By Andrew Marcus
Sportswriter for Montgomery Media
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Follow me on Twitter @amarcus515 |
To help pass the time between now and the start of the 2012 Major League Baseball season I am going to be examining a different team every day. Starting with the Astros, working toward the Phillies. I will give you my projected starters, breakout and bust players, each team's X-Factor and top prospect.
PROJECTED LINEUP
SS Jimmy Rollins
3B Placido Polanco
CF Shane Victorino
RF Hunter Pence
1B Ty Wiggington
LF John Mayberry Jr.
C Carlos Ruiz
2B Freddy Galvis
P Roy Halladay
**Chase Utley (out indefinitely)
**Ryan Howard (out indefinitely)
PROJECTED ROTATION
Roy Halladay
Cliff Lee
Cole Hamels
Vance Worley
Joe Blanton
PROJECTED BULLPEN
Closer - Jonathan Papelbon
Set-up - Antonio Bastardo
Closer - Jonathan Papelbon
Set-up - Antonio Bastardo
Top Prospect - Trevor May (RHP)
Breakout
Dominic Brown - The high expectations did not help Brown in Philadelphia after getting off to a slow start in his major league career. Philadelphia is already to write him off, but I am not. Sure he needs to improve, but that's why he is in Triple-A to start the season. I expect him to get off to hot start and make his way back to the city of Brotherly Love by mid-May. He will be no worse than Raul Ibanez's 2011 numbers (.245 20 HR 83 RBIs) and has the chance to be a lot better. He's only 24 years old.
Bust
Dominic Brown - The high expectations did not help Brown in Philadelphia after getting off to a slow start in his major league career. Philadelphia is already to write him off, but I am not. Sure he needs to improve, but that's why he is in Triple-A to start the season. I expect him to get off to hot start and make his way back to the city of Brotherly Love by mid-May. He will be no worse than Raul Ibanez's 2011 numbers (.245 20 HR 83 RBIs) and has the chance to be a lot better. He's only 24 years old.
Bust
Vance Worley- Much like they write off struggling youngsters people also like to get attached to a player off to a hot start. It happen with Kyle Kendrick winning 10 games in his rookie season, Jay Happ almost being held onto when the right move was flipping him for Roy Oswalt, and now Vance Worley. The Vanimal is most likely better than Kendrick and Happ, but don't even consider him a part of the terrific trio. Worley is a solid fifth starter but nothing more. If you set your expectations for the righty too high you will surely disappointed.
X-FACTOR
Chase Utley - There was not much offense to speak of in 2011 and they still won 102 games, but this year they are starting out the season with no Ryan Howard or Chase Utley in the middle of the order. With Howard most expect him to come back in a month or two and be the player that is capable of carrying a team. For Utley, Scoobey Doo couldn't solve this mystery. Utley has worn down so much so quickly that he has not idea what his body is capable of anymore. Phillies should hope for the best, but expect the worst. At this point anything is better than nothing at all.
Chase Utley - There was not much offense to speak of in 2011 and they still won 102 games, but this year they are starting out the season with no Ryan Howard or Chase Utley in the middle of the order. With Howard most expect him to come back in a month or two and be the player that is capable of carrying a team. For Utley, Scoobey Doo couldn't solve this mystery. Utley has worn down so much so quickly that he has not idea what his body is capable of anymore. Phillies should hope for the best, but expect the worst. At this point anything is better than nothing at all.
LAST YEAR'S RECORD: 102-60
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| Phillies pitching got even stronger with the addition of Jonathan Papelbon |
PROJECTED FINISH: 2nd in the National League East
***THANKS FOR READING MY TEAM BY TEAM OUTLOOKS TO HELP PASS THE TIME
***THANKS FOR READING MY TEAM BY TEAM OUTLOOKS TO HELP PASS THE TIME
Check back tomorrow for my 2012 Predictions
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