Phillies Depending on Young Players and Patience from Fans

Baseball is a funny game featuring slumps and hot streaks, they are always a part of the game year in and year out.  The Phillies now have an influx of young players who we hope are ready to contribute to the Phillies making their first postseason appearance since 2011.  However, Phillies fans need to be more patient with the younger players: 2016 MLB Draft First Overall Pick Mickey Moniak, Third Overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft Alec Bohm, and 2019 MLB Draft 14th overall pick Bryson Stott are all being counted on to contribute to the Phillies as they keep in the playoff hunt on track.  All three Phillies have shown potential in the minor leagues but have underachieved at the plate at the Major League Level.  Mickey Moniak has especially caught the ire of the Phillies fans recently with a miserable .125 Batting Average and 14 Strikeouts in just 12 games played!  Moniak was the first overall pick but hasn't yet lived up to the Phillies expectations when they drafted him.  Mickey Moniak has 271 RBI in 521 games in the Minors but in the big leagues he has Four RBI in 41 games. Meanwhile, the Rookie Bryson Stott hasn't played much better this season (21 RBI and .183 Batting Average in 49 Games) and third year player Alec Bohm has been through a rollercoaster season in 74 games has 62 strikeouts, 27 RBI, and a .297 On-Base Percentage.

All these young players who were high draft picks need to play better and contribute if the Phillies want to contend for the playoffs as they will be without 2021 NL MVP Bryce Harper and their starting Second Baseball Jean Segura until mid-to-late August at the earliest.  The Phillies find themselves on July 1st in third place in the National League East, 7.5 games behind the New York Mets and 2.5 games out of the final spot in the NL Wild Card Race, a position currently held by the St. Louis Cardinals who the Phillies start a three-game series with this weekend!

The Summer is in full swing and we will talk about it all in The Locker Room with Billy Schweim this weekend!

On Saturday’s show, All-Big Ten Linebacker at Iowa and former Eagles LB Brad Quast will join me in the studio.  The Sports Book Consigliere Dave Sharapan checks in from Las Vegas with his hot picks in MLB for the weekend.  In Hour Two, we will bring you the Beach Patrol Report brought to you by GroundHogs Moving Company.  This week, we will talk with former Sea Isle City lifeguard Jimmy Farley, who won the Cape May Super-Athalon in 1984 and 1985.  Then the second part of our focus on Sea Isle City Beach patrol we will talk with the winner of the singles row in last year's South Jersey Lifeguard Championship Danny Rodgers. 

On Sunday’s show, Pete Thompson joins me in the studio; The PT and I will talk about the Phillies weekend and the latest from around the world of sports.  As we do every Sunday throughout the baseball season, we will go “On the Mound with Tommy Greene” brought to you by Aaron Bada’s GSF Golf & Performance Center. Tommy reflects on the Phillies homestand and previews Sunday’s game on Sunday Night against the Cardinals. Then we will talk with Dr. Nathan Bodin, MD Orthopedic Hand and Upper Extremity Surgeon at Virtua.  Dr. Bodin will explain the complexity of Bryce Harper's injury and how long his recovery will be.

All that and more EVERY WEEKEND when you listen to The Locker Room with Billy Schweim, Saturday and Sunday from 10am to Noon on 97.3 ESPN Radio.