Phillies News and Discussion 2025 Season

[phillychuck]

Dialog:

*1. You can’t teach command

*2. that’s interesting...let’s look at the evidence

*2. Here are just four or five pitchers who have seemed to have learned command, seems to contradict the initial argument

*1. They didn’t learn command, they learned just to trust their stuff

*2./3./others: How is that different? Those are just different words for the same thing.

...!!

[andyb]

Back to the Phillies. Looks like Bohm will be back Saturday though we have a left-handed pitcher today in Gore for the Nationals. I guess we get one final Kemp vs Wilson contest. Note today is the anniversary of Wilson hitting for the cycle against the Nationals....

[David_Criss]

I think Kemp needs a little more seasoning, especially with the glove and if he is going to be a utility guy. Glad he got a taste of the big leagues, but Wilson and Sosa are both pretty good bench options to have. If Kemp were left handed, he'd get the nod.

[phillychuck]

Kemp needs to spend all winter and the first two months next year playing LF. He has enough speed to be a decent OF... If he can continue to hit, which I think he will.

[andyb]

If Kemp were left handed, he'd get the nod.

Kind of funny that the season has evolved into one where we might have used Kody Clemens quite a bit if we was still with us.

[zambonir]

If he can continue to hit, which I think he will.

At this point he would have to start to hit again, not continue to hit.

[phillychuck]

Fair point. Kemp also has to figure out how to hit when he is playing one or two times per week rather than every day.

Lots of minor league call-ups struggle with this.

[Austinfan]

Kemp needs a few hundred more AAA level PA, he was rushed out of need but with Wilson healthy, better off in AAA playing every day, then winter ball.

[bigegypt0417]

Why not do both?

Play winter ball and start the next season at AAA...kemp has been pretty successful at every level except the majors.

[allentown]

No he does not just need to keep hitting. He has not hit well at all. His OPS+ for the year is 81.

[zambonir]

He has an .800 OPS as a PH, funnily enough, though that is an inherently small sample. Unfortunately at his age and with minimal defensive utility, plus the fact that he is RH, his path as anything more than optionable bench depth is narrow.

[andyb]

Kemp is a better hitter than he has shown, but there is little reason to think he is a good hitter. AAA stats don't mean much these days especially with older hitters. The big problem is defense though. Kemp might very well be a 700-750 OPS hitter. But if he is terrible defensively everywhere that just does not play in more than a platoon or utility role.

[Austinfan]

Age matters up to 23 or so, because players continue to physically mature.
After that, it's a proxy for experience, for hitters, basically # of college/pro PA is a better measure.

Kemp, college 548, summer 277, minors 1315, AFL 63 = 2193
Crawford 1391
Anthony college 443, summer 87, minors 844 = 1374
Rincones college 620, summer 82, minors 1218, AFL 191 = 2111
Rojas Minors 1959, AFL 52, MLB 750 = 2761
Ricketts college 622, summer 192, minors 893, AFL 53 = 1760
Reyes minors 1280
Miller minors 955
DeMartini college 752, summer 214, minors 552 = 1518
Escobar 860

[zambonir]

Age also matters if you're about to turn 26 and still haven't proven anything, because players begin to physically decline.

To me the point of Kemp was if he could actually hit 20 HRs in the big leagues - he was headed for 25 or 30 in AAA - with an 800 OPS then you could put up with his defense at 3B or LF, or another team might be able to get him for 1B or DH. But he's not gonna be a .700 OPS guy, let alone .750, facing major league RHP regularly. Doesn't mean he couldn't be on a bench that didn't already have two RHBs ahead of him (both defensively and offensively).

Wilson lost the job on merit (post-injury) and won it back on merit. Doesn't mean he'll be here next year either, with no options.

[kmc1019]

Addition of Robertson and soon Alvarado will help weather any time without Duran. Just need him for playoffs.

[zambonir]

I feel like there is no middle ground. He's either out two-three weeks or two-three months.

[dcsman]

X-rays negative so I’m not even sure he’ll be out much at all. Good news!

[zambonir]

That would be something after all the drama. Great news.

[Austinfan]

It didn't look good at the time, I was fearing a broken bone in the foot.
Robertson was hitting 92-93, still a little below 2022-24 but close enough that he'll probably approach that level soon.
Given his rested arm, he should provide good depth down the stretch.
Duran, Kerkering, Robertson
Alvarado, Strahm, Banks

The reason they're patient with Romano?
ERA 7.24, xERA 3.62, FIP 4.82, xFIP 4.12
Not good but does suggest some bad luck, still much better than Ross.
Though not clearly better than Lazar, Johnson or Rangel.

[flyers19rw]

Robertson was hitting 92-93, still a little below 2022-24 but close enough that he'll probably approach that level soon.

And on a B2B. That was a solid performance. More than I expected from him.