Four strong candidates for Phillies' roster spots
Todd Zolecki
@ToddZoleckiThis story was excerpted from Todd Zolecki¡¯s Phillies Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
The Phillies opened camp last month in Clearwater, Fla., with four jobs available on their projected Opening Day roster: No. 5 starter, last man in the bullpen and two bench jobs.
More than a few players have made a case for themselves.
Here are four who have stood out:
1. Darick Hall
Hall smashed two home runs Friday against Pittsburgh.
He is batting .346 (9-for-26) with a double, four home runs and a 1.260 OPS this spring.
Hall knows he needs to hit to earn a job because he is limited to DH and first base.
¡°He¡¯s hitting lefties now,¡± Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. ¡°He¡¯s hitting righties. It¡¯s pretty impressive. He controls the zone. He sees the ball really well. He¡¯s doing a good job with it. He wants to cut down his strikeouts. That¡¯s big.¡±
2. Scott Kingery
People are talking about Kingery again. In a good way.
He's batting .471 (10-for-21) with a home run and a 1.161 OPS in nine games, including a 2-for-3 effort Saturday against the Yankees.
¡°Scotty has flattened his stroke,¡± Thomson said. ¡°He did a lot of work with [hitting coach Kevin Long] in the offseason. We¡¯re seeing the guy he was a couple years ago. That guy is kind of special because he can play anywhere. He¡¯s athletic. He can run. He can steal bases. He can do a lot of things. He¡¯s very dynamic.¡±
Kingery is not on the 40-man roster, but he is in the final season of a six-year, $24 million contract. If he continues to play well, the Phillies may find a way to add him.
3. Jake Cave
Cave battled injuries in 2020 and '21, but he is healthy again and hitting the ball hard.
He's batting .409 (9-for-22) with a double, two triples, two home runs and a 1.367 OPS.
The Phillies are looking for a backup center fielder for Brandon Marsh. Both Marsh and Cave hit left-handed; Kingery and Edmundo Sosa hit right-handed. However, Thomson said there is a way to find a place for Cave on the roster.
4. Yunior Marte
Keep an eye on Marte for that final bullpen job.
Marte has opened a lot of eyes in camp, striking out five and walking one in five innings. He has allowed two hits and one run.
¡°It¡¯s filth,¡± Thomson said. ¡°It¡¯s just really electric. It¡¯s 98, 99 [mph] with sink. He¡¯s got a slider. He¡¯s been tremendous.¡±