Phillies Spring Training Stock Watch #2

As Spring Training rolls on, the 2023 MLB season continues to approach, and roster decisions will soon need to be made. Let’s take another check on some of the players in the Phillies chain and where they stand.

*Note: I have decided to add a color system to indicate the direction of the player’s stock. These colors correspond to “Stock Up” and “Stock Down” for players who previously sat in these categories, and “Stock Up” and “Stock Down” for players newly ranked as “Up” or “Down”.

Jake Cave - Stock Up (9 G, 24 AB, 7 R, 11 H, 2 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 1/0 SB/CS, .458/.519/.958)
Another strong week (one that was perhaps even better than his first) has put Cave in position to take an Opening Day spot. His defense is his calling card, but if he can boost his hitting he can be a real player as a 4th outfielder.

Scott Kingery - Stock Up (9 G, 21 AB, 6 R, 10 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1/0 SB/CS, 3 BB, .476/.542/.619)
Featured amongst a cluster of various players vying for reserve middle infield roles this past week, Kingery’s huge week two has him rapidly climbing the rankings. While the organization knows he’s a Spring Training warrior, they will likely give him every chance to make the roster given they are already paying him a nice guaranteed salary this season.

Dalton Guthrie - Stock Down (9 G, 23 AB, 3 H, 1 2B, 0/1 SB/CS, 0 BB, 6 K, .130/.130/.174)
Guthrie’s atrocious spring continues. With Jake Cave and Kody Clemens succeeding so far in their Spring ABs, time may already be running out for Guthrie to make the roster.

Kody Clemens - Stock Up (10 G, 22 AB, 4 R, 7 H, 1 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 1/0 SB/CS, .318/.348/.636)
Clemens was less impressive last week than he was in the first week of Spring Training, but considering Dalton Guthrie didn’t exactly have any better of a week, it’s hard to say he’s lost a step in the bench race.

Weston Wilson - Stock Up (10 G, 16 AB, 3 R, 7 H, 2 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .438/.526/.938)
Wilson hasn’t been quite as impressive in the past week, but his overall production this Spring still remains eye-popping. With the lack of depth in the top levels of the Minors in both INF and OF, he’s putting himself in position to be an early-season promotion if an injury arises on the big club.

McKinley Moore - Stock Up (5 G, 4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 0 ER, 7 K)
Moore charted 3 more outings this past week and was electric, avoiding the concession of a single hit or walk. The increased activity could suggest he’s in serious contention for an Opening Day spot.

Jeremy Walker - Stock Up (5 G, 4.1 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 0 ER, 3 K)
Once an intriguing multi-inning relief prospect in the Braves system, injuries and ineffectiveness have since waylaid Walker. However, he’s looked rejuvenated so far in camp, so much so that his multi-inning abilities may make him an attractive option for the big club’s bullpen. If not, he could be one of the next men up in AAA.

Yunior Marté - Stock Up (5 G, 5 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 ER, 5 K)
Marté is a new entrant to the Stock Watch, with his sharp work earning him a strong starting berth. The sophomore pickup from the Giants could be a valuable piece out of the bullpen.

Edmundo Sosa - Stock Up (8 G, 19 AB, 10 H, 1 2B, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 3 HBP, .526/.609/1.211)
Already a lock for the Opening Day roster, Sosa’s monster start to the Spring has him looking like the type of guy you don’t just want relegated to the bench. That in mind, it’s fair to believe he may be playing for a few extra starts a week this Spring.

Bailey Falter - Stock Down (3 G, 6.1 IP, 13 H, 2 BB, 6 R, 1 WP, 4 ER, 8 K)
Falter’s faced some poor luck with inherited runners scoring and bad defense behind him, but one stat stands out here: a .419 batting average against. That has to come down if he’s going to take back command of the fifth starter race.

Michael Plassmeyer - Stock Up (4 G, 7 IP, 6 H, 6 BB, 0 ER, 4 K)
Plassmeyer remains unscathed in the runs department through four spring outings, but his most recent outing saw him struggle mightily with his command and barely escape safely. His stock still remains up due to no one else really taking command of the SP5 spot.

Andrew Vasquez - Stock Up (5 G, 4.2 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 1 BK, 2 WP, 2 R, 1 ER, 8 K)
Vasquez was decidedly less impressive this past week, but it’s hard to argue he still hasn’t been largely solid so far in camp. It’s hard to see him making the Opening Day roster with Gregory Soto now seemingly at little risk of missing Opening Day, but he could still sneak his way in as the last guy out of the pen.

Símon Muzziotti - Stock Down (10 G, 19 AB, 3 H, 1 2B, 1/0 SB/CS, 0 BB, 4 K, .158/.158/.211)
Like Guthrie, Muzziotti wasn’t quite as horrid this past week as he was the week prior, but he still mostly struggled.

