Underwhelming All-Star performance by the ;one Phillies' representative, J.T. Realmuto. He went 0-2. playing the later innings of the National League's 4-3 loss to the American League.
Embarrassingly, Realmuto was forced to wear a Cardinals batting helmet when no one could find his Phillies helmet.
What a letdown. After thinking Philly might get 5 or more All-Stars on the team when the season begun, to barely getting one, was a good indication how this season has gone.
Speaking of which, here is an honest review of the Phillies' season so far. They are 47-43, in third place in nL East. with upcoming games against the hot Nationals and equally hot Dodgers on tap after the break.
First Base-
Hoskins has had an ok season so far but not to superstar break-out year the fans hoped for. Batting behind Harper for most of the year I would have thought Hoskins would be better but Harper hasn't been great either. B
Second Base-
Hernandez remains inconsistent, both at the plate and in the field. The Phillies should consider trading him while value is high and playing Kingery full-time at second. Nice player but will never be an All-Star.
Shortstop-
Segura has been consistent in the field, making spectacular plays , yet he's no Freddie Galvis with the glove, plus Galvis is hitting this year. Galvis hustles as well. Segura is most comfortable hitting No. 2 in the order. His lack of hustle and inability to keep his frustrations under control have cost the team. May be most remembered for indirectly causing Andrew McCuthen to blow out his knee. B
Third Base-
The ultimate in inconsistency. Donaldson or Moustakis would've been the better fit to hold down third base for a year until prospect Alex Bohm is ready for Philadelphia. Franco is their best option, especially defensively, at the hot corner for now . Hits better as No. 8 guy. C
Catcher-
Realmuto, the Phillies' lone All-Star, has been great on defense but his offense has been sub-par. He hasn't shown the batting average or power we heard about. Only flashes. Was he worth trading young Jorge Alfaro ( who is having a good season for Miami) and their best pitching prospect in Sanchez? Time will tell. The front office needs to sign Realmuto to a long term deal, otherwise the deal will look foolish. Also, is Realmuto part of problem why Phils' pitchers are giving up record-setting amounts of home runs? C +
Bench-
It sucks. When you have Miller, Rodriguez and Knapp as your bench, it tells you all you need to know why the general Manager must go. No depth in the minors either. F-
Left Field-
Thank God for Bruce. I give Klentek credit for getting Bruce, who has kept the team afloat. Ideally, before McCuthen got hurt, Bruce would've been great as a part-time guy and power off the bench. He should stick with the club next year too.B
Center Field-
Right now it's Kingery. He has improved in his defense but still belongs at second base. Heasley and Quinn have been been inconsistent and hurt/ McCutheon's loss was huge, both on the field and off. If Kingery remains the center fielder next spring training, the Phils are in deep trouble.B
Right Field-
Belongs to Harper for the next 12 1/2 years. He has playing ok, and at least he plays hard. His sometimes aggressive behavior on the base paths is annoying, a real rally-killer, but I would rather Harper be more aggressive than lazy. A down year when he hovers around .240 average, hits around 30 homers but his RBIs are up. With all said and done, I still think Harper will be the cornerstone of a Phillie resurgence in the years to come. C
Starting Pitching-
Other than Nola, who seems to be back to himself after a slow start, the other starters can't be counted on. Arrieta has a bone spur in his right elbow yet is expected to pitch against Washington this weekend. How stupid is that? Eflin looked to have a break-out season yet as slipped lately. I'm tired of waiting for Pivetta and Valasquez. Both were over-hyped and under-developed. They have the stuff but seem to be both head-cases.Zach Grinke or Madison Bumgarner would look great here soon.Unless the organization calls up prized pitcher Medina form Reading, there is no farm system jewel to be promoted and will save the summer. C
Bullpen-
Abysmal. Neris has been ok as a closer but i still don't trust him. Injuries have hurt. Robertson, Dominguez, Neshek, Hunter, Morgan..all have gone down. makes no sense for Dominguez not to get his Tommy John surgery done soon. Middle relief has killed this team, thanks again to inept Klentek. I still say this franchise needs a full-time closer down the road, and use him that way. D-
Manager-
Kapler continues to give the fans the same old BS, win or lose. Still depends on analytics too much. This will be second summer the team has collapsed under his leadership. If Kapler is fired Klentek needs to be right with him .D
Coaches-
The pitching coach and the hitting coach need to go today. To think the front office allowed Rich Kranitz go ( who now is doing well with the Braves' young arms) for idiot Chris Young is a joke. Another reason to fire Klentek .F-
Front Office-
We need see Team President MacPhail but when he does speak it's all gibberish anyway. Klentek is a stone cold loser nad needs to go. He won't do much on the trade market and will use injuries as an excuse. Owner Middleton needs to step up and become more visible again as his team takes yet another nose-dive.
Fans-
Patient, especially for a fan base that was told it is not a rebuilding season. This was a season to win, and the club was in first place for a majority of the year until their annual June swoon. The fans continue to attend games but if there is no help soon the fans will bail and focus on Eagles training camp.
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