Aug 29, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson (R) checks third base Alec Bohm (28) after an apparent injury during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Another Phillies season is in the books and we're all another year closer to our demise.
This one stung worse than most. The Phils looked like the best team in baseball for much of the season. Their starting rotation was untouchable at times. Their bullpen was nasty. Their lineup was chock full of superstar talent. And it all ended in four playoff games... against the hated Mets, of all teams.
© Brad Penner | 2024 Oct 9So what's next? The club knows it can't just run the same squad out there in 2025 and pray for better results. But many guys are locked into long-term contracts. And with the exception of Andrew Painter, the most talented players in the farm system are probably at least another year away.
Dave Dombrowski has his work cut out for him.
It wouldn't be surprising if the president of baseball operations begins his off-season work with a performance review of the players currently on the roster. That's something that can start right now, and we can play along.
Nearly everyone performed terribly in the postseason, of course. And four games is a very small sample size. So we'll try to identify players on the upswing/downswing based on career stats, 2023 numbers, and 2024 performance.
Today we'll look at the starting infielders. Throughout the week we'll look at outfielders, pitchers, and the bench.
Career: .272/.329/.453 (.782 OPS), 22 HR per 162
2023: .252/.310/.452 (.762 OPS), 20 HR in 135 games
2024: .266/.322/.429 (.751 OPS), 14 HR in 99 games
Realmuto's best years, with OPS figures well over .800, are likely behind him. He'll still be a better hitter than most catchers next season. But 99 games is the fewest he's played since 2015 (excluding the short 2020 season). The Phils would be wise to upgrade the backup catcher position.
Career: .281/.389/.522 (.911 OPS), 33 HR per 162
2023: .293/.401/.499 (.900 OPS), 21 HR in 126 games
2024: .285/.373/.525 (.898 OPS), 30 HR in 145 games
Harper shows no signs of slowing down. His 2024 numbers were right in line with his career stats, which include a couple completely insane MVP campaigns. And his stellar defense at first base has been a pleasant surprise, considering he learned the position only recently.
© Vincent Carchietta | 2024 Oct 8Career: .256/.315/.381 (.695 OPS), 14 HR per 162
2023: .280/.329/.419 (.747 OPS), 15 HR in 151 games
2024: .245/.315/.356 (.671 OPS), 11 HR in 148 games
Stott looked like an ascending star in 2023, and the hope was that he'd build upon his impressive numbers from that season. Instead, he took a huge step backwards in 2024. Assessing the "real" Bryson Stott will be an important task this winter.
Stott did manage to contribute in the field (playing Gold Glove-caliber defense) and on the basepaths (stealing 32 bags and getting caught just three times).
Career: .277/.327/.416 (.743 OPS), 16 HR per 162
2023: .274/.327/.437 (.765 OPS), 20 HR in 145 games
2024: .280/.332/.448 (.779 OPS), 15 HR in 143 games
Bohm was tremendous before the All-Star break, hitting .295 with an .830 OPS. After the break, he did not play well: .251 with a .681 OPS. He was even benched for Edmundo Sosa in a postseason game, and looked like he was very much in his own head.
Solving the Alec Bohm mystery will be critical to the Phillies' offseason plans. Highly touted minor league prospect Aidan Miller waits in the wings as the potential third baseman of the future.
Career: .296/.348/.481 (.829 OPS), 25 HR per 162 games
2023: .266/.320/.459 (.778 OPS), 26 HR in 155 games
2024: .295/.338/.469 (.807 OPS), 21 HR in 121 games
After Turner's wild 2023 season (catch The Turnaround on Netflix Oct. 16!), his 2024 numbers settled close to his career averages. He has posted an OPS above .900 in three different seasons, however, and if he can recapture that level of play, the complexion of the Phillies' lineup would change.
If there's a warning sign with Turner, it could be that he stole just 19 bases in 2024, compared to a career average of 40 SB per 162. Excluding 2020 and a 27-game appearance in the 2015 season, it was the lowest stolen base total of his career.
