Phillies pitchers have allowed just 68 runs in 18 games, the 8th lowest figure in baseball and fourth lowest in the NL.
And when I say minimal offensive support at some positions, I mean minimal. Look at the numbers.
The combined offensive output from C, 1B, 3B, and RF (highlighted) accounts for 47 hits in 269 ABs, a lusty .175 batting average. The OBP is just a paltry .241 for these positions.
Conventional wisdom says Carlos Santana has just had bad luck. He's hitting the ball hard, but right at people. He's hitting 100 points below his career average and his OBP is also down by 100.
Maikel Franco is hitting .220. He had two good games against the Marlins and the rest have been pretty awful, even though he leads the team in RBI. Franco's been the starter at 3B since 2015 and his numbers have dropped every year. Many thought this would be Franco's breakout year, with the possibility of being replaced by a free agent like Manny Machado in 2019. Sure doesn't look like he's breaking out of anything.
Catchers Jorge Alfaro and Andrew Knapp and outfielders Aaron Altherr and Nick Williams have underperformed from last year. They're all essentially rookies, so maybe they get a pass. Maybe it's the cold weather.
The starting pitching has been mostly terrific. Jake Arrieta was spectacular last night, allowing just 1 hit and striking out 10 in 7 innings against the first-place Pirates. Aaron Nola, Nick Pivetta, and even Vince Velasquez have been solid. Ben Lively looks to be the starter to head to the minors when Jerad Eickoff is healthy in May.
The highlight from the bullpen is Victor Arano, who has yet to allow a baserunner in 8.1 innings. Going back to last year, he hasn't allowed a baserunner in 10.2 innings.
As long as the pitching holds up, and the guys who are actually hitting keep hitting, this team could make a playoff push. And imagine what could happen if the folks at C, 1B, 3B, and RF start to produce.
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