High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Where The Phillies Stand Halfway Through Spring Training

Episode Date: March 9, 2025

Jack Fritz evaluates some of the key positions on the Phillies midway through the Grapefruit League schedule. Presented by Miller Lite. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

TD Direct Investing offers live support. So whether you're a newbie or a seasoned pro, you can make your investing steps count. And if you're like me and think a TFSA stands for total fund savings adventure, maybe reach out to TD Direct Investing. This is the High Hopes Podcast. High Hopes

on the Odyssey app and sports radio 94 WIP. I feel a little less alone Is it past nine o'clock on a Saturday night in March where Taiwan Walker kind of shoved earlier today? It sure is. Welcome on in. It's a little solo edition of the Hi-Hos podcast as I think Salter is still down in Clearwater just living everyone's dream. And good for him, you know,

having a nice little vacation here in the middle of March after, I don't know if you know this, but it's just grueling schedule. So he's down there with everyone. He got to witness, you know, Seltzer doesn't get to travel much to see the Fills. He has traveled twice, I believe. He went to, well, he went, besides Clearwater last year.

But he went to London last year and he went to spring training this time around. And in two of the three games that James Salter has gone to, he has witnessed some dominant outings by Tyrone Walker. So maybe he just has to be there more often for Tyrone to truly pitch like himself, but either way, a lot to get into on this episode. There's been a lot of spring training games,

a lot of stuff to react to. This is again, I watch the spring training games, so you don't have to, this is all incredibly meaningful and it just matters so much. So we're kind of like two weeks into spring training, which is wild and you know, less than, I mean we're closer to opening day than the start of spring training, which is amazing.

I haven't gotten like totally fatigued with spring training yet because like the starters are playing a good amount yet, but not the entire game. I get a little disheartened every single time they come out and they send one of the the minor leaguers back to the minor league camp. But I get it. But the the fatigue and they're just like, all right, let's just get to opening day. Still not there.

It's that it's that it's that love of spring training baseball. It's still the overwhelming majority of where we're at with Philly's baseball. So we're about two weeks in. Some line of thoughts, some bullpen thoughts, some starter thoughts, and then some overall roster and one prospect thoughts. Now, the spring breakout game is next weekend,

which is gonna be, which is going to be any you want to talk about. My Super Bowl, your Super Bowl, seeing all the prospects play in a spring training game, I don't think getting better than that. We won't get into that on this podcast, but there's one prospect thing that I have to talk about, just have to talk about. But I want to start with the lineup because you know we did a podcast Was that Thursday? There's been three games since and just like an overall

feeling about the lineup and I've kind of come into this whole camp a little bit guarded I just I've just been guarded about a lot of things with this team because of last year. And I'm not alone in feeling that way, but it's just, I'm so just hesitant, so kind of protecting myself of really just jumping all the way in and cannonballing off the deep end,

which I know a lot of you are like, just do it, just do it, just do it, because it's it's better for everyone involved if I'm just like, they're going to be great. I'm really starting to get there. I really am. And it only took two weeks of spring training baseball to feel this way. But just the way they're playing and I really hope it translates over I really hope it translates over because the way they're playing is is just sustainable baseball and the kind of at bats they're working and fouling off pitches and besides some casty giveaways and some Trey giveaways the lineup for the most part is some casty giveaways and some tray giveaways.

The lineup for the most part is just not giving away at bats and when this team struggles, you feel it, I feel it, it's just feebleness at the plate. It's just pure feebleness where you're just sitting there enraged asking yourself did you have a plan like Schwerber Harper always have plans never look overmatched it felt like up and down lineup it was what are you doing why are you swinging that swinging at that and why are you just giving away it at bat?

So with the whole idea of we're gonna have tougher conversations, we're gonna, we're gonna, instead of just letting it fester for a week, we're gonna get right on top of it. At least so far, and again, this is a big leap and a big hope and a big ask. But so far in spring training, I just think the regulars are working stronger at bats, fouling off pitches, and not just giving away. I think now the numbers have not bored this out for a lot of these guys. But it's why you, you kind of watch the at bats to, to feel better.

I think, I think, I think Marsh has worked really good at bats. Max Kepler, who obviously we're not watching every single, every single Minnesota twins game. But I think from a, from a majority standpoint, he has worked really quality at bats. He's getting into power positions. He's hit a couple of home runs. He looks the part. And Max Kepler was a guy for a couple years there

with the twins that had a, I think at his peak, or I mean, he has a good enough floor to where he's been a quality major league baseball player that I think a lot of the analytics community always felt had a little extra in there. Maybe with the affiliates, they can get it out of him, but I think at least floor-wise, there's a good solid player there.

