By: Brandon Apter, contributor 
As the Phillies regular season inches closer, there are still a lot of unknowns and questions for the team to get through before they head north for the summer. The outfield depth is thin, the bullpen situation is a rough one, but there are some bright spots as well. Maikel Franco looks likes he heading towards a breakout season after being out towards the end of the year in 2015 with an injury. The Phils also have high hopes for center fielder Odubel Herrera, who will hopefully be at full strength by Opening Day, while they face some tough decisions on who will fill out the bench.
In the first part of our Phillies Season Outlook, we take a look at what the team's starting lineup could look like come Opening Day. As of right now, the Phillies starters in the infield are pretty much set, but the outfield is a toss-up beyond Herrera and Peter Bourjos. Let's take a look into what the team lineup could pan out to be come Opening Day, when the Phillies take on the Reds in Cincinnati.
Projected starters
1. Odubel Herrera (CF): Barring any injury setbacks, the leadoff spot is Herrera's to lose. Last season, when batting first, Herrera slashed .333/.368/.477 with nine doubles, two triples, a homer, nine RBIs and 12 runs scored. He only stole 15 bases in 2015, but look for him to let loose on the basepaths this season. In 2016, his plate discipline should improve. Last year, Herrera struck out 129 times and walked 28 times. If he plans to be a successful leadoff hitter, he'll need those strikeout numbers to decrease and walks increase.
2. Cesar Hernandez (2B): There's a good chance Herrera and Hernandez could flip-flop throughout the season at the top of the order, but he'll likely be in this spot come Opening Day. Last season, in 127 games for Philadelphia, Hernandez hit .272. When hitting second, Hernandez hit .346 in 171 plate appearances, driving in 18 runs while also tallying eight doubles, three triples and 12 steals. He succeeds the most batting second and it's where he should be.
3. Maikel Franco (3B): Franco is hitting .326 with a league-leading seven home runs this spring to go along with 18 RBI's and a .326 average. After getting hit by a pitch late last season, Franco's impressive rookie year was cut short, but he's shown phenomenal power and defense in the preseason. He's going to be fun to watch this season.
4. Ryan Howard (1B): In his final year as a Phillie, Howard will see most of his at-bats against righties, while Darin Ruf gets the majority of action against left-handers. This spring, Howard is hitting just .211 but also has two home runs and nine RBI's. He'll get the nod on Opening Day, but don't be surprised if Ruf takes over the first base job full-time come midseason.
5. Cameron Rupp (C): Although Ruiz may still offer a better option defensively, Rupp's offesive upside offers the Phillies a better option in the long run. Neither of these guys are going to be with the team for much longer, with Andrew Knapp, Jorge Alfaro and
6. Peter Bourjos (LF): Even before the injury to Aaron Altherr, Bourjos was likely going to be the Phils third starting outfielder. He won't turn many heads at the plate, but he has the ability to play all three outfield positions. This spring though, he's impressing offensively, hitting .333 (12-for-36) with three doubles, a triple, a home run, three RBIs and seven runs scored.
7. Freddy Galvis (SS): Galvis is the placeholder at shortstop until J.P. Crawford is ready. With offensive issues aplenty, Galvis could split time this season with Andres Blanco, but his defense will likely keep him as the full-time guy at short until Crawford shows he's ready for the show.
8. Tyler Goeddel (RF): With the Altherr injury and Cody Asche also out, Goeddel should get the starting nod in right for the Phils, but expect the team to swap him in/out with Darnell Sweeney and either David Lough or Cedric Hunter. Goeddel hasn't played a regular season MLB game before and is hitting .261 this spring with two doubles, a home run, eight RBI's and eight runs scored.
9. Jeremy Hellickson (P): Pete Mackanin tabbed Hellickson as the Opening Day starter on Tuesday. The right-hander has allowed just one run in seven innings this spring while striking out 11.
Potential Breakout Performer
This season, Cesar Hernandez is going to surprise some people. Although he doesn't have a ton of power at the plate, his ability to hit extra-base hits and cause some havoc on the base paths bodes well for him. He has decent plate discipline and with no one blocking him anymore for the every day second base job, his comfort level should increase nicely, which should roll over to his performance both in the field and at the plate. If Odubel Herrera puts up similar numbers to 2015 and Hernandez can end up hitting in the .280's, they could provide a nice 1-2 punch for years to come in Philadelphia.
Potential Letdown
Although there are a couple of choices here, I think the obvious one is Freddy Galvis. Not too many folks expect much from him and he has proven time and time again that he cannot hit big league pitching consistently. 2016 will probably be worse for him. Galvis is hitting .174 with 11 strikeouts this spring and could end up seeing more time on the bench if the Phillies believe Andres Blanco and Cesar Hernandez would make a better combination in the lineup, even if it means taking a step back defensively. Blanco is hitting .296 this spring and could play second base with Hernandez shifting to short if Galvis can't get his act together at the plate.
What's Next
In the next part of our Phillies Season Outlook, we'll take a look at who the Phillies could end up with on their bench. With Spring Training winding down, the team has some difficult decisions to make when it comes to reserve outfielders, so stay tuned for the next installment of Phillies Season Outlook, coming on Friday, March 25th.
