This article was originally published as part of Verducci’s View, a new weekly baseball newsletter from Sports Illustrated senior writer Tom Verducci. Every Monday, Tom empties out his notebook over email and covers MLB’s hottest topics, provides in-depth analysis through both text and video breakdowns, looks forward to what’s worth watching during the week and more. If you want to be featured in his new mailbag, please email newsletters@si.com with any questions about MLB or his decades in the sport.
The Phillies have been resurgent under manager Don Mattingly (32–16), who had the fortunate timing of replacing Rob Thomson just as Philadelphia’s schedule grew softer and Zack Wheeler was coming off the injured list. But there is no contender who has a more glaring need to fill before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. The Phillies need a right-handed hitting outfielder.
Adolis Garcia was signed to be that counterbalance to left-handed hitters Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Brandon Marsh, but he hit .195 before tearing a lat muscle, putting him out for the year. No team has lost more games against left-handed starters than Philadelphia (11–17). The Phillies’ right-handed batters against left-handed pitching are hitting .203 (only Seattle is worse) with an MLB-worst .613 OPS.
There are two obvious best fits for this team in win-now mode: Mike Trout or Byron Buxton. Good luck getting either one. It’s time for the Angels to send Trout back home and play in meaningful games, not just the postseason. He turns 35 in August, is playing for his 11th straight losing team and has four years left on his contract.
But Trout is loyal to the Angels and owner Arte Moreno covets his star players as drawing cards and brand ambassadors. He is not inclined to move Trout for purely rebuilding reasons.
Like Trout, Buxton is a one-team franchise player who is comfortable with remaining as such with the Twins. Both have no-trade clauses.
The field of options falls off dramatically after Trout and Buxton. It includes Taylor Ward of the Orioles, Jo Adell of the Angels, Lane Thomas and Starling Marte of the Royals and, in the unlikely case the Phillies move Harper back to the outfield, Christian Walker of the Astros and Matt Chapman of the Giants.
Meanwhile, Kyle Schwarber continues to mitigate some of the Phillies’ problems against lefties by mashing them for a career-best .613 slugging percentage. Through age 28, playing for the Cubs, Nationals and Red Sox, Schwarber hit 153 homers in 664 games. Since then, he has 215 homers in 700 games with the Phillies and may be on his way to winning a third home run title in his five years in Philadelphia.
“He’s a guy with a plan and he sticks with it,” Mattingly says. “He knows what that guy’s ball does and he knows what he wants to do with it. And he’s not afraid to just take his hits when that guy won’t allow him the long ball. The way he goes about it is impressive. If he doesn’t get his hits the next day, he’s exactly the same. He doesn’t waver in his belief in what he’s trying to do.”
Bryce Harper: Special Phillie
When Bryce Harper signed his 13-year contract with the Phillies eight seasons ago, he told agent Scott Boras not to ask for any opt outs. He wanted to put down roots. Last week those roots reached deeper in Philadelphia than anywhere else.
Harper now has played more games at Citizens Bank Ballpark than anywhere else, surpassing Nationals Park. And the Bank has helped bring his slugging to a higher level:
| Harper by Ballpark, Most Career Games | Games | Slugging Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Citizens Bank Park | 525 | .574 |
| 2. Nationals Park | 522 | .522 |
Harper is the greatest slugger in Philadelphia since World War II, spanning both several ballparks and multiple franchises in the Phillies and Athletics.
Best Sluggers in Philadelphia (min. 1,000 plate appearances):
| Player, Ballpark | Years Played in Philadelphia | Slugging Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Chuck Klein, Baker Bowl | 1928–33, 1936–44 | .705 |
| 2. Jimmie Foxx, Shibe Park | 1925–35, 1945 | .668 |
| 3. Al Simmons, Shibe Park | 1924–32, 1940–41, 1944 | .616 |
| 4. Dolph Camilli, Baker Bowl | 1934–37 | .605 |
| 5. Bryce Harper, Citizens Bank Park | 2019–present | .574 |