And I've been impressed with some of the Max Kepler at bat. So you have, I think Max Keplers look good. I think marshes work good at bats I think stop has has worked pretty good at bats. He had a hit earlier today and it's like they're just It sounds old-school and it sounds Neanderthalistic but they're they're hitting the baseball up the middle on the ground like more like this. It just it doesn't look like it's just home-runner bust I I Don't know what to tell you. I'm just I'm just trying to tell you what I watch and what I see and There they're just they're looking the part for the most part

offensively and the one that is is really exciting and he's done it in the spring in the past and I don't want to get too ahead of myself because it's just it's it's brutal. It's brutal when it goes bad. But could we be getting an Alec Bohm revenge tour? A little Alec Bohm revenge tour. A little Alec Bohm revenge tour. He heard all off season, how he's in trade talks, how he doesn't hit for power, how he's been pretty disrespected.

And at least so far, he should have had two home runs today. He has had, he's hit three so far this spring training, could have four, hit two the other day. He's consistently hitting the ball the opposite way. And I could count on one hand? I might not even count on one hand. It might be less than that. Of the amount of times that he has,

like that flipped a home run? What the hell was that? What was that? I've never seen Alec Bohm do that. Maybe this is the year, maybe this is the year that he, he, god, can we get 25? Can we get 25? We take 20 all day, but could we get 25? I don't know. I'm just, we, the, the possibility of hearing about all offseason, how he's gonna get moved, hearing how he's flawed, how hearing how he has to be the guy that has to go, hearing

that he's not tough enough to handle the city or whatever, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe we get a little Alec Baum revenge tour. And if we get an Alec Baum revenge tour, again, not to be a spin guy here, 97 RBI's last year, he had like three in one month, which is not great. And his season kind of cratered after the wrist injury. 100 RBI plus, 25 plus home runs, quality defense at their base. I'm just saying, I'm just saying.

So I'm getting giddy about the lineup. I really, I just pray to God that what we've seen so far in spring training carries over the regular season because it looks good, it looks quality. It looks like maybe what they're preaching to these guys is getting through. And if it gets through, it's a lot of quality guys that should be able to put up pretty good numbers. All right, so that's the lineup. Bullpen wise, some of the guys that have stuck out to me, one is Alvarado, who he's now added a curveball to the mix.

I don't think it's really just like a get me over curveball. Like I think it's something that he talked about, the GELB did a great article on Alvarado and his mindset and wanted to add more pitches. And he wanted to give the hitter something else to think about rather than what his arsenal had been for a couple of years now. It's not just a traditional get me over curveball.

I think right now, his usage with it is more get me over than anything. And his outing the other day, it was like a bleeder and an error, and he still got out of it. He didn't allow any runs. He's looked great. The velocity is back up. He is in great shape. And that curveball is such an equalizer from the standpoint of I think the more and more he gets comfortable with it, the more and more he'll throw it. But even as just a, what the hell? Like if I'm a hitter and I'm getting into the box again,

so is the operado, first off, I'm not exactly excited to be there. You know, like it's 100, it's sometimes, it's just on you, sliders in there. And then you see that pitch, and it's just so easy to spit on because you don't really see it coming. It's a totally different shape

than the other pitches he throws. Now I guess he's throwing his foreseam or more to get maybe in on righties, but the fact that he can just flip that pitch over, so far it seems like he's throwing it for strikes, which is really important, obviously. I think the more and more that they work with it and they tinker it and, and, and Kotham and Krew

get in the lab and you add that pitch and turn it into a strikeout pitch, because right now, again, he's just trying to get it over to give the hitter something else to think about. I think that pitch can be a strikeout pitch. It has really interesting shape to it. So, Alvarado, I think looks tremendous.

Kirkering continues to look tremendous. Just efficient, fast, throwing strikes, boom, boom, boom, in and out. I think he's the make or break guy in the bullpen. You know, Alvarado, bit of a wild card. Romano, bit of a wild card. Strom, I think is gonna be really good. I don't think he's gonna pitch to how he did last year.

If he does, fantastic. But expecting an all-star season out of Matt Strom again, I think is asking for a bit much. the guy that I think flips this bullpen from from good to great is Kirkering and and not that Kirkering was the Kirkering was really good last year But taking that next step and let's say Romano. I think I think day one Romano is gonna be the closer and I think they want Romano to take the job and run with it By the way, is it Romano or Romano because we've been Romano is going to be the closer. And I think they want Romano to take the job and run with it. By the way, is it Romano or Romano? Because there have been Romano my whole life.

