Which Phillies deserve an All-Star?

by Brandon King

The MLB All-star game is right around the corner and voting has officially begun for what players will represent their respective conferences.

The Phillies have caught lightning in a bottle as of late, the offense is putting up runs and most of the pitching staff is starting to turn things around. Some notable names to keep an eye out for are 2nd year second baseman Bryson Stott and outfielder Nick Castellanos, guys who have taken big leaps this season. Maybe some other Phillies deserve a spot too, but these guys deserve the nod.

The Phillies started out the season similar to how they did last season, under .500 at 23-29. Philly has now won 8 of their last 10 games and now sit at 38-34, 4 games above .500.

Stott came into this season looking like a completely different player. Last season as a rookie Stott batted at .234, which is right about where you hope a first-round rookie to perform at. This season though Stott is right below a .300 batting average at .296, which is a higher batting average than players like Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, and Aaron Judge have, just to name a few. Now is that saying he is already on the same level as them? No, but with how he is currently performing he deserves to be a mention for the all-star game this season.

Castellanos is another guy who has taken a jump this season after having a really tough time hitting the ball last season. Castellanos was picked up by the Phillies in free agency last year as they paid the former Cincinnati

Red a 5-year $100 million dollar deal. By the end of the season, he had fans wondering if the Phillies should even keep him. Nick went from batting .309 with 34 home runs with the Reds to just a .263 with only 13 home runs. This season it seems like Castellanos has figured it out as he is back up to batting over .300, currently sitting at a .315 which is good for top 10 in the entire league for batting averages. That alone should be good enough for an allstar nod. Castellanos has also made plays in the field when it matters most which is a huge part in why the Phillies have done so well recently.

The Fightns have fought their way back into contention and are becoming what fans thought this team would be. Can the Phillies keep it up? Yes, this team and group of players have gone on dream runs before, but fans have seen the Phillies go into the allstar break hot time and time again only to fall short of the playoffs due to a cold streak.

THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023