By Robert Masusock
AVG\OBP\OPS: .263\.302\.645
HR: 7 RBI: 50
*Set new career high with 10 stolen bases.
Freddy Galvis started the season out at an unbelievable pace hitting .355 with an .829 OPS. Those are good numbers for a perennial All-Star but for Freddy Galvis it was outstanding. It almost appeared that his bat had finally caught up with his fantastic fielding ability and athleticism. Alas, as we crept deeper into the season Galvis cooled down and returned to what we expected from him hitting .206 between the months of May and June. Throughout the year we watched as Galvis’ average slipped lower and lower, except for his hot July where he hit .308 with an .802 OPS. Unfortunately, that one month was yet another anomaly as Galvis finished the season hitting .248 through the end of the season.
Galvis’ biggest issue is at times he appears to try to do more then he is capable of. At 5 foot 10 inches and 190 pounds, he doesn’t have the most powerful swing but he seems to think he does especially after he manages to make contact and hit one out of the park. Watch closely for the next week and you’ll see him swinging too hard often. Essentially, he is his own worst enemy. What he needs to do if he wants to become an everyday MLB player is stay within himself, not go up hacking with all his might, and take it easy. A new approach could also help him work some more walks allowing him to steal more bases (he was only caught stealing once) despite not being the most fleet of foot.
Galvis in my opinion, will not be the teams everyday second baseman when young J.P. Crawford is called up at some point next season unless he can be more consistent with the bat, which I cannot see happening at this point. He lacks real on-base ability, indicated by the mere .039 difference between his OBP and Avg. Galvis also possess little to no real pop at the plate, and except for a few lucky swings won’t go yard or put fear into any pitchers. What Galvis can do is be an invaluable asset as a utility player and late game defensive replacement. He makes it all look so smooth and as we saw in 2013, he can even be an effective left fielder to compliment his infield versatility. I don’t like Freddy Glavis as the starter but on any team he fills a key bench role, which is exactly what I foresee him doing for the Phillies when Andy MacPhail and the future GM decide it is time for the J.P. Crawford era to begin.
AVG\OBP\OPS: .272\.339\.687
HR: 1 RBI: 35
If you can honestly say you saw Cesar Hernandez opening eyes the way he did this season you should feel quite proud of yourself. Following his unimpressive 66 game try out with the Phillies in 2014 where he hit .237 with a mere .290 OBP, it appeared the 25 year old infielder didn’t have much of a chance to make an impact on the season. Despite being stuck behind a burnt out unproductive Chase Utley he stayed prepared and when he was given the chance to play he did all he could to earn the starting job. In fact, he was so impressive then General Manager and part-time motivational speaker, Ruben Amaro Jr. declared him the team’s “best second baseman” in early June. As controversial as this was Ruben was absolutely correct. Cesar Hernandez had been coming off a solid May and a hot June continuing to capitalize on the few chances he was given. More than Cesar being impressive it was about how bad Utley had been up to the point with an average below .200 (.179) and simply showing none of the pop he used to have. When it was announced Utley would be sent to the DL for continued ankle problems, it was clear the team wanted to see what the 25 year old Hernandez could do for the rebuilding Phillies.
Aside from a somewhat rough August Hernandez did a fantastic job displaying his ability to be a lead off hitter. He made consistent contact, would work counts, and was able to make up for his lack of power by showing a new aggressiveness on the base paths. This aggressiveness combined with his speed yielded fantastic results as Cesar managed 19 steals on 24 attempts. Unfortunately, in the middle of September he dislocated his thumb resulting in him missing the rest of the season. None the less, he made his impression and should have a slight edge in being the potential starting second baseman for the foreseeable future.
Critics may point at his lack of pop as a turn off but that can easily be forgotten by his ability to get on base at a high rate paired with his great stealing ability. He may not be as smooth as his potential competition in the field, but his glove is more than good enough and his bat is leaps and bounds ahead. Consider Hernandez my pick for the Phillies second baseman when J.P. Crawford is called up.
Follow me on Twitter: @President_Rob51 Instagram: @RMasusock
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