Philadelphia Phillies: Howie Kendrick vs. Aaron Altherr
The depth chart on Philadelphia’s official website has Altherr listed as the backup at all three outfield positions. Still, Altherr remains highly regarded within the organization.
"He's the best guy we have," Phillies outfield instructor Juan Samuel says about Aaron Altherr. @brookob column: https://t.co/dIzermIJjG pic.twitter.com/8e1vroVg2T
— Philadelphia Inquirer Sports (@phillysport) February 17, 2017
Given the team’s general youth movement, Kendrick is likely the most vulnerable.
In 2015, Altherr hit 14 MiLB home runs in 433 at-bats. When he got to the majors, he hit five home runs in only 137 at-bats.
Unfortunately, Altherr missed nearly all of 2016, but he still hit four home runs in a fairly limited time.
He’s already shown that he can hit home runs at a strong pace. Altherr is only 26. The prime power years are usually in the late 20’s into the early 30’s. So, if he recovers from 2016’s injury, Altherr’s power could get even more prolific.
If Altherr can regain his 2015 form and crack this lineup, the Phillies become a team with a solid offensive foundation and would have a lineup with 6-7 legitimately tough outs.
That’s a big step in the right direction for a team that hasn’t seen any tangible success since 2011.