After last night’s win over the Red Sox in the first interleague game of the season, the Phils own the best record in the NL (26-15) as the season’s first quarter comes to a close. The grades below are based on the performance at each position so far this season, taking into account the expectations for that position coming into the season. The BSB Phils Weekly Report will be on hiatus for the next month….
Catcher: The emergence of Carlos Ruiz continues. The quiet, little guy is not as good offensively as he’s shown these first two months, but he’s definitely improved. Not only is he hitting .309, but his .443 OBP ranks second in the NL, as he’s taken full advantage of hitting 8th in the line-up and forced pitchers to throw him strikes or put him on and go after the pitcher. He’s also one of the premiere defensive catchers in the game, which adds so much to the success of this team every day. He hasn’t been throwing base-stealers out this year, but that’s been more on the pitchers than him.
Grade: A
First Base: It’s been a fairly standard first quarter for Ryan Howard. He hasn’t really got the power stroke going yet, but he usually doesn’t until the second half of the season anyway. His walks are down quite a bit, but that probably has a lot to do with Jayson Werth raking from the 5-hole. His strike-outs are also down, which is a good sign, but could be a bit of a fluke. Hopefully not though, because when the big man puts the ball in play, he hits it hard and it’s tough to catch, and that’s why he’s hitting .310, a number he hasn’t approached over a full season since his MVP season in 2006.
Grade: B+
Second Base: Unlike Howard, Chase Utley is becoming known for his hot starts. His numers right now (.308 BA/.432 OBP/.587 SLG) make him an early entrant in the MVP race. With 10 homers, he has a decent shot of topping his career high of 33. Of course, he also continues to set the tone for the team with his intense focus and all-out effort on every play, every game.
Grade: A
Shortstop: It’s been a really tough first quarter at the shortstop position, and there was more bad news last night, as Jimmy Rollins re-aggravated the calf muscle that forced him to miss 30 games already. He’s day-to-day and possibly headed back to the DL. Unlike last season’s first half, Jimmy’s been highly effective when he’s played, but he’s only managed 50 AB’s to this point, and it’s looking like he may not be totally healthy for the rest of the season. Juan Castro has handled most of the SS duties, and though his numbers aren’t good, he’s had a bunch of clutch hits and played solidly in the field. Wilson Valdez has also seen a fair amount of time here, and he performed similarly to Castro.
Grade: B-
Third Base: Placido Polanco’s return to Philadelphia has definitely been a success to this point. Like Ryan Howard, Polanco’s season has definitely been affected by the man hitting behind him, in this case Utley. Polanco averaged 8 home runs a season over the last five years. This year, thanks to Citizens Bank Park and more strikes thrown his way, he’s on pace for 20, which would be a career high. Polanco has never been a player that took a lot of walks, but he’s taking even less with Utley behind him. But with a .302 average and .450 SLG, nobody is complaining. He’s also made the transition back to third smoothly, and has filled in at second base a few games.
Grade: B+
Left Field: Raul Ibanez is the one hitter on the team that’s been a disappointment so far, though after his bad second-half last season and his terrible spring training, it’s not like it’s been a total shock. His .246 average would easily be his lowest since becoming a full-time player in 2001, and he’s on pace for just 12 homers, which would also be a career low. On the positive side, he’s been taking a lot of walks and has had a few key hits over the last month.
Grade: D+
Center Field: It’s been an unusual season at the plate for Shane Victorino, and possibly that’s because he came into the year expecting to be the 7-hitter, but has spent most of his time as the lead-off man. The numbers he’s posted, for whatever reason, look much better for a 7-hitter than a lead-off hitter. His average (.264) and OBP (.317) are well below the numbers he’s posted over the last few seasons, but his power numbers are up. He’s on pace for 32 homers and over 120 RBI, and already more than halfway to his career highs in those categories of 14 and 62, respectively. I think we’ll see Shane’s average come up and power come down, but is it possible that the Flyin’ Hawaiian could be a 30/30 guy?
Grade: B+
Right Field: We’ve gone through all these hitters that have had great first quarters, and now we get to the best of the 
bunch, Jayson Werth. When is this guy gonna stop getting better? He went from a nice platoon guy in ’07, to a solid everyday player in ’08, to an All-Star in ’09, and if he keeps going like he has so far this season, he could be an MVP in 2010. He’s hitting .329 with a ridiculous .658 SLG. He sits at or near the league lead in a slew of categories, including his 21 doubles, which is five more than any other NL player. He’s well-known for punishing left-handed pitching, but he’s hit ALL 9 of his homers so far this season off righties, including one off John Lackey on Friday night that was hit about as hard as you’ll ever see a ball hit. A dominant start to the season from Mr. Werth.
Grade: A
Bench: As noted above, Castro and Valdez were serviceable fill-ins at shortstop, but other than that, the Phils have gotten very little production from their bench. The three main bats, Greg Dobbs, Ben Francisco, and Ross Gload, are a combined 17/86 on the season, a .198 average, with 2 home runs. The new backup catcher, Brian Schneider, has also been ineffective in limited playing time, with just 3 singles in 18 at-bats. The bench gets credit for added defensive flexibility with Castro and Gload replacing Bruntlett and Stairs.
Grade: D+
Starting Pitching: The rotation has been set-back due to injuries to Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ, but they’ve still acquitted themselves pretty well. Roy Halladay has been as advertised, and then some. He has 4 complete games in 9 starts, and a 1.64 ERA. After a mediocre April, Cole Hamels looked really good in May, and he could be on his way to a really strong season. Jamie Moyer has been steady, and turned in the start of the season so far (besting anything Halladay has done) with a two-hit shutout a few weeks ago.
Kyle Kendrick has been up-and-down, and will most likely be out of the rotation when Happ returns, but he’s had some really strong outings and still has the potential to have a solid career in the big leagues, whether it’s in Philly or elsewhere. Blanton has been decent since coming off the DL, and Happ was solid in just two starts before his injury.
Grade: B
Bullpen: The pen was the biggest question mark coming into the season, and though it certainly still holds that title, the group has definitely held their own. With Brad Lidge limited to just three innings thanks to two DL stints so far, and Ryan Madson out for an extended period of time thanks to a broken toe, other guys have had to step up. The main one to do that has been Jose Contreras, who’s 0.63 ERA has been a life-saver. Chad Durbin has been the other key contributor, with a 2.79 ERA in a bullpen-leading 19.1 innings. The lefties, J.C. Romero and Antonio Bastardo, have been fine in limited work, and Danys Baez and David Herndon have had their struggles, though both have also shown flashes of ability.
Grade: B-
Overall: They’re on pace for 100 wins and they have the biggest division lead in baseball, so there’s no denying that it’s been a very successful first quarter of the season. Especially when you take into account all of the injuries they’ve had to deal with, the .630 winning percentage is that much more impressive. Right now, they have a Cy Young candidate and two MVP candidates. They need to get more luck with their health, because the lack of production from the bench means they can’t really count on those guys for long stretches. They also need to keep finding a way to hold things together in the bullpen, and be prepared to add a piece there later in the season, if needed.
Grade: A-
