When the Phillies traded Vance Worley and Trevor May for Ben Revere before the 2013 season, Phillies fans believed they were getting their center fielder of the future. Though he didn't have power, Revere hit .294, had a .333 OBP and stole 40 bags for the Twins in 2012. Fast foward to 2013, Revere injures his foot after hitting .305 with a .338 OBP through July 13th.
He carried the Phillies offense to wins and his speed and gritty outfield play was something that was exciting to watch. Sure, his arm wasn't, and still isn't, great, but he has the nitty gritty kind of play that we grow to love in Philadelphia. This year though? Philadelphia has not been too kind to Revere and Revere hasn't been too kind to Philly, especially in the lead-off spot. Fans are rushing to judgement, claiming Revere should be sent down, released or just benched. I disagree to a point. Not because there aren't better options, but because this is just more of the same from 2013.
But with his offensive wins above replacement at nearly -4, his defensive wins above replacement is -1.8, both really bad. The question is, can he improve? Or will we see Revere continue down a rough path?
First off, let's talk about his offense. Obviously, Revere had quite large shoes to fill after the departure of names like Jayson Werth and Shane Victorino. Not known for his power, Revere brought an exciting potential to the lead-off spot with a lot of speed. He stole 22 bags before getting hurt last year and has swiped 12 thus far in 2014. Getting on base seems to be his biggest issue though. He doesn't show much patience at the plate and seems to jump at pitches early in the count. Working the count is big for a speedster like Revere, especially when hitting first. Plate patience and being selective is something the 26-year old needs to work on if he plans to stay an every day player. Whether that means a trip to the minors or sliding down in the lineup, the only way he'll improve is if he sees consistent playing time. Riding the bench seems to make little sense for a guy who likely wouldn't succeed in pinch-hitting situations.
Now, the people complaining about his offensive output should also take a look at his 2013 numbers. In April of last season, Revere hit a measly .200 with a .234 OBP. This season, he hit .286 in April with a .286 OBP. Looking into May, on this date last season, Revere was still struggling to hit the ball with his average at .246. Right now, he sits at .268 with a less than ideal .284 on-base percentage, while his .581 OPS is ranked 169th among 177 qualified hitters. I don't normally agree with Ruben Amaro, but with the Revere situation, this is around the time last year that his bat came alive. Amaro commented on the center-fielders struggles both in the field and at the plate on CSN.
"At this time last year we were kind of saying the same thing and then Ben kind of went off and carried us offensively for awhile," Amaro said. "At times, he can be a very good offensive player. Ben just needs to do what he needs to do best, and he needs to get on base better and be a little more consistent in the outfield. He'll make the great play and there are times when he struggles with routes."
"He's going to have to hit his way on," Amaro said of Revere's inability to draw walks (three walks in 142 plate appearances).
Obviously his numbers are not where we want them to be, but there is still time for him to get back to last year's form, which would be a great sight for all of us to see. To those that think he cannot be successful with no "home run power" need to think hard about that. If he is leading off, getting on base and stealing bases is more important for a player of his build than the home run ball. There are other ways to be effective that isn't just home run hitting. Moving along…
Now, about his fielding. We have seen Revere make some spectacular plays in center, but those are overshadowed by his poor route running and less than mediocre arm strength. Arm strength is something that can be improved, but route running is something that only game action can prepare you for. Fielding practice can only do so much, I would imagine, but Revere does need to learn how to track the ball better to be a more effective fielder.
He fielding percentage (.974) is ten points lower than the league average at his position. The Phillies can only hope that Revere starts to show form of his 2012 self with the Twins, when he went error-less in 121 games and his defensive WAR was a 2.6
There are some solutions to think about if the Revere situation doesn't resolve itself over time. Obviously, internal major league options seem to be Mayberry and Gwynn. Both better fielders, but perhaps no improvement offensively. Then there is the Darin Ruf option. While he can't play center field, there has been chatter about Byrd still having the ability to play there. You could shift Byrd to center, put Ruf in right and keep Brown in left, leaving Revere out of the question. A less likely option would be trying to move Revere to a corner outfield position. If Marlon Byrd proves he can play center effectively, Revere may do better with a little less space to cover.
Another solution would be to consider easing Cody Asche into the outfield rotation. With the recent offensive improvement of Maikel Franco in Triple-A, Asche's move to the outfield could make room for Franco's entry at third base, whether it be later this season or to start 2015. Franco, who batted just .172 in April, has raised his average to .241. He is hitting .324/.444/.568 over his last ten games with three doubles, two homers and eight RBI. In 33 games at third base this season, Franco has a .979 fielding percentage while committing just two errors. All that being said, Franco looks to be set in Triple-A for the bulk of the season, pending a big change.
When it comes to offense, Jimmy Rollins seems to be set in the lead-off spot for now. With that being Revere's normal spot, where in the lineup does he fit? If you lead-off with Rollins, follow with Ruiz, Utley, Howard and Byrd, then we are left with Asche, Revere and Brown. Asche seems to be solidifying the six spot with Brown slumping. Assuming he stays there and Brown stays his current course, that just leaves us with the eight spot. Is that a spot worth putting him in to re-gain his offensive flow? Turning the lineup over is an important job, especially in low scoring games so it could be a solid option. If his offense improves though? He should definitely be back at the top of the lineup, in the #1 or #2 spot, because his speed seems to valuable to waste away at the bottom of the order for an extended amount of time.
The eight spot could be beneficial, because in all seriousness, it is an offensive position that allows a little more room for error than the lead-off spot. I think it would be a good option for him to improve on his plate discipline, which is something that needs to be vastly improved if he wants to have a future on the Phillies, or in Major League Baseball for that matter.
I am a Ben Revere fan. He seems to have a great attitude, a superb mentality and the potential talent of an effective, speedy center-fielder. That being said, it is in his hands to show the Phillies that he can be an integral asset to this team, rather than a burden.
What we gave to get him…
I know most people don't condone the departures of Werth or Victorino, but to acquire Revere, the Phillies didn't give too much away to say that the trade was a complete bust. At least not yet. The Phils dealt Vance Worley to Minnesota in the deal. Worley had an impressive rookie campaign in 2011 for the Phils, but took a step back in 2012, making him expendable. He went 1-5 with a 7.21 ERA in 10 games for the Twins before getting demoted (he was 6-3 with a 3.88 in Triple-A) and eventually injured. Now, Worley finds himself in the Pirates organization, healthy. This season, he is 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA in three starts after returning from the DL.
Along with Worley, the Phils sent once highly-touted pitching prospect, Trevor May, to the Twins. Currently with the Rochester Red Wings (Triple-A Twins), May has a 3-3 record to go along with a solid 3.35 ERA. Last season, in Double-A, his ERA was just under five. So, for now, it seems May still has a ways to go before becoming a major league starter.
Brandon Apter is a writer for Phillidelphia. Follow him on Twitter @ApterShock
