5th Spot Showcase: Shane Victorino

Shane Victorino is next up on our 5th Spot Showcase. Victorino is not your typical 5 hole hitter, but still a guy the Phils should take into consideration to protect Ryan Howard.

Pros: One reason why Shaner should be considered for the 5th spot is he is a career .279 hitter. In addition to hitting for a solid average, he has also shown in the past three years that he has the ability to drive in runs. In 2008 Victorino had 58 RBI's to go along with 14 HR's. Victorino followed 2008 with an even more impressive 2009 in which he had 62 RBI's and 10 HR's. Last year the Flyin' Hawaiin had his best power year with 18 HR's and 69 RBI's. With a power trend that is slowly increasing, wouldn't it be wise to at least consider Victorino for the 5th spot? Also Victorino is a leader who could really pick things up should the Phillies have an offensive drought. He can spark the middle of the line up and really get things going for this team offensively.

Cons: First off Victorino is a switch hitter, so having him in the 5 hole behind lefties Utley and Howard could mean 3 consecutive left handed bats on any given night. Also Victorino's power numbers are improving but, does Victorino have the consistency to bat 5th? After all he did hit .259 last year, so he may not have the consistency needed to bat in the 5 hole.

I think Shane Victorino brings a lot of versatility to this team. He can bat lead off, he can bat in the 2 hole, and he could possibly bat 5th. I don't think the Phils are going to put him in the 5 hole due to the fact that he is a switch hitter and he hit just .259 last year. I think Victorino is going to bat 6th where he will still have the opportunity to drive in a lot of runs for this team.