As spring training looms, there are a few areas to watch as the team prepares for the 2023 season.
In a few short weeks the NFL season will be completed and the 2023 Major League Baseball season will be on the horizon. As baseball is less than a month away, it is always interesting to analyze what impacts spring training can have on your favorite team. At this point, the Philadelphia Phillies are likely finished making any major moves to improve the roster. All of the moves that the club did make this offseason will undoubtedly help them going into the regular season, however, there are still a few questions that the Phillies will look to answer during their time in Clearwater.
1. Who will be the fifth starter?
The most intriguing question that the Phillies and their fans have is who will round out the starting rotation? With an established rotation of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suarez, and Taijuan Walker, the team has plenty of options. The Phillies will look at a couple options who have some Major League experience in Bailey Falter and Cristopher Sanchez. Falter was key in the Phillies’ second half as he stabilized the rotation when injuries mounted and finished the season as the team’s fifth starter. Sanchez only made a handful of relief appearances in 2022 and did not have much success, but has shown promise in the minor leagues.
The inexperienced option may be the one that many fans hope the team decides to go with: Andrew Painter. Painter has received accolades and awards after his highly impressive 2022 season in which he dominated at three levels in the minors. The Phillies have not had a pitching prospect garner the hype that Painter is getting since Cole Hamels and Gavin Floyd in the early 2000s. This spring, the Phillies will give all three an opportunity, but it should be one of the only exciting position battles of the spring.
2. How will Brandon Marsh adapt to hitting lefties?
Brandon Marsh has shown that he can be a solid everyday centerfielder defensively. He also showed flashes of potential at the plate since being acquired by the Phillies at the 2022 trade deadline. An area in which the left-handed hitting outfielder has struggled though is against left-handed pitching. Last year, Marsh slashed .188/.225/.260 against left-handers while he hit .262/.315/.421 against right-handed pitching. Since the Phillies traded Marsh’s former platoon partner, Matt Vierling, this offseason, it appears that Marsh will get a lion’s share of the starts against lefties and righties. Dave Dombrowski told reporters after trading Vierling, that he believes Marsh can be an everyday player:
“We don’t look at him as a platoon type of player, we think he has more ability than that.”
via Corey Seidman NBCSports Philadelphia
It will be up to Marsh to prove that he can adjust and hit left-handed pitching and play an everyday centerfield for the Phillies in 2023. He can begin making those adjustments on the practice fields and during Grapefruit League games.
3. How will the World Baseball Classic affect players preparedness?
Beginning on March 8th, many players from around the league will leave their respective spring training sites to compete in the World Baseball Classic. The Phillies, as of now, have eight players committed to different teams. The Phillies will lose Trea Turner, J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber, Garrett Stubbs, Taijuan Walker, Seranthony Dominguez, Jose Alvarado, and Ranger Suarez. Often times players know how many innings they need to pitch or how many at-bats they need to get ready for the regular season.
Since the World Baseball Classic does not occur every year (last one was 2017) it is difficult to say how it may affect those players participating. Different teams will play different numbers of games depending on how far they advance. Some players will get more at-bats than others and some pitchers will throw more innings than others. It will be interesting to see if there is a benefit to playing in more meaningful games for players who do participate, or if missing their usual routine will have adverse effects.
Regardless of what happens in Clearwater, the Phillies will look to replicate their unexpected 2022 success. While spring training isn’t going to answer every question and injuries and different transactions affect every team over the course of 162 games, it is a baseball fan’s first peek at their club. It is always interesting to check out new arrivals, see our favorite players, and watch how prospects and young players may have grown or developed since the previous season. Spring training will be no different this year for the Phillies, but there are always storylines to watch.
