2009 Projection: Matt Stairs

Matt Stairs, OF (LHB)
Age: 41

2008: 337 AB / 46 R / 13 HR / 49 RBI / 42 BB / 90 SO / 1 SB / .252 AVG / .341 OBP / .409 SLG

Summary: The 40-year-old Stairs remained pretty consistent with much of his numbers in 2008, swatting home runs, driving in runs, striking out a bit, walking somewhat, keeping an average in the .240-.260 range. One number, however, that did drop was his slugging percentage, which fell from .549 in 2007 to .409 in 2008, his lowest total since 1995.

Career Level: Descent (Year 4)

Green Flags: His power stats have flatlined, so you almost know what you’re expecting, especially as he claims he guns for the fences. … He hits .286 in late-and-close situations. … His line drive rates rose to 20 percent in 2008, up from 17 percent in both ’06 and ’07.

Red Flags: Pitchers are throwing him fewer fastballs, in 2007 they threw him 58 percent, where as in 2005 and ’06 he saw them more than 60 percent of the time. … Stairs’ strikeout rate was at its highest ever in 2008: 26.7 percent of the time. … That low slugging percentage also sticks out.

Prognostication: How many at bats does Stairs collect? He’ll be a pinch hitter, rarely a fielder. So expect somewhere close to 100, if he remains with the team all season. His power should show, as should his on-base prowess, but don’t expect numbers to be high at all. He has slowly declined into a player ready to hang up the shoes.

2009 Projection: 89 AB / 17 R / 5 HR / 19 RBI / 19 BB / 25 SO / 0 SB / .269 AVG / .371 OBP / .417 SLG

Tim Malcolm

Tim first found the Phillies as a little infant at Veteran’s Stadium, cheering on a Juan Samuel game-winning home run in his very first game. With the pinstripes in his blood, he witnessed Terry Mulholland’s 1990 no-hitter, “Steve Carlton Night” at the Vet, game three of the 1993 World Series, countless games during the charmed 2008 championship season and various road excursions. Since November 2007 Tim’s been writing about them daily at Phillies Nation, becoming one of the world’s most popular Phillies scribes. You can catch him on Twitter and Facebook, as well. When he’s not talking about the Phils he’s relaxing with a St. Bernardus ABT 12 or one of his many favored brews.