Ranking the NL East: Outfielders

Sep 18, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Ben Revere (2) in the field during the third inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

4. Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies land at number four on our list. Unlike Atlanta, they haven’t undergone a complete overhaul during the offseason, but they’ve still got plenty of questions. While they’ve got a star in the making in their starting center fielder, the men they have manning their corners look a lot shakier.

Ben Revere is clearly the leader of the Phillies outfield, and with good reason. He’s excellent on the offensive side of the ball, hitting over .300 the past two seasons. He may not hit for power (he’s hit a grand total of two home runs in his career), but he makes up for it on the base paths. In his four full seasons in the majors, he’s stolen 34, 40, 22, and 49 bases respectively. He’s also consistently graded as a good defender.

Domonic Brown is a little more of an enigma. He made the All-Star Game in 2013, hitting .272/.324/.494 with 27 homers. In 2014, however, he took a step back, regressing back towards his career averages prior to 2013. If Brown can manage to catch lightning in a bottle again in 2015, there’s some hope for the Phillies outfield.

The Phillies will also hope that their third outfielder, Grady Sizemore, can find his magic again. At 32, though, that looks unlikely. Both Sizemore’s offensive and defensive numbers have been fading since 2009 and he’s struggled with injuries of late, making it uncertain how much he’ll contribute.

So, while Revere is clearly an asset both offensively and defensively, it’s Sizemore and Brown that could ultimately hold the Phillies back and it’s the reason they’re number four in the NL East.

Next: Number Three?