Phillies third base legend Mike Schmidt once again is busy at Phillies Spring Training, serving as a special instructor for camp. Schmidt has made some strong predictions in the past. Schmidt has declared that Shane Victorino will win a batting title. Cody Asche would develop into a number three hitter in the Phillies' lineup. Neither has happened (sans Asche batting third a short while in 2015), but Schmidt made a couple bold comparisons in Phillies camp.
First, catching prospect Jorge Alfaro brought up memories of former Phillies All-Star third baseman Dick Allen in this piece by MLB.com's Todd Zolecki:.
"He reminds me of Dick Allen," Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt said. "He's got the 28-inch waist and the shoulders three-feet wide. But I'm one of those guys that gets infatuated with young players early. I've pitched to him in the cage, worked with him a little bit. You can just see it. He has a very quiet, confident stance and presence in the batter's box. Everything about him exudes confidence."
The Phillies would be very pleased to get the offensive production from Alfaro that they received from the under-appreciated Allen in his career.
When it comes to current Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco, Schmidt sees a very high ceiling. Schmidt is thinking that even that Franco could join the ranks of Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard as a league MVP, in this piece by CSN Philly's Jim Salisbury:
“I’m a big fan, a very big fan,” Schmidt said Wednesday. “I think he’s got everything that a young man like that needs to become a great player.
“He’ll be a league MVP at some point. Hopefully, it’s sooner rather than later. But he has that kind of talent.”
Phillies fans surely would love to see that.
Schmidt could be reaching a little bit, but it's Spring Training and hope springs eternal. With the Philllies stocking up on arms, having two lineup mainstays as Schmidt described would make a ton of difference. One thing is for sure: there is much more hope in a Phillies future than there has been for a long time.