Jordan Romano. We'll figure that out, I guess, as the season goes on. But, you know, I because some broadcasts say Romano and then some broadcasts say Romano. Whatever. We'll figure it out. Regardless, I think they want Romano to take the job and run with it. If he falters. And listen, I think it's going to be a high wire act with him because he's just, his mechanics are so, he doesn't totally repeat them. To me It looks like it's all arm and

He's just flailing everything up there. I I Think he's gonna be pretty good and I like the idea of him betting on himself I think it's gonna be a lot of nerve-racking nights, but I do think they want him to take the job and run with it however It was not going well. I think Kirk rings next man up I think they believe that he's gonna be the closer here for a good stretch. If he's great, I think the bullpen, you feel much more comfortable with it.

If he's just pretty good, they feel an arm short. So Kirk Haring's a big swing guy this year. And then the last guy of the normal regulars that has popped has been Jose Ruiz. He's someone who I don't, I, as we sit right now, wouldn't totally trust him with a lead in the seventh, eighth and God forbid the ninth.

But he's going to have to pitch in those spots the way that it sits right now like I think last year they had like an a B bullpen and Even the B bullpen was really really good they kind of really only have the a bullpen right now and let's say it's a They got a three game set, first game of the series, you gotta use Romano and Kirkering, and then the next night, rather than bringing those guys back out, who knows, the workloads,

it's a big righty spot in the lineup. Like that's gonna have to be Jose Ruiz, where last year they just had more options, it felt like, from a righty perspective. So Jose Ruiz is going to pitch in bigger spots and I think as we sit here on March 8th, then a lot of people are comfortable with I just He looks the part so far he looks he looks like he's Carried over towards what happened at the end of last year in the last 26 games I believe he pitched to a 1-9.

So if he carries over that he looks good so far and I'm just trying to prepare you. I think he's going to pitch in bigger spots than a lot of us thought. Now I think one of these guys are gonna pop as a as a Last bullpen guy and obviously I've talked a lot about that Macmillan Devin sweet, I think is interesting that change-up is a thing He threw it a bunch today. It seems like it's hard to square up. He's Of all the guys he looks pretty big league ish. Macmillan looks big league ish. Sweet looks big league ish. Kyle Tyler, I continue to be intrigued by

as a maybe pretty competent Nick Nelson. I just, I like the cutter. I like the cutter. I'm a sucker for a cutter. I don't know what to tell you. And then this guy pitched at the end of the Pirates game I only seen him for one inning. He did walk two guys but

The stuff is the stuff, you know walks are temporary stuffs forever, but Zuniga like Stuff popped. I don't know. I Don't know what his future is but we're just looking at guys with stuff in the Phillies bullpen, he jumped out pretty immediately. Again, walk two guys, but I don't know. We'll see what they have there. But one of these bullpen guys with stuff is gonna pop.

And they need one of them to pop. Because again, they still look one arm short out there. And then starting wise, just from a starting pitching perspective, I'm pretty in on Nola this year. Like for as much as I'm pretty giddy about how the lineup has looked so far, and I think some of the bullpen guys have looked really good, it's hard not to just get beyond excited about this rotation.

And Nola has almost felt forgotten about. But maybe because TMAC opened the broadcast yesterday talking about how he's just focused on fastballs down the way. Maybe that's why I'm so excited about his upcoming season. If he can just hit that spot and he can just keep the ball down and limit the home runs, he's just a damn good pitcher

and he's gonna give you 200 and he's gonna strike out 200. I mean, it's, man, I think he's gonna have a really, really good year. I think he's gonna strike out 200. I mean it's it's man I I think he's gonna have a really really good year. I think he's gonna be close. I don't 2018 is obviously a lofty lofty lofty lofty number to talk about but I think he's gonna be in the 2.8 to 3.2 range this year. No I feel really 3.2 range this year. No, I feel really, really confident in him. And I think he got the contract, pressures off from that standpoint. They added another big arm.

They have, you know, Painter coming through there. No one's really talking about him. And I just think he's gonna go out and shove. I really do. I think we're gonna get a vintage, vintage, vintage Aaron Nolah year. Chris Sanchez, I don't know what else to say about him. I really don't.

Ever since the passing article the other day about how he's one of the guys that scouts are buzzing about and his fastball is scuba level. And it passes the eye test. I mean, up to 98, the change up off that is just sickening. He's stronger, he's able to command everything. His Cy Young odds, if you're a Fandle user, has gone from plus 5,000 to plus 2,500, just like that.

Listen, if you told me right now that he led this staff in ERA this year, I wouldn't say you're crazy. It's no slight to Wheeler at all. Like I think Wheeler's gonna be Wheeler for the most part. And in a playoff start, there's no one else I'd rather have on the mound. I just, I think Sanchez is gonna have a ridiculous year. I just do, I really do.

