Phillies position players: 2019 first trimester report cards

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Mixed grades for Phillies position players in first 2019 trimester

Each season in Major League Baseball is currently scheduled to last for 162 games. This means that the Philadelphia Phillies reached the 1/3 pole of the 2019 campaign this past Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park against the Saint Louis Cardinals.

I previously handed out report cards for the first “trimester” of the season for each of the starting pitchers on the Phillies 2019 roster, as well as outfielder Nick Williams and reliever Pat Neshek.

In an effort to wrap-up the process, this piece will include a letter grade, along with a brief description of each remaining key position players contributions, including their relevant statistics through Tuesday night, May 28.

I’ll be back with player grades for the second trimester and the season to that point when the Phillies reach the 108-game mark. That is scheduled to come on July 31, the same date as the MLB trade deadline.

STARTING LINEUP

Andrew McCutchen (B): ‘Cutch’ slashed .257/.375/.446 with eight homers, 26 RBIs, 38 runs scored, and 21 extra-base hits through the first one-third of the season. He provided strong left field defense, and was mostly solid when called upon to fill in at center field as well. For the forseeable future in this 2019 season, that could prove to be his regular position.

Jean Segura (A): Segura was perhaps the club’s most consistent hitter at that one-third mark, slashing .308/.354/.478 with five homers, 23 RBIs, 35 runs scored, and 19 extra-base hits. He has also provided stellar defense at shortstop. Segura missed ten games after suffering a mid-April injury.

Bryce Harper (B): For many fans, the first one-third of this Phillies season was a disappointment from Harper after he was signed to a massive free agent contract. True, he hit for just a .232 average. But he also got on base at a .357 clip, and provided nine homers, 36 RBIs, 31 runs scored, and 25 extra-base hits. While we expect more offensively, his grade also reflects his having played outstanding defense in right field and provided a hustling example on the field and base paths at all times.

Rhys Hoskins (A): Through the one-third pole of the season, Hoskins was the club’s most consistent run-producer. That shouldn’t be much of a surprise, with his return to the more comfortable first base position and the improved offensive talent surrounding him in the batting order. He slashed .271/.396/.536 with 13 homers, 41 RBIs, 31 runs scored, and 24 extra-base hits.

Zach Eflin 2019 first trimester report card

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Zach Eflin has been solid at the back end of the Phillies rotation

Each season in Major League Baseball is currently scheduled to last for 162 games. This means that the Philadelphia Phillies (31-22) reach the 1/3 pole with their home game on Tuesday night against the Saint Louis Cardinals.

Over the last few days, I began handing out report cards for the first “trimester” of the season for each player on the Phillies 2019 roster. That process continues on Monday and Tuesday with a letter grade, along with a brief description of each player’s contributions, including their relevant statistics.

I’ll be back with each player’s grades for the second trimester and the season to that point when the Phillies reach the 108-game mark. That is scheduled to come on July 31, the same date as the MLB trade deadline.

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ZACH EFLIN

FIRST TRIMESTER GRADE: B

STATS: 11 starts, 5-5 record, 3.02 ERA, 1.188 WHIP, 64 hits allowed including 10 home runs over 65.2 innings with a 51/14 K:BB ratio.

REPORT: Eflin opened the season as a major question mark after collapsing over his final eight starts a year ago as the ball club also collapsed out of the playoff race. He turned just 25-years-old the day after his second start this season, and has generally been a positive in the rotation.

He was beaten up in Milwaukee on Sunday. But prior to that he was riding a stretch where five of his previous six outings resulted in a Quality Start. On April 28 at home against the Miami Marlins, Eflin tossed the Phillies first complete game victory in three years. Two starts later on May 11 in Kansas City, he did it again.

Because he started so strong this season there has been some concern over natural regression with Eflin. Some of those voicing such concerns will point to yesterday’s blowup at Miller Park as evidence that this process has begun.

Vince Velasquez 2019 first trimester report card

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Velasquez has gone from rotation to IL to bullpen in 2019

Each season in Major League Baseball is currently scheduled to last for 162 games. This means that the Philadelphia Phillies (31-22) reach the 1/3 pole with their home game on Tuesday night against the Saint Louis Cardinals.

Over the last few days, I began handing out report cards for the first “trimester” of the season for each player on the Phillies 2019 roster. That process continues on Monday and Tuesday with a letter grade, along with a brief description of each player’s contributions, including their relevant statistics.

I’ll be back with each player’s grades for the second trimester and the season to that point when the Phillies reach the 108-game mark. That is scheduled to come on July 31, the same date as the MLB trade deadline.

