Phillies look to promising season

By Nicholas Guldin
April 11, 2010

The Phillies have quickly become one of the elite teams in professional baseball. With a Commissioners Trophy in 2008 and a World Series appearance in 2009, the Phillies have proven to be a well-oiled machine.

The future success of every Major League team lies largely in its farm system. MLB.com takes an detailed look at every organization, from recent draft picks to top prospects.

The Phils firmly believe they have top players at every position and their recent success shows that unlike other organizations, they do not need to rely heavily on their farm system. This is extremely important for the Phillies due to the fact that many of their most dominant farm system players have been traded in the past year.

What player out there is good enough for the Phillies to sacrifice so much young talent? Welcome to Philadelphia Roy Halladay, arguably the best pitcher in all of baseball. The Phils acquired Halladay from the Toronto Blue Jays and with much sacrifice comes amazing benefits.

In his first two outings, Halladay has been lights out. He allowed only one run in seven innings in his first game against the Washington Nationals. He topped that in the second game though, pitching his 50th complete game allowing only one run.

It isn’t tough to tell that the Phillies are preparing for the here and now. Obtaining Roy Halladay proved that the Phillies aren’t satisfied with one World Series and they are hungry for more.

In addition to acquiring Halladay in the offseason, the Phillies have also obtained Placido Polanco.  Polanco a 34 year old who has been a second baseman for the majority of his career, including a former stint with the Phils from 2002 to 2005, is now playing for the Phillies as a third baseman.

Polanco, a 2007 All-Star and a 2009 Rawlings Gold Glove recipient for the Tigers has had an immediate effect for the Phillies.  In just their first six contests Polanco has hit one homerun, tallied 10 RBIs and has a hitting percentage of a well-respected .434.

Returning for the Phillies this year are many of their key players including Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley.  Combined for the 2009 season, these three players have a combined 311 RBIs and a 97 homeruns. 

Each of these three players have been named to the all-star team multiple times and they all have also been recipients of the Silver Slugger Award which is awarded annually to the best offensive player at each position in both the American and National Leagues.  With the strength and athletic ability of these three players, the Phillies are in the right direction to making it well into the post season for 2010.

Another Philadelphia Phillies player who is currently making major league history is 47-year-old pitcher Jamie Moyer.  Moyer is the oldest active player in the major leagues.  He started his career in 1986 and entering this season he is the only player to play in four different decades.

It is clear to any baseball fan that the Philadelphia Phillies are a team to watch out for.  Their seasoned players, combined with young talent serve as a mix for victory.  With their previous success the past two seasons, Phillies fans everywhere will just sit back, relax, enjoy the season and have “High Hopes,” for another victorious year.

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Nicholas Guldin

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