5 Phillies land on Audacy’s countdown of top 10 players at each position
Over at Audacy Sports, we’ve recently completed our countdown of the top 10 players at each position, with pitching still yet to come.
As you’ll see below, five Phillies position players ranked among the top 10 at their respective positions:
Rhys Hoskins: No. 9 First Baseman
(See Full First Baseman Rankings Here)
“Hoskins hit just .159 during the Phillies run to the World Series last year, but did so while homering six times and driving in 12 runs. He’s probably best suited to be a DH and does go through some cold stretches at the plate, but by the end of the season, he’s a pretty good bet to homer 30 times and be one of your top run producers. Hoskins is entering a contract year, and his agent Scott Boras has already made the case for why the Phillies should retain the services of one of their clubhouse leaders.”
Trea Turner: No. 2 Shortstop
(See Full Shortstop Rankings Here)
“Turner joined the defending National League Champions this winter, signing an 11-year/$300 million deal that will put him in red pinstripes for the remainder of his career. He’s already led the senior circuit in stolen bases twice, and it will be interesting to see how much he takes advantage of new rules that should incentivize more action on the basepaths.”
Bryce Harper: No. 3 Right Fielder
(See Full Right Fielder Rankings Here)
“It was hard to determine what to do with Harper, because a broken left thumb limited him to 99 games in 2022, and he’s going to miss quite a bit of time in 2023 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in November. But the two-time NL MVP was one of the best hitters in baseball when he played last year, and he hit .349 with six home runs and 13 RBIs during a run to the World Series, capturing the NLCS MVP. The Phillies will eagerly await Harper’s return to their lineup, and — they hope — to right field in 2023.”
Kyle Schwarber: No. 2 Left Fielder
(See Full Left Fielder Rankings Here)
“Yes, Schwarber struck out 200 times and graded out poorly defensively in his first season with the Phillies. He also led the senior circuit with 46 home runs, and hit another six in a shocking World Series run by the Phillies. He may be an all-or-nothing hitter, but he provides tremendous leadership and enough home runs that his four-year/$79 million deal feels like a bargain.”
J.T. Realmuto: No. 1 Catcher
(See Full Catcher Rankings Here)
“Realmuto re-emerged as the best catcher in baseball during a monster second half, which saw him slash .307/.367/.583 with a .949 OPS. During a magical postseason run for the Phillies, Realmuto hit an inside-the-park home run in Game 4 of the NLDS and the game-winning home run in Game 1 of the World Series. It’s fair to wonder how much longer Realmuto can handle the insane workload behind the plate that he’s had the past few seasons, but in a post Buster Posey/Yadier Molina era, he’s become the face of the position. And some food for thought: Baseball Reference says that the average WAR 7 — top seven single-season WAR totals added up, not necessarily in order — of a Hall of Fame catcher is 34.7. Realmuto is currently at 28.4 after seven full 162-game seasons, putting him within striking distance of that mark. “
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