Welcome to the 2017 Razzball Team Previews! You’ll find everything you need to know about each team to get yourself ready for the upcoming fantasy baseball season. And I do mean everything, everybody. We’ve got line-ups, charts, numbers, projections, questionable questions, smarter answer, potent potables and well, that’s a lie. No potables here, but plenty of potent fantasy names brimming with potential. Now’s the time to be an eternal optimist. For a few more days, at least. So, we’ve got a team to preview and questions to ask. Let’s get after it!
A quick note on the format. Each preview will feature six questions to a team’s blog writer. Are there only six great fantasy questions for each team? Of course not, but THAT’S WHAT THE COMMENTS ARE FOR! So, enjoy the thoughts of another writer, the dialogue on each team, and then continue the conversation in the comments!
We have a very special guest for this post, John Stolnis, to provide his take on what the team has in store this season. Now enough rambling, let’s see what 2017 holds for the Philadelphia Phillies!
2017 Philadelphia Phillies Depth Chart & Projections
Starting Lineup
| Order | Pos | Player | AB | R | HR | RBI | SB | AVG | OPS |
| 1 | 2B | Cesar Hernandez | 561 | 70 | 5 | 47 | 18 | 0.270 | 0.707 |
| 2 | LF | Howie Kendrick | 441 | 51 | 9 | 48 | 7 | 0.280 | 0.741 |
| 3 | CF | Odubel Herrera | 573 | 74 | 12 | 58 | 20 | 0.273 | 0.736 |
| 4 | 3B | Maikel Franco | 547 | 72 | 26 | 83 | 2 | 0.272 | 0.797 |
| 5 | RF | Michael Saunders | 423 | 53 | 17 | 58 | 3 | 0.240 | 0.751 |
| 6 | 1B | Tommy Joseph | 490 | 63 | 28 | 79 | 3 | 0.259 | 0.788 |
| 7 | SS | Freddy Galvis | 288 | 28 | 8 | 32 | 6 | 0.242 | 0.662 |
| 8 | CF | Cameron Rupp | 302 | 32 | 11 | 38 | 1 | 0.235 | 0.691 |
Bench
| Pos | Player | AB | R | HR | RBI | SB | AVG | OPS |
| OF | Aaron Altherr | 255 | 28 | 7 | 30 | 6 | 0.235 | 0.688 |
| IF/OF | Andres Blanco | 246 | 27 | 6 | 28 | 4 | 0.253 | 0.700 |
| SS | J.P. Crawford | 237 | 23 | 4 | 24 | 5 | 0.244 | 0.666 |
| C | Andrew Knapp | 119 | 12 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 0.234 | 0.650 |
| OF | Roman Quinn | 111 | 12 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 0.241 | 0.653 |
Starting Rotation
| Role | Player | IP | W | SV | K | ERA | WHIP | K/9 |
| 1 | Jeremy Hellickson | 171 | 9 | 0 | 141 | 4.4 | 1.30 | 7.4 |
| 2 | Aaron Nola | 166 | 10 | 0 | 157 | 3.66 | 1.23 | 8.48 |
| 3 | Vince Velasquez | 157 | 9 | 0 | 171 | 3.96 | 1.25 | 9.76 |
| 4 | Jerad Eickhoff | 152 | 8 | 0 | 133 | 4.27 | 1.28 | 7.89 |
| 5 | Clay Buchholz | 103 | 6 | 0 | 87 | 4.2 | 1.34 | 7.58 |
Bullpen
| Role | Player | IP | W | SV | K | ERA | WHIP | K/9 |
| CL | Hector Neris | 65 | 3 | 11 | 73 | 3.68 | 1.26 | 10.07 |
| SU | Jeanmar Gomez | 65 | 3 | 18 | 48 | 4.26 | 1.40 | 6.62 |
| MID | Jake Thompson | 64 | 3 | 0 | 47 | 4.95 | 1.48 | 6.61 |
| MID | Joaquin Benoit | 55 | 3 | 4 | 60 | 3.69 | 1.27 | 9.87 |
| MID | Pat Neshek | 55 | 3 | 2 | 52 | 4.05 | 1.24 | 8.55 |
| MID | Edubray Ramos | 45 | 2 | 2 | 46 | 3.76 | 1.24 | 9.22 |
| MID | Joely Rodriguez | 40 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 4.15 | 1.40 | 7.48 |
| LR | Pat Venditte | 35 | 2 | 0 | 35 | 3.97 | 1.31 | 9.07 |
| LR | Luis Garcia | 30 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 3.72 | 1.41 | 8.71 |
| LR | Zach Eflin | 46 | 2 | 0 | 31 | 5.02 | 1.39 | 6.10 |
Note: Projections provided by Steamer.
And now we specifically want to get to the specifics. So, let’s bring in John Stolnis from The Good Phight to give us the low down on the Phillies in 2017.
