 RBIs with runners in scoring position.
His future with the team seems solidified for the time being, but he'll need to build upon his .241 average if he wants to be a part of the Phillies long-term future plans. With Odubel Herrera rising quickly and prospects that include Nick Williams, Roman Quinn and Dylan Cozens developing nicely in the minors, Altherr will need to fight to keep his spot as the seasons progress in the coming years.
In addition to his ability to hit for extra-bases, Altherr's defensive ability cannot be forgotten. He is fast, takes good routes and has a plus arm from either of the corner outfield positions. Back on September 7th, Altherr made a leaping catch at the wall and then recovered to double up Andrelton Simmons during the Phillies matchup with the Braves.
Another example of his heads up play in the outfield came on the 27th of September against the Nationals. Clint Robinson hit what looked to be a sure double in the gap, but Altherr, playing center field, had other ideas, sprinting to his right and making a terrific diving catch.
Altherr's highlight of the season came on September 25th against the Nationals. He hit a sinking liner to center and Washington center fielder Michael Taylor misjudged his dive and the ball rolled all the way to the wall, allowing the bases to clear for an inside-the-park grand slam. The grand slam was one of two home runs he hit on the day.
Unless the Phillies make some moves to acquire some veteran outfield presence in the offseason, which seems unlikely, Altherr is likely to start the 2016 season in either right or left field with Odubel Herrera getting the nod in center. Altherr's versatility in the outfield makes him even more valuable to the Phillies as well. Though he hasn't shown his full potential yet, Altherr has the ability and the offensive ability to succeed at the big league level, but he could also end up being the Phillies next John Mayberry Jr. Only time will tell as the Phillies continue to evaluate their young talent in the 2016 season.
Brandon Apter, Managing Editor for Philliedelphia.com
