Position Battles: Phillies competition for third base and centerfield heat up with 11 days ’til Opening Day
Things are moving fast down in Spring Training for the Philadelphia Phillies. With just over 10 days until Opening Day, there are two key position battles unfolding at third base and in centerfield.Â
Position Battle – Centerfield
Throughout Spring Training, it looked like the center field position was going to come down to Odubel Herrera and Matt Vierling in a platoon situation. That was until we were told Herrera was dealing with a right oblique injury and would miss Opening Day, leaving the centerfield position “wide open” according to Joe Girardi.
From there, it was Matt Vierling’s job to lose with Adam Haseley being considered as the backup / platoon option in center. At the time Joe Girardi stated that Mickey Moniak wasn’t even in consideration to make the Opening Day roster.Â
Then, Moniak caught fire and now finds himself in the running for not only a spot on the roster, but the starting center fielder for the Phillies on Opening Day. He has been working with Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long making slight adjustments on his swing. He’s also noticeably bigger during camp this season, something he focused on during the winter.Â
Coming off the bench yesterday, Moniak hit a home run in his third straight game for the Phillies. Over his last four appearances, he’s gone 4-for-10 with three home runs and a double.
Joe Girardi said yesterday that Moniak is definitely making it interesting, while Mickey said he’s ready to rock anywhere the team needs him to play.Â
“I feel like I can play all three [outfield spots] at a high level,” Moniak said when asked about his potential role. “But at the end of the day, it’s what’s best for the team. I’m here to win, so whatever that might be — I’ll play right, left, center, DH, doesn’t matter. Put me anywhere to help the team win.” — Paul Casella
What’s crazy to me is that people have written off Mickey Moniak. He’s literally 23 years old. To write off a play at 23 is ridiculous. That’s not how baseball works and time and time again we have seen prospects work things out in the minor leagues until they are 24-25 years old.
Do people realize that Bryson Stott (24) is older than Mickey Moniak?Â
Speaking of Stott, there’s a good chance we may see him at third base on Opening Day. Didi Gregorius has looked like he’s back to his normal self after an injury ridden 2021 campaign that made people question if he was going to be able to get back on track in 2022.
Position Battle – Third Base
Stott is the Phillies organization top position prospect and he’s now fighting to earn the starting job at third base. Yesterday, Stott added to his resume with a bases-loaded walk and a two-run home run in the Phillies’ 10-5 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin, Florida.
What was interesting, is that Stott played third base for the third time this Spring, moving away from his only natural position at shortstop. Joe Girardi stated that he and the Phillies are taking a closer look at Stott playing third, with Alec Bohm continuing to struggle and failing to secure the starting job.
We all know Bohm’s story. He exploded on the season during the COVID-shortened 2020 season batting .326 with a .958 OPS, finishing in second place in the NL Rookie of the Year voting. Bohm last played third base Saturday and went 0-for-3 from the plate, striking out twice. This Spring, Bohm is a miserable 2-for-16 with two walks and three strikeouts.Â
Johan Carmago is also in the running at third base. He was the regular third baseman for the Atlanta Braves in 2018 before Josh Donaldson signed a one-year deal with the team. From there, the Braves had Austin Riley emerge to solidify the starting job, leaving Carmargo the odd man out.Â
In 2018 as a starter with the Braves, Camargo slashed .272/.349/.457 with a .806 OPS. He hit 19 home runs with 76 RBI in 134 games. Camargo played well in Triple-A last season, hitting .326 with 24 doubles, four triples, 19 home runs, 67 RBIs, and a .958 OPS over 104 games.Â
Stott, 24 years old, has played a total of 112 games at three different levels in the minor leagues, hitting .299 with 26 doubles, 16 home runs, and touting a .390 OBP. He really turned things on during the Arizona Fall League, hitting .318 with a .445 BOP and a .489 SLG in 26 games, hitting two home runs and notching 31 RBIs on his way to being named to the Fall League’s All-Star team.
It’s pretty clear that Stott is going to be the future shortstop of the Philadelphia Phillies. If he spends this year bouncing around the infield, I suppose that’s okay, but I would much rather have him playing every day at the major league level and finding some stability in the lineup.
If the Phillies are ready to commit to Stott as they everyday third baseman to start the season, I am totally on board. If not, send him to the minors to start the year and gamble on Bohm and Camargo to start the season.
Up Next
The Phillies take on the Orioles in Clearwater Monday at 1:05 p.m.
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