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VINCE VELASQUEZ

FIRST TRIMESTER GRADE: C

STATS: 9 game including 6 starts, 2-2 record, 4.64 ERA, 1.485 WHIP, 32 hits allowed including nine home runs over 33 innings with a 36/17 K:BB ratio.

REPORT: Velasquez started the season with a quick single inning out of the bullpen in early April, striking out two in a shutout frame. Moving back into his spot in the starting rotation, the righty reeled off four straight solid outings over which he allowed just 16 hits over 21.2 innings with a 2.08 ERA and a .203 batting average against.

But he then got beaten up in this next two starts against the Tigers and Cardinals. That was followed by a stint on the Injured List due to a right forearm strain. When Velasquez returned he found his place in the rotation was gone. The Phillies have finally decided that he may be able to help more out of the bullpen on a permanent basis, as many had called for over recent months and years.

Velasquez’ career as a steady reliever got off to a rousing start when he struck out four Brewers batters over a two-inning stint in this past weekend’s series opener on Friday night. But in yesterday’s finale, the Brew Crew knocked him around for four earned runs on five hits and a walk over just 2/3 of an inning.

Jake Arrieta 2019 first trimester report card

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Jake Arrieta has become the leader of the Phillies rotation

Each season in Major League Baseball is currently scheduled to last for 162 games. This means that the Philadelphia Phillies (31-22) reach the 1/3 pole with their home game on Tuesday night against the Saint Louis Cardinals.

Over the last few days, I began handing out report cards for the first “trimester” of the season for each player on the Phillies 2019 roster. That process continues on Monday and Tuesday with a letter grade, along with a brief description of each player’s contributions, including their relevant statistics.

I’ll be back with each player’s grades for the second trimester and the season to that point when the Phillies reach the 108-game mark. That is scheduled to come on July 31, the same date as the MLB trade deadline.

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JAKE ARRIETA

FIRST TRIMESTER GRADE: B+

STATS: 11 starts, 5-4 record, 3.60 ERA, 1.300 WHIP, 65 hits allowed including nine home runs over 70 innings with a 59/26 K:BB ratio.

REPORT: There is an understandable view among many in the Phillies fan base that Aaron Nola is the ace of their pitching rotation. That is based on his emergence a year ago during a season in which the young right-hander finished third in the NL Cy Young Award voting.  But that view would not be entirely correct.

Arrieta is at least a co-ace of this rotation. He is an actual Cy Young Award winner, and has finished in the top 10 of the voting in two other seasons. He has been the top pitcher on a World Series-winning ball club. And this year, at age 33 and completely healthy, Arrieta has seized the role at the top of that rotation and provided a consistent, veteran presence almost every time he takes the mound.

Eight of his 11 starts have been of the Quality Start variety. He has beaten three of the four NL East Division opponents this year, and in his last outing on Friday night he shut down a powerful Milwaukee lineup in their hitter’s ball park. Six times he has held the opposition lineup to five or fewer hits.

Aaron Nola 2019 first trimester report card

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Numbers are down, but Nola keeps on winning in 2019

Each season in Major League Baseball is currently scheduled to last for 162 games. This means that the Philadelphia Phillies (30-21) will reach the 1/3 pole with their home game on Tuesday night against the Saint Louis Cardinals.

Over the next few days, I’ll be handing out the report cards for the first “trimester” of the season for each player on the Phillies 2019 roster. There will be a letter grade, along with a brief description of their contributions, including their relevant statistics.

I’ll be back with each player’s grades for the second trimester and the season to that point when the Phillies reach the 108-game mark. That is scheduled to come on July 31, the same date as the MLB trade deadline.

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AARON NOLA

FIRST TRIMESTER GRADE: B

STATS: 11 starts, 5-0 record, 4.53 ERA, 1.543 WHIP, 64 hits allowed including nine home runs over 57.2 innings with a 66/25 K:BB ratio.

REPORT: It’s been a mixed bag for Nola, a pitcher who finished third in the 2018 NL Cy Young Award voting and who many expected to challenge for that honor this time around as well. The ERA and WHIP are unsightly, mostly because of a three-start stretch in early April.

Since that early rough patch, Nola has gone 4-0 and the team is 6-1 over his last seven starts. Winning is what it’s all about, and Nola has found a way to win most times out, even without being as effective as last season. That gets him the shaky ‘B’ grade this time around. Believe me, I was tempted to go a level lower.

