Some Philadelphia Phillies are having a great spring training. A few of these players will be on the Opening Day roster, while others will not. While spring training may not be a good predictor of regular season success, it is helpful to have some momentum heading into the regular season. The Phillies are starting to narrow the roster down to what will eventually become the 26-man Opening Day roster. Some of these spring training performances may determine who gets roster spots. This is especially true when deciding who gets the two open bullpen jobs.
Phillies Having A Great Spring
Kody Clemens
In 14 games this spring, Kody Clemens has a .367/.444/.733 line with two home runs and eight RBI. The two home runs are tied with five other players. That five-way tie includes Nick Castellanos, David Dahl, Scott Kingery, Cristian Pache, and a player that will be discussed later. In addition, the eight RBI leads the team. Clemens will unlikely earn the available bench spot on the Opening Day roster even with that. As a result, Clemens is in a position to start the season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley unless something changes. Clemens is a candidate for a mid-season call-up in the event of an injury.
Aramis Garcia
Aramis Garcia will not beat out Garrett Stubbs for the backup catcher job. However, his spring training performance still deserves to be highlighted. In 13 spring training games, Garcia has a .407/.484/.704 line with one home run and seven RBI. Garcia is tied for second in RBI this spring for the Phillies. Furthermore, the 11 hits Garcia has this spring are tied with Clemens for second place on the team. Of the players on this list, as things currently stand, Garcia is not on the Phillies 40-man roster.
Yunior Marte
One player who earned a 26-man roster spot this spring is Yunior Marte, who will likely win an open bullpen spot. In seven appearances this spring, Marte has not allowed an earned run and has had six strikeouts. In addition, Marte has a 1.04 WHIP this spring as well. Marte is performing better than the other pitchers competing for one of the available bullpen spots on the Phillies Opening Day roster. Additionally, it would be a surprise if Marte does not make the Opening Day roster the way he has been pitching in spring training.
Whit Merrifield
Leading the Phillies in hits with 12 this spring is Whit Merrifield, who signed with the team this offseason. In 12 games in spring training, Merrifield has a .375/.375/.750 line with two home runs and seven RBI. If Johan Rojas is not on the opening day roster, expect Merrifield to be the starting left fielder at least to open the season. It will not be surprising if Merrifield, Pache, and Jake Cave platoon in the event Rojas is not on the Opening Day roster. Merrifield’s defensive versatility will help him get playing time. Merrifield has played every position except shortstop and catcher in the majors.
Ranger Suárez
Ranger Suárez has had the best spring of the Phillies starting pitchers. Suárez has a 2-0 record in four spring training starts while not allowing an earned run. In addition, Suárez has a 0.60 WHIP and 16 strikeouts. As expected, Suárez will be the third starter in the rotation behind Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola. The 15 innings Suárez has pitched is the most for him in a single spring training in his career. Before this year, Suárez had not pitched more than ten innings in a single spring training session during his career. The 16 strikeouts are also spring training that is best for Suárez.
Main Photo Credits: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
