With Jimmy Rollins officially being traded to the Dodgers, the Phillies will have to find a new shortstop. The early favorite to land the job? Freddy Galvis.
By now, Phillies fans are quite familiar with the 25-year-old utility man. Most fans would agree that while Galvis has shown that he is great with the glove, his inconsistent bat is what has kept him out of the Phillies’ starting lineup on a consistent basis.
Since making his major league debut in 2012, Galvis has seen playing time at third base, shortstop, second base, and even the outfield. His career fielding percentage in 163 game appearances sits at .992, and he has committed a total of five errors while recording 216 PO.
His skills with the glove are what make Galvis such a valuable utility man, but for him to be a successful starter in MLB, he’ll need to find consistency with the bat.
Since 2012, Galvis is batting .218 with a .259 on-base percentage, and has hit 13 home runs with 55 RBIs.
Last season was a dreadful one offensively for Galvis, as he finished with .176 batting average, and a .227 on-base percentage. His struggles led to a demotion to the minors in early May, and he didn’t re join the club until late August. He showed improvements in his return by raising his batting average from .45 to .176 by season’s end.
If Galvis wants to be the Phillies’ long-term option at shortstop, then he will need to do more with the bat. He can certainly play defense with the best shortstops in the league, but he’ll need to be a more of an offensive force to stay in the lineup on an every-day basis.
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