Just four of his 11 starts have been of the Quality Start variety thus far in 2019. In eight of the 11 he has given up more hits than innings pitched. He needs to solve these early-season issues and return closer to that 2018 form, or the Phillies are going to find holding on to first place much more difficult as we move into and through the summer months.

The right-hander turnes just 26-years-old next week. He has all the tools still, and has flashed them this season despite some struggles, to pitch at the front of the Phillies rotation for a long time. Still the best the team has to offer, I expect him to be better over the second part of the trimester.

Give us your feedback. Respond either as a comment to this piece or at our social media feeds. What is your take on him to this point? What, if anything, would you do differently regarding this player or their role if you were the Phillies manager or GM?

Originally published at Phillies Nation as "Phillies 2019 first trimester report card: Aaron Nola"

Jerad Eickhoff 2019 first trimester report card

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Eickhoff started hot and has cooled of late for the 2019 Phillies

Each season in Major League Baseball is currently scheduled to last for 162 games. This means that the Philadelphia Phillies (30-21) will reach the 1/3 pole with their home game on Tuesday night against the Saint Louis Cardinals.

Over the next few days, I’ll be handing out the report cards for the first “trimester” of the season for each player on the Phillies 2019 roster. There will be a letter grade, along with a brief description of their contributions, including their relevant statistics.

I’ll be back with each player’s grades for the second trimester and the season to that point when the Phillies reach the 108-game mark. That is scheduled to come on July 31, the same date as the MLB trade deadline.

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JERAD EICKHOFF

FIRST TRIMESTER GRADE: B

STATS: Eight games (seven starts), 2-2 record, 3.86 ERA, 1.190 WHIP, 35 hits allowed including seven home runs over 42 innings with a 39/15 K:BB ratio.

REPORT: Eickhoff began the season in the Triple-A Lehigh Valley rotation. Showing that he was healthy over his first two starts after missing nearly all of last season with various injuries, he was promoted and quickly moved into the Phillies starting rotation when Nick Pivetta struggled mightily over his own first few starts in April.

Gabe Kapler used him in relief in his first appearance, and Eickhoff actually earned a Save when he delivered four shutout innings in a 14-3 win over the Mets. Moving into the starting rotation, the right-hander allowed just 15 hits over his first four starts and 26 innings.

However, just when it seemed that he might have returned to the levels that had made him an 11-game winner for the club back in the 2016 season, Eickhoff has hit a major speed bump. Over his last three outings including Friday in Milwaukee, Eickhoff has allowed 17 hits over a dozen innings with a 9.75 ERA and a .333 batting average against. Opposing hitters have slugged seven home runs over those three starts.

Kapler and GM Matt Klentak are going to have some tough decisions to make moving forward with the starting rotation. Aaron Nola and Jake Arrieta are clearly the top two starters. But after that it’s pretty much an open competition among a half-dozen arms. Eickhoff is part of that conversation, but he is no longer the lock that he appeared to be becoming just two weeks ago.

Pat Neshek 2019 first trimester report card

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Neshek started fast, leveled off, then came up injured 

Each season in Major League Baseball is currently scheduled to last for 162 games. This means that the Philadelphia Phillies (30-21) will reach the 1/3 pole with their home game on Tuesday night against the Saint Louis Cardinals.

Over the next few days, I’ll be handing out the report cards for the first “trimester” of the season for each player on the Phillies 2019 roster. There will be a letter grade, along with a brief description of their contributions, including their relevant statistics.

I’ll be back with each player’s grades for the second trimester and the season to that point when the Phillies reach the 108-game mark. That is scheduled to come on July 31, the same date as the MLB trade deadline.

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PAT NESHEK

FIRST TRIMESTER GRADE: C

STATS: 19 games, 0-1 record, 3 Saves, 4.67 ERA, 1.327 WHIP, 22 hits allowed including four home runs over 17.1 innings with a 9/1 K:BB ratio.

REPORT: Neshek started off strong, going unscored upon in seven of his first eight outings. Ironically, in the one game that he did surrender a run, he earned his first Save of the season on April 8 at home against the Nationals. He then gave up a pair at Coors Field, for which there is no shame considering that environment.

After that appearance against the Rockies, Neshek shut down the opposition in six of his next eight outings. It was his final appearance of the season to this point that really blew up his stats. He surrendered three earned runs by getting drilled for a pair of homers by the Cubs during the Phillies 9-7 series finale win at Wrigley Field.