I can't wait for him. He's so efficient, he's so quick, his stuff is getting better and better. He's holding it, he's commanding it. He's working the change up off of it. He just looks the parts. He just looks the part. We're not gonna talk about Lazardo

and his outing the other day. That was a tough one. But we bounced back. Wheeler, don't care, working on stuff. And then final thing from the starting staff perspective is that Taiwan continues to look competent. Even the home run that he allowed today, second one where kinda got golfed out.

They kinda just got into the jet stream and got taken out of the ballpark. Wasn't a terrible pitch. And fastballs up to 93, 94 again. He's not gonna start, I don't believe, unless an injury, he's not gonna start. Does he go six man? I don't think so.

I think he could be a long man out of the bullpen. But I think I said this on the last podcast. If he had to make 10 to 15 starts, I'm pretty confident he could give you six innings and four runs or less and pitch to a 4-2 to a 4-5. Last year was a disaster. Arm was dead, couldn't figure it out. But there's still something there with Taiwan. And maybe they trade them you know maybe that maybe pitches well enough that a team's gonna be like all right we'll take the contract you eat half of it and any move on maybe maybe it's just the splitters splitting the velocities back up he's working in the

slider at right times he's he's Taiwan he's not great, he's not what they signed, he's not what the, he's not all of that. But I do think there is still a competent major league pitcher. Last year he was not that, he was not that. I think if he had to, if they had to use him, I think he would be okay. Maybe the Yankees come calling now, maybe the Mets,

maybe the Marlins, because they need to add money. Maybe the Yankees come calling now, maybe the Mets, maybe the Marlins, because they need to add money. Maybe there's a Taiwan trade out there. Like I'm not saying I want him on the roster. If I could trade him and not have to eat a lot of money or eat some money, I'd rather he be traded away. But if he's here, I don't think it's gonna be what it was last year.

Stuff just doesn't, like it's more passing the eye test than it has in in years past. Even his first year when he won people forget Taiwan won 15 games. Everyone's talking about it. So that's the big three obviously of the team lineup bullpen starters. One prospect thing before we get out of here, Moises Chasse pitched yesterday and it's just easy. It's just easy. You see it, you see it. His velocity was down like 93, 94, but he's in the strike zone.

If he's in the strike zone, he's a monster. I do wonder if maybe they are going a little bit of the Sanchez model of lowering the velocity to try to get him in the strike zone, get him comfortable and then build it back up Velo-wise because he's been like a 96, 97 guy. I don't know, but even at 93, 94, the fastball's still hard to square up.

He was awesome yesterday in Bradenton. So again, the fact that they got him and Seth Johnson, we'll see what happens with Seth Johnson. The fact that they got their second best pitching prospect in a trade for Gregory Soto with the Orioles is unbelievable, unbelievable. So I've been pretty giddy about Chassé since yesterday. So awesome stuff from him.

And then final roster spot, I don't, they would have to create a 40 man spot for him. And obviously the Weston Wilson injury has opened up the possibility of someone else being in there. And I don't think he's gonna make the roster. But Christian Arroyo is an injury he made from the standpoint of like, works pretty good at bat, has big league experience, has gotten a couple hits,

has hit a couple home runs, can stand in the outfield. I'm not telling you he's a gold glover out there, but if they need him in left field, to spell him in an anger three or whatever. I don't know. Like Buddy Kennedy is probably the inside track Clemens. Yeah. I think they want a more righty bat.

Oscar Mercado has been kind of interesting, but again, like he had to create a 40 man roster spot for him. But Arroyo I think has had a really good camp and of the bench options, he's the one that's kind of intriguing me the most right now. I think Buddy's had a good camp and it's probably going to be him, but Arroyo is definitely one that is kind of intriguing me. So listen, a lot going on with the baseball team. It's the best.

It's the best, it's the best. And the spring training breakout game, can't get here fast enough, but a lot happening, lots to react to, and I appreciate you sitting here listening to a guy just ramble on about games that don't mean anything. They mean something to me, whatever. They mean something to you. F. They mean something to you. Fills are playing. It's hard not to react to them. Either way, appreciate you hanging out.

We'll be back probably mid-week with a full high hopes. Maybe something happens in the next couple of spring training games and we get a nice little solo pod. No idea. But either way way full pod coming soon as we inch closer to opening day just inch closer and closer and closer it will thanks for hanging out and we'll talk to you soon all right everybody it's here the March to spring trending and opening day is officially upon us hey I'm Rob Bradford from baseballs and boring and we'll have you covered every single day with instant reactions to late breaking signings determining which players are yes truly in the best shape What's up NBA fans, it's Danny Green here. get your podcast. as well as breaking news and so much more. Be sure to subscribe to Inside the Green Room on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.