What To Expect From Phillies

For the first time in six years, during the final two months of the season, the Phillies will not be fighting for a playoff spot.  Although the Phils are coming off back to back series victories, they are simply too far back in both the wild card and division standings to make a move at the end of the year.

So while the Phillies may not be contending for the post season, there are still a lot of things and players to watch for that could affect the Phils next year.  Here are a few of them.

Dom Brown
Domonic Brown has looked pretty solid so far.  He is hitting .278, and defensively he looks strong.  I think that these last two months are basically an audition for Brown.  He has to show that he has the talent to be an everyday outfielder for this team.  If he doesn’t live up to expectations, the Phils may have to look to sign a veteran outfielder during the offseason.

John Mayberry
Although Mayberry has seen significant playing time this year, the final two months are going to be important for him as well.  Mayberry has picked it up offensively in the past month, but he has been inconsistent defensively.  If Mayberry proves that he can pick it up the remainder of the way, I think the Phillies would be content going into next year with Mayberry, Brown, Schierholtz, and Pierre as their outfield.  It’s a cheap, young outfield with a lot of potential.

Lee, Halladay, Hamels
By signing Cole Hamels to a 6 year extension, the Phillies have shown that they are still committed to pitching.  In the remainder of the year look for Hamels, Lee, and Halladay to hopefully return to their dominant selves.

Third Base
The Phillies need to figure out what they are going to do about the third base position for next year.  Placido Polanco’s contract is up after this year and the Phillies will most likely not pick up his option.  In my opinion, the Phillies should try out Freddy Galvis at third.  While Galvis may not be a huge threat offensively, he was great defensively at second base.  If Galvis can make the transition to third, the Phillies infield will be set for next year.

Overall there are a lot of things to watch in these final two months.  And while the Phillies may be pretty far back in the standings, if they keep winning series, they could put themselves in position for a wild card spot.