M@: Philadelphia’s seen a full transformation over the past few years as part of their rebuild. The mainstays that previously anchored their lineup have been replaced by young fliers and a few reclamation projects. At the heart of the changes, though, are two solid and young options in Odubel Herrera and Mikael Franco. Which batter has the better 2017? And is there someone else that could top them as the best bat in Philly this year?
John Stolnis: I feel much more secure saying Odubel Herrera has a better 2017. Herrera has already shown he’s a terrific hitter and a guy who should usually be around .300 with an OBP around .340-.350. I also believe he’s going to hit 20 HRs this year. Franco has a chance to be a true power-hitting superstar, though, and I think he’ll rebound from a not-so-hot 2016. Right now, I think those two will battle it out as the most productive bats on the big league roster, but don’t rule out a big campaign from Michael Saunders, who was an All-Star last year but wore down in the 2nd half. And Aaron Altherr could have a sneaky-good season as the team’s 4th outfielder. There’s lots to like, but also a lot of holes and flaws that could force things south in a hurry.
M@: Can we talk about the leviathan stirring underneath the MLB waters down in AAA? Maybe leviathan isn’t right. How about Bondsian goliath? Seriously, Dylan Cozens mashed 40 HR last season in the minors. It’s hard to hit 40 HR at any level in one season, so when it happens the power has to be real. His K% is as gargantuan as his power, which could make him more Mark Reynolds than Barry Bonds. He seems like a tough projection. What should we expect Cozens to become in the fantasy realm? Can he make a splash in 2017?
John Stolnis: Do not count on Cozens in any way shape or form to be a fantasy option in 2017. He likely won’t make the big leagues this season and he’s by no means a sure thing to be a regular MLB player. The home runs were awesome last year, but Reading is known as a homer haven, and his home/road splits were extreme in terms of power. He also, as you mentioned, is a huge strikeout guy, and has not shown the ability to hit left-handers at all during his minor league career. That being said, the power potential is real, and if he does show it off in Lehigh Valley this summer, then I think you’ve got an intriguing power guy for 2018. But not this year.
M@: The pitching staff has the same overhaul as the lineup, but there may be more upside with the arms than the bats. I’m a big fan of Aaron Nola and Vincent Velazquez, while Jerad Eickhoff may be the most reliable option. Of the youth movement in the rotation, which of the SP leads this staff in 2017?
John Stolnis: I think Jerad Eickhoff is the surest thing, and he’s surprisingly useful in fantasy. He actually does gather a fair number of Ks, and with Nola’s health uncertain and Velasquez’ volatility and inability to last deep into games, Eickhoff will give you the most quality starts of any pitcher on the staff. I’d take him over Nola and Velasquez at this point, although the upside for Nola, if healthy, is otherworldly. He pitched like one of the best starters in the NL for his first 12 starts last year, but then fell off a cliff in his final 8 and then got hurt. He’s the biggest question mark on the team right now, but so far this spring, Nola has proved to be healthy. So that’s a very good thing.
M@: Everyone loves getting an edge. As an expert on this team, give us some insider trading. Who is someone flying under the radar that will surprise us in 2017, making them an underrated option from the Phils?
John Stolnis: I mentioned him above, but I am LOVING what I see in Aaron Altherr this spring. He was pretty hyped last spring after a phenomenal cup of coffee with the Phils in ’15, but a wrist injury last spring torpedoed his 2016 season. Now, with Howie Kendrick and Michael Saunders taking the two corner OF spots, Altherr is left as the 4th outfielder. But Kendrick and Saunders likely won’t be with the team all season, and Altherr might be better than both of them right now. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he starts to steal some playing time from those guys.
Also, Hector Neris is not penciled in as the team’s closer just yet, but my guess is that he will be by May. He’s worth a late-round pick in deeper leagues.
M@: Now on the flip side, who is someone on this roster that everyone may be targeting but is an overrated option just waiting to disappoint us?
John Stolnis: I’m not in love with Cameron Rupp. Lots of power there, but I think there’s a good chance he loses his job to Jorge Alfaro at some point this season. And people love Cesar Hernandez for his batting average and on-base ability, but I’m still skeptical on his fantasy upside.
M@: Let’s time travel. At the end of 2017 what will this team’s final record be, and how will we remember their year?
John Stolnis: I’m going to say 76-86. I think this season will be called Moving Day. By that, I mean I think we’re finally going to see some of the prospects get called up this summer and some of the veteran players or placeholder players move on. I think it will provide a lot of energy and talent to a roster that is getting more of it year by year. I’m excited to see how it all shakes out.
NOW DROP THOSE COMMENTS! Thanks, John, for the conversation about the Phillies in 2017! Make sure to catch more of John’s writings at The Good Phight, and keep checking back. More 2017 Team Previews to come!
