Saunders' main asset: He hits fastballs better than other Phillies
CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Phillies, as Pete Mackanin liked to describe it this past winter, were "last in the world" in almost every offense category. Improvement, even if it is incremental, is expected. The coaches will stress patience, ask that at-bats not be wasted, and hope for better luck.
CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Phillies, as Pete Mackanin liked to describe it this past winter, were "last in the world" in almost every offense category. Improvement, even if it is incremental, is likely. The coaches will stress patience, ask that at-bats not be wasted, and hope for better luck.
Their swings against fastballs will serve as the best barometer.
Consider this: The Phillies return just three players from a season ago who posted slugging percentages against fastballs that were better than the league average: Tommy Joseph (.492), Cameron Rupp (.475), and Freddy Galvis (.452).
The Phillies saw 63.6 percent fastballs in 2016, the fourth-highest rate in baseball, according to Major League Baseball's Statcast data. That is because opposing pitchers knew the Phillies could not hit them like other teams. The Phillies' .261 batting average against fastballs ranked 29th. Their .418 slugging percentage was 28th.
The league averages against fastballs were .276 and .450.
Those numbers made the addition of Michael Saunders, who signed for $9 million, an intriguing one. Saunders, while totaling career numbers last season in Toronto, mashed fastballs. His .577 slugging percentage against fastballs ranked 18th in the majors, according to Statcast. He hit .306 against fastballs.
That is what makes him the ideal candidate to hit behind Maikel Franco in the batting order. Franco is a power hitter, but he slugged just .444 against fastballs in 2016, a tick below the league average. The Phillies want Franco to relax; he is one of new hitting coach Matt Stairs' priorities this spring.
For all the talk about the "veteran presence" Saunders can provide to a rebuilding club, his most valuable presence is as someone who can hit a good fastball.
"I'm not coming in here trying to change who I am," Saunders said. "It took me a long time, but I think I realized what I bring to the table as a ballplayer and what I do best and I've got to focus on that. As far as being the veteran presence, I'm not looking to change the way I act or the way I do things or my routine or anything like that.
"I learned from the first few days in the big leagues that you lead by example. I'm not looking to change anything."
Mackanin said he does not expect to see instant growth this spring in the team's overall hitting approach. It will take some time for the changes to stick.
"The important thing is for the players to buy into what Matt Stairs is selling," Mackanin said. "If they do that, I think we're going to improve."
The early evidence will be found in the numbers against fastballs.
Happy to be here
Chace Numata has played parts of seven seasons in the Phillies organization, but this is his first spring in big-league camp. The 24-year-old former 14th-round pick had a career season in 2016 at high-A Clearwater and almost won the Florida State League batting title, a remarkable feat considering Numata has spent most of his time in the minors as a backup catcher.
"I have always played behind someone," Numata said.
He was a minor-league free agent in the winter, but the Phillies wanted him back. Independent of the .308 batting average and .377 on-base percentage in 94 games last season, some in the organization still see Numata as a potential big-leaguer because of his defensive acumen. Injuries, including a broken hamate bone in each hand, had hindered him before.
Numata, a laid-back Hawaiian who rides a skateboard to Spectrum Field and has worked offseason jobs at a surf shop in Oahu, figured there was nowhere else to go. So he re-signed. Then, the invitation arrived.
"It honestly felt like I was going to my first spring training all over again," Numata said. "Man, it's very refreshing.
"For them to still see something in me, that was really rewarding. It was an eye-opener, too. Maybe I do have a chance to play at the next level."
Updates on three
1. Howie Kendrick: Mackanin told the new Phillie not to worry about moving around. He's the leftfielder. Kendrick has taken grounders at second and third base, but the expectation is Kendrick will spend almost all of his time in the outfield.
2. Scott Kingery: He can pick it at second base; his footwork has impressed the coaching staff. The prospect's challenge in 2017 is to avoid fatigue. Kingery, at the end of his first full professional season, lost bat speed.
3. Andrew Knapp: If he cannot be a suitable backup option at first base, it will not be for a lack of effort. Knapp, every morning this spring, has faced a barrage of Larry Bowa fungos.
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