• March 28, 2024

First Half Rundown: Phillies Pitchers

The All-Star break is a time for rest and relaxation after a long first half. It’s also a great time for the Phillies, who are currently the best team in all of baseball, to rest up their players after many of them were nicked up at some point during the first half.

The bread-and-butter of this team is, without a doubt, the pitching staff. Without further ado, let’s hand out some awards (and some not-so-good-awards) to the Phillies pitching staff.

Most Valuable Pitcher: Roy Halladay (11-3, 2.45 ERA, 138 SO)
As the starting pitcher for this year’s All-Star Game, Halladay has done it all for the Phillies so far. The workhorse has racked up six complete games and 143.1 innings of work. He’s also surrendered a measly 17 walks this season. He’s kept the Phillies in all of his games, and he probably could have won a few more games had the offense produced more runs this season. In a rotation that features names like Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt, Halladay has been the “ace of the aces”.

Most Impressive Pitcher: Cole Hamels (11-4, 2.32 ERA, 121 SO)
At the beginning of the season, Hamels found himself as the fourth pitcher in the staff. Not that that’s a bad thing considering his counterparts in the rotation, but by the time the first half concluded, Hamels found himself slightly under Halladay in terms of production. His 11 wins are tied for the team-high, and his 2.32 ERA is one of the best in the bigs. He’s proven to be an effective pitcher and come postseason time, Hamels could be on his way to a repeat performance of his 2008 self.

Biggest Surprise: Antonio Bastardo (0.82 ERA, 38 SO, 33.0 IP)
Simply put, Bastardo went from being an on-the-fringe type of player in the offseason to an All-Star snub. His 0.82 ERA is the best among relievers, and he’s proven to be a reliable closer, as well. He’s riding a 15 inning scoreless streak heading into the All-Star break, and he’s been nothing but spectacular. The bullpen was a big question mark this season, especially with Brad Lidge and Ryan Madson on the DL, but Bastardo has rose to the occasion and has been the Phillies go-to option late in games. He will be a mainstay in this bullpen for years to come. (Honorable Mention: Michael Stutes)

Biggest Disappointment: Roy Oswalt (4-6, 3.79 ERA, 42 SO)
It’s difficult putting his name down under this category because of his unfortunate back injury. But even when he was pitching, Oswalt just wasn’t as effective as we would have liked to seen. However, he did get off to a good start, going 3-1 in the month of April, but struggled in June, going 1-4 with a 5.81 ERA. Hopefully Oswalt can recover from his back injury and make a strong return down the stretch, but I wouldn’t expect much from him when he does return. Thankfully, though, Vance Worley has done a terrific job as his replacement.

The Future Star: Vance Worley (4-1, 2.20 ERA, 37 SO)
Speaking of Worley, the 23-year old has been everything the Phillies had hoped for. He’s compiled an impressive 4-1 record and a superb 2.20 ERA. But the telling number of his success has to be his 1.00 ERA in the month of June. In that timeframe, Worley faced the Boston Red Sox, Oakland A’s and the Seattle Mariners; he allowed just two runs and 11 hits in 18 innings of work against his AL combatants. In his last start before the break, Worley pitched against the Marlins in what I believe is his best big league start — 7 innings, 2 hits, 6 SO, 0 ER. Mark my words, if the Phillies keep Worley and don’t trade him away, he will be the next star in the rotation.

Kyle Phillippi

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BigE
BigE
July 11, 2011 7:52 pm

WHY NO MENTION OF CLIFF LEE?