Discussion

el-pietro 2018-04-23 16:39:02 UTC #142

The Phils Pythagorean record has them at 14-7. Based on runs scored and allowed. Runs Scored are inflated by that one game against Miami but Runs allowed inflated by that one game against Atlanta.

The Phillies have won by 1 run 5 times, 2 wins twice, 4 runs once, 5 wins three times and 6 and 7 runs once each. Plus that 20-1 Avalanche. Take out the 19 run win and its an average of 3.15 runs per win.

Take out the heavy loss to Atlanta (13 run loss) and the average losing margin is 2.5.

Pitching is carrying the team and the hitting is doing more than enough. Even this weekend when there were two close games the Phillies came out on top 18-5 over the four games.

zambonir 2018-04-23 16:46:53 UTC #143

I've never really understood that argument that lack of playing time is to blame for a player doing poorly. Williams, while not doing all that well himself, is pretty much only playing against RHPs (just three PAs against lefties), on a team that is otherwise devoid of lefty power (or even a lefty bench bat of any kind). As it is Altherr is still playing against RHPs plenty, and they are getting him out. If Williams wasn't here Quinn would probably still be getting a lot of those ABs (and Kingery too).

Just not sure it's any more obvious that Williams needs seasoning in AAA than it might be that Altherr is a third-year player that the league has adjusted to. Hopefully neither thing is true.

andyb 2018-04-23 17:02:15 UTC #144

Still really small sample size for both Williams and Altherr. They both belong on the team and are really beyond the development point where they NEED to play every day. There is really nothing in their K rates that suggests much regression other than different luck. We also kind of know that Santana has had bad luck but he gets the "veteran" benefit of doubt over the younger players.

Quinn would not have made any big difference here. Maybe if they had not brought Kingery up there would have been more of a role for Quinn. On a short bench with only 4 OFs though I probably prefer having one of the power bats off the bench since pinch running is much harder to do with fewer bench players.

EastFallowfield 2018-04-23 17:14:48 UTC #145

Baseball Prospectus gives the Phils the best odds of winning the NL East, and presumably they factor in the strength of schedule argument.

Slinging_Southpaw 2018-04-23 17:23:02 UTC #146

I don't see Williams as the current whipping boy, just not as polished as Altherr.
Again, I was fine with an outfield of Altherr, Herrera and Williams before the signing of Santana. They're both hitting poorly, but I think Altherr's plate discipline and defense give him a leg up on Williams.

phillychuck 2018-04-23 17:50:32 UTC #147

Great news! Also, though, I'd think that the Phils, with so many young players, have a lot of variance in their possible results. So we can't get cocky.

tom81 2018-04-23 22:14:42 UTC #148

Really good article on Pivetta in the Atlantic. They have an overlapped video of his fastball and curve coming out at the same release point and difference at the end is amazing. The season is young but he has given cause for dreaming.

zambonir 2018-04-23 23:32:08 UTC #149

I keep doing that too

Austinfan 2018-04-24 00:50:25 UTC #150

Williams has shown better discipline this year, I think they've been stressing that with all the young players.
Thing is you have to wait, some players can maintain their focus, others revert to bad habits over a long season.
Williams has the raw tools, but he's getting to the age where performance trumps potential.

With Kingery, I think you have a special player who could be plus defensively at every position, great speed, good eye to hand coordination, and a much better arm than I thought, two great throws, one from the OF one from 3B has convinced me. Obviously, it'll take some time for him to get comfortable at SS and 3B, but OF will be easier since he played OF in college. But he doesn't have to be elite anywhere but 2B, if he's just above average elsewhere he provides tremendous value in terms of roster and game day flexibility.

LoneStarPhan 2018-04-24 04:41:03 UTC #151

Possible protection to stash in the minors in case a third baseman is needed later in the season? Potentially backup in case a member of the current infield is traded? We will see.

EDmuch 2018-04-24 05:26:54 UTC #152

Plouffe is definitely a journeyman at this stage of his career. I wonder what the Phils said to him to get him to sign a minor league deal.

LoneStarPhan 2018-04-24 05:47:39 UTC #153

Probably found few clubs interested in giving him any deal at this point.

zambonir 2018-04-24 07:07:21 UTC #154

What other kind of deal would a 31 year-old coming off a .590 OPS season get? Seems like he wasn't even getting enough AAA playing time for Texas. All he really does here is replace Middlebrooks, I reckon.

gmwannabe 2018-04-24 11:20:11 UTC #155

There is a good article today at Philly.com about Arrieta sp? and the young pitchers. it mentions he is benefitting from them also, as well as giving his experience. as AF said above both Pivetta and Velasquez are pitching very well. but we know they can blow up at any time, especially VV. would love to see it continue and spur the phils on to a successful season.
gm

David_Criss 2018-04-24 12:26:58 UTC #156

Plouffe is a very low risk signing. I think he fills the role the team had hoped the lesser of Florimon and Flaherty would have filled at AAA. He has never been outstanding, but an ok hitter with a decent glove. He was a first round draft pick becuase of his defense if memory serves.
Last year, he stunk, so take a chance let him play a few games at AAA and see if anything is left.
With Kingery cooling off (that can happen to rookies who are playing multiple different non-natural positions or knowing when they will play) and Franco being Franco, I wonder if this is another Florimon signing. he is there to fill in at AAA if Valentin is called up to replace someone after a trade......if this was a move to send a message to Franco, I think they missed the boat.
Wonder if Flaherty is available?

LoneStarPhan 2018-04-25 01:47:22 UTC #157

While still early in the season, it looks to me that Kingery would have benefited by having a couple months in AAA before graduating to the big club. I think he is good enough to work things out and be okay eventually.

Alfaro also seems over matched with the bat but hopefully he too will work things out. Altherr has struggled early, but seems to be coming around of late. Of course, he has more ML time than the other two.

zambonir 2018-04-25 02:21:05 UTC #158

Hernandez's OPS in his first season playing a ton, 2015, was .687. So Kingery is probably fine. And his offensive game might be exactly the same if he was only playing one position. Not that it would have hurt to start him in AAA, but obviously the ability to lock him up so cheaply trumped all.

There's also Crawford, but he should probably get the same slack Galvis did. Unfortunately for them they are joining a different type of team and an impatient fan base. We'll see where things are in July (and December).

I don't think the Plouffe signing means anything at all. Anymore than the Mariners' signing of Jayson Werth means something for Seattle's outfielders (or even Cam Perkins).

LoneStarPhan 2018-04-25 02:38:26 UTC #159

I agree that Kingery should be fine as he gains more and more at bats. Had he had a couple more months at AAA, I think he would be further along toward what I think he will become. Still, just because the team has been doing better than expected, we should not become impatient. This is a young team that we all hope is coming together into a consistent winner.

I think Crawford would benefit if he were put in a short and left to play there regularly pretty much each game. Of course, I think the same could be said for Kingery at second, but Hernandez is a good player who should play regularly as long as he is here.

By June, we should have a better picture on all this as well as Franco.

gmwannabe 2018-04-25 02:58:23 UTC #160

They have run into a team that hits, in this series. Could be a broom series. and i think also, that kingery should have started in AAA, he is finding that regular season pitching is a little bit tougher than spring training pitching. if he is good, as is reported, i think by June he should be doing ok.
gm

phillychuck 2018-04-25 03:06:13 UTC #161

Kingery's strike zone control has been shaky in AAA and this year in the majors. He's had issues at other levels, but he's fixed them in pretty short order. Hope he can do that in the big leagues.