Early in the season, the Philadelphia Phillies appeared to be in a tough spot, starting with a 9-19 record by late April. However, after tying for the second-most wins in May with 18, the team has sparked speculation about their plans leading up to the MLB trade deadline.
Over the weekend, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that Philadelphia will be “on the lookout” for a right-handed batter this summer. Although Mike Trout won’t be joining the Phillies’ lineup this year, the team should still have plenty of options to improve.
Run production has continued to be a challenge recently. According to FanGraphs, during May the Phillies ranked 22nd in runs scored (112), 23rd in OPS (.667), and 29th in OBP (.281). Their winning record over that stretch was largely thanks to a pitching staff that posted a 3.19 ERA.
A notable weak spot in the Phillies’ lineup is outfielder Adolis García. Entering today’s MLB games, the right fielder has a .191/.274/.296 slash line with a .571 OPS, four home runs, and 15 RBIs across 199 at-bats. From April 18 through May 31, García posted a .174/.255/.258 slash line, striking out at a 33.6 percent clip, with a .513 OPS.
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