Fantasy Baseball: 2015 Philadelphia Phillies Fantasy Outlook

Mar 21, 2015; Clearwater, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard (6) against the Toronto Blue Jays works out prior to the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Bright House Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Here we are! Pitchers and catchers have reported, and Spring Training is in full swing (pun intended). Most of us will start having fantasy baseball drafts very soon, and we here at Fantasy CPR are no different. It is time to dust off the notes from last season, and check out which players could have an impact on your fantasy league.

2015 Philadelphia Phillies Projected Starting Lineup:

C: Carlos Ruiz (.252, 6HR, 31RBI, 4SB)
1B: Ryan Howard (.223, 23HR, 95RBI, 0SB)
2B: Chase Utley (.270, 11HR, 78RBI, 10SB)
SS: Freddy Galvis (.176, 4HR, 12RBI, 1SB in 43 games)
3B: Cody Asche (.252, 10HR, 46RBI, 0SB)
LF: Darin Ruf (.235, 3HR, 8RBI, 0SB in 52 games)/Grady Sizemore (.233, 5HR, 27RBI, 6SB)
CF: Ben Revere (.306, 2HR, 28RBI, 49SB)
RF: Domonic Brown (.235, 10HR, 63RBI, 7SB)

Ruiz isn’t flashy, but he is a good standard league fill-in if your regular catcher gets hurt. Or if you just wait until the last minute to draft one. He chips in a few steals and a few homers and his average wont hurt you. You could do worse. He is a solid starter in deep or two catcher leagues.

Howard showed that he still has some of his trademark power, and can still drive in runs. However, he hit for an alarmingly low average and struck out 190 times. He isn’t doing any better this spring. He has struck out 15 times in just 53 at bats. That’s right kids….he has more strikeouts than hits. Of course, that is par for his career. Howard is only worth using during favorable matchups in standard leagues. He is a good power option in deep leagues, but he is going to kill your average.

Utley quietly had a solid year last year. Is he going to hit 30 homers or steal 20 bases again? No, but double digits in each are a certainty, and he helps your average more than he hurts it. He has no upside, but you do know what you are getting. He is a solid option in standard leagues if you choose to wait on a second baseman.

Galvis is just filling a hole for this year. J.P. Crawford will likely be the starting SS by Opening Day next year. If Crawford has a good couple of months in the minors, he might even get called up by the All Star break. If Galvis struggles, which he did all of last year, look for Cesar Hernandez to get some starts as well. Galvis is likely most valuable as a utility guy anyway, but neither are really worthy of starting in the majors, or your fantasy team. Even in deep leagues. Those of you in dynasty leagues need to keep an eye on Crawford. There is a chance that he gets called up in September.

Cody Asche will be on a short leash. He is not a very good hitter, and Maikel Franco is chomping at the bit. Franco only hit .179 in 16 September games, but he destroyed the minors in 2013. 2014 was a bit of a down year for him, and he struggled some this spring, but he is still one of the best prospects in the system. He will likely be up before the end of June if he plays well at AAA. Asche is only worth playing in deep leagues. Those of you in deeper league with a bench slot should consider Franco. He has hit for power at every stop in the minors.

The only guy who has really locked down his spot in the OF is Revere. Revere has proven that he can hit major league pitching, and is a great source of steals. He won’t swipe as many as Dee Gordon, but he likely will hit for a better average and slightly more power. Wait the extra five rounds and take Revere if someone better is available in Gordon’s usual draft position.

Odubel Herrera is tearing it up this spring, and will likely head north with the team. The Phillies have been working Revere in left, a position he played at times with the Minnesota Twins. That leads many to believe that Herrera will start in CF on Opening Day, and Darin Ruf will likely start the season on the bench. Having Revere and Herrera at the top of the lineup would give the Phillies a lethal 1-2 speed punch that would drive opposing catchers mad, and leave a lot of fastballs for Utley and Howard to hit. That is what the team is after right now. Herrera is worth taking a chance on in all leagues of 12 or more teams. He hit .315 in the minors last year and swiped 21 bases. Don’t be afraid to drop him if he starts slow, or if Ruf takes the job back. Ruf is only an option in deep leauges unless he proves he can be a better hitter.