Darick Hall - Stock Up (9 G, 26 AB, 6 R, 9 H, 1 2B, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 3 BB, .346/.414/.846)
Another huge week in the books for Hall.

Jake Jewell - Stock Down (5 G, 4.1 IP, 11 H, 5 BB, 1 HBP, 11 R, 6 ER, 2 K)
Ben Bowden - Stock Down (4 G, 3.2 IP, 5 H, 4 BB, 4 ER, 4 K)
Time’s running out for these two hurlers, who both risk release.

Cristopher Sánchez - Stock Up (2 G, 2 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 3 K)
Sánchez’s action has been limited and he’s probably not stretched out enough at this point to be in play for a rotation spot, but he’s pitched better than Nick Nelson so far and has the ability to pitch multiple innings, which may give him a leg up on many others in the bullpen race.

Nick Nelson - Stock Down (2 G, 2 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 2 ER, 3 K)
Almost certainly out of contention for a true starting berth having not been properly stretched out yet, Nelson’s rough second outing likely set him back in his quest to make the Opening Day roster, especially with other names lurking.

Griff McGarry - Stock Down (2 G, 1.1 IP, 3 H, 4 BB, 5 ER, 3 K)
McGarry settled down a bit after his rough first outing, but if he was in contention for an Opening Day spot he’s still clearly behind the curve.

Will Toffey - Stock Up (10 G, 15 AB, 2 R, 5 H, 1 2B, 1 HR, .333/.353/.600)
Toffey earned a brief MLB promotion last season when Alec Bohm was ineligible to go to Toronto. He’s another name that should at least be in play for an early look this year, and his hot start to the Spring will help with that.

Bryson Stott - Stock Down (8 G, 25 AB, 2 R, 4 H, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2/0 SB/CS, 5 K, .160/.192/.320)
Nick Castellanos - Stock Down (9 G, 23 AB, 2 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 6 BB, 11 K, .087/.276/.217)
The Phillies remain committed to both Stott and Castellanos, however you have to wonder if the early success of players such as Sosa and Cave could see them lose playing time during the season if their fortunes don’t improve soon.

Vimael Machín - Stock Up (7 G, 11 AB, 4 H, 1 2B, 3 RBI, .364/.417/.455)
Machín’s participation in Puerto Rico’s WBC chase probably puts him out of the running for an Opening Day spot, but like Wilson, a strong run in the tournament and good results upon his return could position Machín for an early-season promotion.

Connor Brogdon - Stock Up (4 G, 4 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 2 R, 1 ER, 6 K)
Brogdon yielded a home run to Yankees phenom Jasson Domínguez in his lone outing (one exacerbated by a two-base error by Clemens) last week, but that remains the only hit or walk he’s allowed this Spring.

Andrew Baker - Stock Down (3 G, 2 IP, 3 H, 4 BB, 7 ER, 2 K)
Jeez, show us SOMETHING man!

Carlos De La Cruz - Stock Up (7 G, 9 AB, 3 H, 1 2B, 1 HR, .333/.400/.778)
De La Cruz is no threat to make the Opening Day roster, but his early success is no doubt opening eyes, and as one of the best near-MLB bats the Phillies system possesses, impressing in Spring could help him speed up his track to the Majors.

Matt Strahm - Stock Up (3 G, 3 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 ER, 1 K)
Andrew Bellatti - Stock Up (5 G, 5 IP, 1 H, 5 BB, 0 ER, 5 K)
Neither Strahm nor Bellatti ever faced any real threat of not making the Opening Day roster, but both now could see new roles as situations change with the team as a whole. Strahm has been mentioned as a player that may be lengthened out a bit as the Phillies look to cover more innings with some injuries popping up, while Bellatti’s strong work could see him work his way into a more high-leverage role.

Additional Ups - Andrew Schultz, John Hicks, Trey Cobb, Aramis Garcia, Nick Podkul
Additional Downs - James McArthur, Louis Head, Billy Sullivan IV, Brian Marconi, Francisco Morales, Matt Seelinger, Rafael Marchan, Josh Harrison, Mark Appel
Notable Pushes - Luis Ortiz, Erich Uelmen, Mick Abel

Bubble players dealing with injuries - Andrew Painter, Noah Song
Painter looks to be out of the SP5 race as he’s been shut down due to a UCL sprain. Song, meanwhile, is dealing with back tightness and is likely not going to be ready for Opening Day. Song, of the two, is the most under pressure to make the Opening Day roster as a Rule 5 selection, but may have not started the season with the big club anyway due to a 15-day conditioning stint he would be granted upon activation from the Military List.