The infield is the next position up on our Phillies roster breakdown. Placido Polanco, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard make up one of the best infields in all of baseball. Offensively and defensively, these guys get it done. Let me break down each player for you and list some guys who can step in when needed.
Placido Polanco: Last year Polanco battled through nagging injuries and managed to hit .298 with 6 HR and 52 RBI's. Polanco had an elbow injury that plagued him all last year. During the off-season, Polanco had surgery to repair his elbow and now it seems that he is back and healthier than ever. Polanco will look to be the number 2 hitter again and do the little things that he does so well. Defensively, Polanco made the transition from 2nd to 3rd base look easy and I really like him defending the hot corner. Although Polanco had a solid year statistically last season, I expect a healthy Polanco to hit a cool .315 and possibly hit 10 HRs.
Jimmy Rollins: “We’ll win 100 games.” Bold words from a guy who statistically over the past 2 seasons has not had the game to back his words. Rollins has a history of making bold predictions like his "Team to beat" comment directed solely at the New York Mets. As Rollins enters into the final year of his contract, he knows that this is a critical year and that all eyes are going to be on him. Maybe this most recent comment is a self motivator for Rollins who knows that he needs to have a big year if he wants to remain a Phillie. In 88 games last year, Rollins hit .243 with 8 HR and 41 RBI. Rollins needs to have a bounce back year and he needs to produce offensively. I don't know where Charlie is going to put Rollins in the lineup. It's possible that he could bat 5th behind Ryan Howard or even lead off as that is his natural spot. The right spot in the lineup is crucial for a guy like Rollins. Defensively, Rollins is still one of the best shortstops in the league. But this year is all about offense for Jimmy, and he needs to prove to this organization that he still has what it takes to get it done at the plate.
Chase Utley: Utley is a 5 time All-Star and has quietly played a big role in the success of this team. Last year Utley was sidelined for a large part of the season with a thumb injury. In 88 games last year Utley hit .275 with 16 HR and 65 RBI's, but he never seemed to be able to get his timing back once he returned from his injury. Although Utley has been an outstanding player during his time in Philadelphia, he has not had that break out MVP season that I always expected he would have. This year Utley is healthy and ready to go. I expect him to have a big year offensively if he can manage to stay healthy. If Utley can limit the number of errors and put together big numbers at the plate, I easily see Utley winning the MVP award. I know it's a bold prediction but I think this is going to be his year.
Ryan Howard: Forget about the called third strike for a moment and look at what Ryan Howard has done so far in his career. Howard's numbers are solid and consistent year after year and he is an extremely important part of this team. Howard hit .276 with 31 HR and 108 RBI's last year, a bit of a down year for Howard. I expect Howard to bounce back and have another 40 HR 120 RBI season. Defensively, Howard is putting in the extra work and it is certainly paying off. Last year he looked great making big plays and solid throws. Howard is very under appreciated in this city primarily due to the high number of strike outs that he records. But with power comes a great number of a strike outs and that should be expected. Howard is a great player and this city better start appreciating this guy because he's going to be here for a very long time (until 2016 to be exact).
Wilson Valdez: Valdez is the unsung hero of this Phillies team becaus he can do it all. He can play 3rd, he can play short, he can play 2nd and rumor has it they he can even play some outfield. Last year Valdez filled in for Utley, Rollins and Polanco when they were injured. His strong arm and ability to make plays helped him get playing time through out the whole year. Valdez played in 111 games last year for the Phils and managed to hit .253 with 4 HR and 35 RBI's. This year Valdez is going to remain as the main utility guy for this team. Valdez may also see some time in the outfield because of the vacant position left by Jayson Werth.
The key to the success of this infield is staying healthy. Polanco, Rollins, Utley and Howard all saw time on the disabled list last year, and staying healthy is a top priority. If they can stay healthy I expect all of these guys to have better years at the plate and to continue to play strong defense behind this starting rotation.
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