The Philadelphia Phillies had a lot to be excited about entering the 2020 season. The team had high expectations with the additions of Bryce Harper, Zack Wheeler, and Joe Girardi. They were also a young team with a new manager after Gabe Kapler’s tenure ended. While Harper and Wheeler were expected to break out, they did not. Instead, they were mediocre at best. Bohm outhit Harper, JT Realmuto, and Rhys Hoskins, while Andrew McCutchen had a slash line of.881.
ERA of the 2020 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies are a major league baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the National League (NL). They have won seven NL pennants and two World Series. They are the oldest continuously-run single-name franchise in the league. They are also one of the most successful teams in the league.
The Philadelphia Phillies’ bullpen is a weak spot on the roster. There is little depth in the pen, with the team running out of options. Although Knebel has been the de facto closer for the past two seasons, the bullpen is a problem area. The team has two top arms, but the rest of its rotation is an unknown quantity. Their back-end rotation is weaker than other contenders in the NL East, and their young arms have not shown enough promise to surprise.
A big issue for the Phillies in the bullpen is the health of Hector Neris. The Phillies have used the left-handed pitcher only three times this season, and Gabe Kapler has said he will use him whenever he needs to. Neris pitched well for Lehigh Valley this season, allowing one earned run in 18 innings and posting a 1.45 ERA.
The Philadelphia Phillies have made a few minor changes to their rotation. Zack Wheeler was acquired in free agency. He was previously with the New York Mets. This new addition will help them improve their rotation. Wheeler has high-quality stuff and should compliment Aaron Nola in the rotation. However, it is unclear whether he will be able to pitch the entire 2020 season.
The Philadelphia Phillies’ bullpen was terrible last year. Despite a mediocre starting rotation, they had a horrible bullpen. They blew 34 saves in 62 games. In May, they blew three saves against the Braves. The Phillies had one of the worst bullpens in the league last season, but they have improved drastically in every other department.
Earlier this season, the Phillies blew a two-run lead in the 8th inning. After allowing a lead to slip away, Seranthony Dominguez and Brad Hand escaped with the victory. However, their relievers struggled to protect the lead in the ninth, giving up a two-run homer to Nolan Arenado. However, the Philadelphia Phillies hung on for the win.
Starting pitchers
The Philadelphia Phillies will need to make some decisions in regards to their starting pitching rotation in the coming years, and the decisions will be based on the performance of current starters and the prospects coming through their pipeline. The Phillies have two first-round picks in 2020 and one in 2021. Both of these righthanders are considered to be top prospects, and are expected to have a big impact on the team’s rotation.
As far as the starting pitching prospects go, there are many promising names. First-round pick Aaron Nola could be a career year based on his ability to limit hard contact, and he’s a fringe-elite pitcher if his fastball is effective. Then there is the name of Zach Eflin, who has shown flashes of potential before regressing to mediocrity.
The Phillies are in a similar position to the 2018 team. After a slow start, they are cruising toward the All-Star break. They are tied with the St. Louis Cardinals for the final Wild Card spot in the NL East. The offense is a bit different, as Rhys Hoskins is quietly having a big power year. Luckily, the Phillies are not in the playoffs yet, but if they win the last two games of the season, they can be contenders for the division.
While it’s true that the Phillies have a good rotation, they need to find a reliable number 3 or 4 starter to help the team win games. This is the only way they will be able to compete in the playoffs. A solid number three or four starter could come from this group. Jake Arrieta could be a solid number three or four starter. While he’s getting older and contract-bound, he still has several years left in him. If he can stay healthy, he could win 12-14 games and have a sub-4 ERA.
As for the bullpen, the Phillies can add younger players to make up the difference. While the Phillies lack elite prospects, they can still add younger players and fill their roster with proven veterans. The bullpen is a bit of a mess right now. The Phillies will probably try to keep a few mid-tier prospects while adding younger ones.
Infielders
The Philadelphia Phillies are in desperate need of at least two more infielders. However, the problem is more complex than adding two more infielders. As you can see, there are six available players on the roster right now. The current group consists of top prospects and young players who can still help the team.
There are three top prospects in the infield for the 2020 season. These prospects are Dalton Guthrie, Luke Miller, and Madison Stokes. These players are both twenty-one years old and have the versatility to be useful in multiple positions. Another two-year prospect who has the potential to make the Phillies’ top infield is Luis Garcia. The latter is a solid fielder and is participating in the 2020 Fall Instructs.
With the remaining 13 spots, the Phillies can either fill these positions with mid-tier prospects or add younger players from the organization. This way, they can add a few more players and make up for the lack of player development time. With the roster as it is now, the Phillies will use at least 56 players for the entire 162-game season in 2019.
Brad Miller is another option. Although Miller was a starter last year with the Cardinals, he’ll likely still get his starting job as DH in 2020. However, if he doesn’t play DH, he won’t be able to compete for the starting job. However, his versatility may allow him to crack the starting lineup along with Howie Kendrick.
Infielders are a key part of the team’s success. Without them, the team will struggle to be competitive. Injury to Nola, Wheeler, or Neris could end the season. This is why the team’s prospects need to be solid. However, if these three aren’t there, they won’t play a part in the playoffs.
Bullpen
The bullpen for the Phillies 2020 season is a work in progress, but with some reinforcements, it could remain competitive throughout the season. The Phillies have already added two veteran relievers in Deolis Guerra and Reggie McClain, while bringing in newcomers David Hale and David Phelps. In addition, they acquired Heathembree in the Workman trade. The remaining roles in the pen will be worked out in spring training.
Last season’s bullpen wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t practical. With the Mets and Atlanta posing a serious threat, the Phillies’ bullpen simply wasn’t good enough to contend. After all, the bullpen gave up more runs per inning last season than it did their starting pitchers, which was not enough to compete with the NL’s best offenses.
The Phillies’ bullpen has an ERA of 4.60, which is the sixth highest in the major league. The team also relied heavily on stopgap relievers, and their numbers reflected it. The only reliever with an ERA under four.00 was Blake Parker, who has an ERA of 2.81.
Another starter in the bullpen is homegrown Connor Brogdon, who has the potential to develop into a standout relief pitcher. Last season, Brogdon posted a respectable 3.49 ERA and led all relievers with 0.8 fWAR. He also allowed a lot of fly balls and did not strike out a lot of guys, but he was good enough to earn a spot on the Phillies’ bullpen depth chart.
The starting rotation looks much better after signing Zach Wheeler, but there are still many questions about the bullpen. While a new look bullpen will feature two veteran relievers, the Phillies will need some depth in the middle of the rotation. With a few key injuries, they will likely need to replace a few starters, including the No. 4-5 starter and center field. In the meantime, a lot of innings will fall on the bullpen.
Although Brogdon was a pleasant surprise in 2020, he wasn’t used in high pressure situations. His 61 appearances came in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings. The Phillies were also projected to have a strong starting staff this season, but Coonrod’s forearm tendinitis kept him on the sidelines for the majority of April. He has had trouble rehabbing the injury and was placed on the 60-day injured list.
