Philadelphia Phillies: Finding a role for Matt Vierling in 2022

Ranger Suarez stunned a lot of us last season with his starting pitching performance. One of the true wild cards on the Philadelphia Phillies in 2022, how he performs could go a long way toward whether or not the team is a success or bust. He can help legitimize the team’s rotation and give them one of the best one-two-three punch combinations in the league as long as Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola hold up their end, too.

A similar sentiment could be said about Matt Vierling. Although we saw much less of him in 2021, what we did witness was promising.

Vierling managed to hit .324/.364/.479 in 77 trips to the plate. It was a nice continuation from the .276/.358/.444 performance in the minor leagues spent at Double-A and Triple-A. His ability to play all three outfield positions and first base makes him a utility man the Phillies could really benefit from having on the roster. He may not have an exact position, but that doesn’t mean Vierling is riding the bench often.

Identifying Matt Vierling’s role on the 2022 Philadelphia Phillies roster.

There are a couple of ways the Phillies can go about using Vierling effectively. He’s certainly a fallback option to start for the club on an everyday basis if they whiff on improving their roster before Opening Day.

Could we possibly see him win a starting outfield gig? Is Vierling a contender for the DH job? Maybe he plays first base, and it’s Rhys Hoskins who moves into the DH role on a semi-permanent basis.

I don’t think the Phillies should have any big plans for Vierling this year beyond using him in as many ways as possible. However, they should do it with caution. This same plan didn’t work out so well with Scott Kingery. The difference, though, is that Vierling should be viewed more as a secondary option at a couple of positions, not a rover trying to learn new places to play like Kingery was.

What the Phillies should be aiming for with Vierling is competency. Can they get him to grow and become a true big league hitter? Helping him become at least serviceable as a defender has its benefits, too. With so many questions remaining with their outfield situation, the Phillies can only hope Vierling develops into a legitimate candidate to play for them every day or at least in a platoon.

The Phillies will need to bring in at least one outside bat to take over one of the outfield positions. They should probably add two. At the moment, Vierling, while perhaps not yet ready for any major playing time, is probably best-equipped to be the outfield version of Brad Miller. Play him lots. Start him often. Keep him busy. Hope the hits will come.