The Philadelphia Phillies have shown improvement recently after enduring a rough two-month stretch of poor performance.
This uptick in play isn’t attributed to the trade deadline acquisitions they made outside of their bullpen. Carlos Estevez has been outstanding, with a 1.72 ERA in 15 2/3 innings and 16 strikeouts during that period.
Another key acquisition was outfielder Austin Hays, who wasn’t a direct solution to their biggest need—a center fielder. In 19 games, he has posted a .254/.275/.373 slash line and an OPS+ of 81.
The center field issue remains unresolved, a problem that was evident even before the season began. The decision not to address this gap has led to concerns that it could impact the team’s performance come October.
Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report suggests that the Phillies might regret their trade deadline moves, noting, “It’s perplexing that Philadelphia’s solution to its outfield issue was to gamble on Austin Hays. If he isn’t starting in left field, they’re back to relying on Johan Rojas, who has a sub-.600 OPS, in center field. If they had traded for Jazz Chisholm Jr., they might be the favorites for the World Series.”
Aside from Chisholm, who has been a notable performer for the New York Yankees despite his injury concerns, no other impactful center fielders were available. Chisholm has posted a .318/.353/.600 slash line with a 163 OPS+ in 110 at-bats for the Yankees and would have been a valuable addition.
Despite the current center field issue, the Phillies have enough talent to compete for the World Series. It would be unfortunate if their lack of production in center field cost them a series, but if the rest of the lineup performs well, they should be fine. However, addressing the center field position will be crucial in the offseason.
