Philadelphia Phillies: 3 musts to become serious playoff contenders again
By Tim Boyle
The Philadelphia Phillies need a lot more from Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber.
A lot of finger-pointing could be done aimed directly at the offense. Other than Bryce Harper, everyone has been average or below.
The two biggest culprits to put pressure on are Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber. The pair have hit their share of home runs. Until recently, Castellanos was having an okay year but he is getting passed quickly in many offensive categories and not looking like a .300 hitter. For Schwarber, we’d have to be happy with him even finishing the season at .250.
These two mammoth free agent signings meant to make the Phillies one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball need to be far better than they have been. This goes for all aspects of the game. As powerful as Schwarber has been, he needs to be more so. Add in a couple of doubles while you’re at it!
With hitting season hopefully near, the biggest disappointment of this team—the offense—could soon wake up. The two bats that need the hardest shake are the pair of sluggers the club brought in during the offseason.
Next. 4 big free agent shortstops the Phillies can sign next winter. dark
It’s pretty simple. If Castellanos and Schwarber are not hitting, this Philadelphia Phillies team is not making the postseason. Too much of the team was built around them.