And then, injury struck. It was described in this manner by Matt Breen of Philly.com:

“He appeared troubled Friday when he walked off the field as the rest of the pitchers were throwing on the field before batting practice. Neshek talked to bullpen coach Jim Gott, grabbed his shoulder, and returned to the clubhouse. He was examined by a Brewers physician before flying to Philadelphia for further testing.”

It’s very reasonable to suspect that the shoulder was not 100% during Thursday’s appearance. Neshek has been placed on the Injured List, will be examined further, and there is no current timetable for his return. However, he did miss the first half of last season with shoulder trouble, so this could be a significant period of time spent out of the bullpen mix.

Nick Pivetta 2019 first trimester report card

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Poor 2019 start got Nick Pivetta demoted to Triple-A in April

Each season in Major League Baseball is currently scheduled to last for 162 games. This means that the Philadelphia Phillies (30-21) will reach the 1/3 pole with their home game on Tuesday night against the Saint Louis Cardinals.

Over the next few days, I’ll be handing out the report cards for the first “trimester” of the season for each player on the Phillies 2019 roster. There will be a letter grade, along with a brief description of their contributions, including their relevant statistics.

I’ll be back with each player’s grades for the second trimester and the season to that point when the Phillies reach the 108-game mark. That is scheduled to come on July 31, the same date as the MLB trade deadline.

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NICK PIVETTA

FIRST TRIMESTER GRADE: D

STATS: Four games, 2-1 record, 31 hits allowed including five home runs over 18 innings with a 16/8 K:BB ratio.

REPORT: Pivetta has to be considered one of the biggest, if not the single biggest, disappointments of the season’s opening weeks. Coming into 2019, many in the baseball industry considered the 26-year-old to be a major breakout candidate. After making 32 starts and striking out 188 batters over 164 innings a year ago, Pivetta certainly appeared to have the stuff to warrant such positive commentary.

But then the season began, and Pivetta got knocked around right from the outset. Working the second game of the year at Citizens Bank Park, the righty yielded four earned runs on eight hits in just four innings against the Atlanta Braves.

He would make three more starts, never going more than five innings, and was showing no improvement. That poor start got him demoted. With Triple-A Lehigh Valley he began to excel again. Thus far, Pivetta has a 4-1 record with a 3.41 ERA and 1.135 WHIP. More importantly, he is dominating minor league hitters for the most part with a 50/20 K:BB and having allowed just 22 hits over 37 innings.

Pivetta is a candidate to be promoted and return to the Phillies starting rotation when the club returns home on Tuesday night to face the Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park. He appears to be ready for another shot.

Give us your feedback. Respond either as a comment to this piece or at our social media feeds. What is your take on him to this point? What, if anything, would you do differently regarding this player or their role if you were the Phillies manager or GM?

Originally published at Phillies Nation as "Phillies 2019 first trimester report cards: Nick Pivetta"

Nick Williams 2019 first trimester report card

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It was a rough first 1/3 of the 2019 season for Nick Williams

Each season in Major League Baseball is currently scheduled to last for 162 games. This means that the Philadelphia Phillies (30-21) will reach the 1/3 pole with their home game on Tuesday night against the Saint Louis Cardinals.

Over the next few days, I’ll be handing out the report cards for the first “trimester” of the season for each player on the Phillies 2019 roster. There will be a letter grade, along with a brief description of their contributions, including their relevant statistics.

I’ll be back with each player’s grades for the second trimester and the season to that point when the Phillies reach the 108-game mark. That is scheduled to come on July 31, the same date as the MLB trade deadline.

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NICK WILLIAMS

FIRST TRIMESTER GRADE: D

STATS: 38 games, 65 plate appearances, .180/.231/.262 slash, one homer, four RBIs, three XBH, seven runs.

REPORT: the only thing keeping Williams from an ‘F’ grade were his circumstances. A starter for most of the last two seasons, his first two in the big-leagues, Williams was forced into a bench role with the signings of free agents Andrew McCutchen and Bryce Harper.

He didn’t get a start until April 26, and only made eight starts among his 38 appearances. But Williams contributed to his own struggles by not producing when he did get an opportunity.

He was mercifully sent down to Triple-A Lehigh Valley last week. Hopefully he can get regular playing time and at-bats there, rediscover his swing, and be more ready to help the Phillies should injuries strike the outfield at some point. That, or make himself into an attractive trade chip.

Give us your feedback. Respond either as a comment to this piece or at our social media feeds. What is your take on him to this point? What, if anything, would you do differently regarding this player or their role if you were the Phillies manager or GM?

Originally published at Phillies Nation as "Phillies 2019 first trimester report card: Nick Williams"