Sizemore is only a backup at this stage of his career, but if for some reason he starts again, remember that he hit .255 with the Phillies, and could be worth a look in deep leagues. the emergence of Herrera makes that an unlikely scenario though.

Brown had a breakout 2013 season, hitting 27 homers and driving in 83 runs with a .272 average. He followed that up with a disastrous 2014. His skills should not be declining. He is in what should be his prime at age 27, and would seem to be a prime bounce-back candidate. With so much competition in the Phillies outfield, maybe it will light a fire under Brown. I have been taking him in the last round of standard leagues just in case he figures it out. He is still worth using in deep leagues, just don’t overpay for him.

Next: What Does The Rotation Look Like?

Mar 21, 2015; Clearwater, FL, USA;Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cole Hamels (35) walks back to the dugout during the second inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Bright House Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

2015 Philadelphia Phillies Projected Starting Rotation:

Cole Hamels (9-9, 2.46 ERA, 198K)
Aaron Harang (12-12 3.57 ERA, 161K with Atlanta)
Jerome Williams (6-7, 4.77 ERA, 82K with Houston/Texas/Phillies)
David Buchanan (6-8, 3.75 ERA, 71K in 20 starts)
Miguel A. Gonzalez (0-1, 6.75 ERA, 5K in six relief appearances)
Kevin Slowey (1-1, 5.30 ERA, 24K in two starts with Miami)
Jonathan Papelbon (2-3, 2.04 ERA, 63K, 39/43 saves)

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After Hamels, this is a rag-tag rotation with Cliff Lee still on the disabled list with a forearm strain. Details on his return are still muddy at best, but it looks like it will be at least Memorial Day before we see Lee in the rotation.

Hamels is going to struggle to pick up wins on a rebuilding team. As you can see by the rest of his numbers, he is still a notch below fantasy ace. If he is still around when I’m looking for my second or third pitcher, I will be happy to take him.

Harang put up solid numbers for the Braves last year. Can he do it again? He will be 36 in May. He had his most strikeouts since 2007 and his lowest ERA in his career last year. Don’t draft him on those numbers since he is not likely to duplicate them. Harang is a streaming option in standard leagues, but is still worth a look at the end of your rotation in 12 team leagues or larger.

Journeyman Jerome Williams is just filler until some of the young arms are ready. You can say the same for Gonzalez or Slowey, whichever one ends up with the fifth starter’s job. None of them are worth a look, even in deep leagues.

Buchanan is a solid pitcher, but he won’t give you enough counting stats to help in standard leagues. He should only be owned in deeper leagues.

Aaron Nola, Jesse Biddle, and Ben Lively could wind up in the major leagues by June if the pieces in the rotation don’t hold up. Biddle has not had a great spring, so he will likely start the season in the minors. Nola is probably the most polished of the three. He was the seventh pick in last year’s draft, and started at AA after he signed. He was 4-3 with a 2.93 ERA in 11 starts. He will begin the season either at AA or AAA, but if he pitches well, it would be surprising if they didn’t bring him up. Nola and Biddle could be worth a look if you have some bench slots available in dynasty leagues.

Chad Billingsley could be a wild card for the Phillies. He has only pitched 12 major league innings in the last two years combined because of elbow surgeries. He had a solid outing in his first minor league outing this week, and could return to the majors by the end of April if all goes well. This situation is worth monitoring in deeper leagues. Billingsley was a solid pitcher with the Dodgers, and was a good streaming option in standard leagues. Don’t roster him right away, but don’t hesitate to grab him if you need pitching help whenever the Phillies announce he is ready to pitch in the majors again.

Papelbon has seemingly been on the trade block for two years now. He is still a Phillie, and while that alone will cost him some save opportunities, he is still one of the better closers around. Many teams will likely kick the tires on Papelbon again come July, so he could wind up in an even more favorable situation.

That could make Ken Giles worth a roster slot in all leagues. He had a stellar 1.18 ERA out of the bullpen last year and 64 strikeouts in just 45.2 innings pitched. His microscopic 0.79 WHIP also helps. He will be the closer if and when Papelbon is traded. In the meantime, he is a great help to your ERA and WHIP.

Stay tuned to Fantasy CPR as our team-by-team preview rolls on. Next up: the NL Central!

Next: Top 15 Pitcher Rankings

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