Phillies April Report Cards

Despite a 15-13 team record, several players earned an A+.

Let’s take a look at how our Fightins played in April.

15-13 (or 15-14 if we include one March game) is not the record we wanted. But after an 0-4 start, the Phillies salvaged a winning month. And looking closely at the players’ numbers, there is cause for optimism.

A+

• Bryson Stott: “Poop Dogg” slashed .317/.344/.423 in April with two home runs. He also started the season with a 17-game hit streak, breaking a Phillies record previously held by Willie “Puddin’ Head” Jones. Stott cooled off near the end of the month, but overall it was an incredible April performance.

• Jose Alvarado: Alvarado’s April numbers were filthy: 12 G, 12.1 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 24 K, 0.73 ERA, 0.52 FIP, 0.49 WHIP, 17.5 strikeouts per nine. He is simply one of the best relief pitchers in the game right now.

  Strike one, strike two, and good luck.

  

• Brandon Marsh: How about a .329/.418/.647 slash line from Marsh to kick off the year? That’s a 1.023 OPS and a 177 OPS+. He hit four triples and four home runs, scored 17 runs, and collected 14 RBI.

• Nick Castellanos: Just about every Phillies fan is expecting a bounce-back season from Castellanos in 2023, if only because the alternative would be hard to stomach. Sure enough, Nick was scorching hot in April, slashing .313/.369/.509 with four home runs. He also hit ten doubles. That led the league for a good part of the month.

  Castellanos looks completely different at the plate this year. He’s brimming with confidence and consistently laying off the low and away breaking balls that killed him last season. If Casty is back as a righthanded power bat hitting behind Bryce Harper, the middle of the lineup is poised to do serious damage.

  Nick is also flashing the leather in right field. Here he is robbing a home run from Alex Bregman in a win against the Astros.

  

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A

• Edmundo Sosa: Sosa slashed an impressive .305/.323/.542 in April. He doesn’t get an A+ because he looked surprisingly uncomfortable defensively at third base. (This grade doesn’t even account for a brutal defensive miscue in the May 3 game against the Dodgers.)