No one is really all that surprised that the Phillies lineup is not scoring any runs. If that is the case, then the Phillies should construct a lineup that best maximizes each position in the batting order. Yet, the Phillies seem like they cannot get past something that began 10 years ago: Chase Utley batting third and Ryan Howard batting fourth. This must end for the development of the young players the team has.
Ryan Howard, eternal cleanup hitter. The Phillies were left without a choice than to allow Ryan Howard all the opportunities to get back on track this Spring Training in hopes of moving him to free up space. In 24 at bats, Howard is batting .167 with no home runs and no walks. He does have three doubles that bring his slugging percentage to .292. The Phillies tried to trade Howard rather than release him because it would be an insult to his dignity to release him. They must feel batting him anything but fourth would hurt his feelings, too.
Chase Utley, batting third forever. Utley is hitting .091 with two walks. Watching Utley so far this season is particularly painful. Utley's bat seems to have no speed, and his defense at second base has become more limited than ever. While at his peak Utley was a fine second baseman, his defense has clearly declined to the point that he is probably better suited at first base, where he spent an inning the other day. Are they worried about hurting his feelings, too?
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports made an observation during yesterday's Phillies-Mets game that is plenty obvious:
enjoying phillies youth movement. have 4 players 35+ in today's lineup, plus grady sizemore
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) April 13, 2015
If the Phillies are saddled with aging veterans and have to play them, then the lineup should be constructed in such a way that is to the greatest benefit to the development of the young players.
The young players in the Phillies lineup: Cody Asche, Freddy Galvis, Odubel Herrera, and to a lesser extent, Ben Revere. An even lesser extent is Darin Ruf, whom Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg has tried to get into the games as much as possible, despite a ringing non-endorsement from his general manager.
Herrera got off to a slow start, but has four hits in his last three games. Any early-season jitters seem to have passed and he is ready to hit. Having won the the batting title in his AA Texas League and the Venezuelan league batting champion, why not let him lead off? Herrera does not just hit; besides the .315 batting average, Herrera walked 53 times last season for an on base percentage of .383. Do we forget that Revere walked just 13 times last season?
Freddy Galvis is batting .400 in 25 at bats. Aside from Galvis' long hitless streak last season, Galvis has shown potential with the bat. With a lineup that hordes left-handed hitters, Galvis' switch-hitting bat should be given a chance to bat in the two-hole.
Asche, who has a huge fan in Phillies Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt, has stepped up his game in the early going. Asche is hitting .444 in the early going. Is it really appropriate to bury Asche seventh or eighth in the lineup behind the likes of a veteran such as Grady Sizemore or Jeff Francoeur? Let him hit.
Yet, the Phillies are either unwilling to admit that their beloved players cannot play. They are not going anywhere anytime soon, either. Ryan Howard's contract for this year and next is well-known and well-hated, but Utley's contract could hamper the Phillies even more. If Utley plays – no matter how poorly – a $15 million contract will vest for 2016 for 500 plate appearances. Same goes for 2017 and 2018. Utley will have to sustain an injury to avoid that.
If a player will not be with the Phillies long-term, their performance is irrelevant now. So yes, Heyman is right to laugh at the Phillies for having these players. But if they are going to play some young players, the team's focus should be on developing the young talent they have, even if it hurts some veterans' feelings.
