Rob Thomson knows the Phillies are going to see a ton of lefties in the postseason, which is why it’s important that they spend the next few weeks figuring out who can stick before the July 30 trade deadline.
Weston Wilson will get a chance. He was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley as the Phillies released Whit Merrifield. Merrifield, who batted .199 with a .572 OPS, played himself out of a bench role.
Wilson should get the bulk of the playing time in left field against left-handed starters. He’s also an option to spell Bohm at third base.
Wilson has 18 home runs and an .827 OPS in 71 games with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in 2024. He batted .337 with 10 home runs and a 1.465 OPS in the month of June in Triple A.
“One, Wilson’s hot and we’re trying to get a little more thump from the right side,” Thomson said. “We thought it was going to be Whit. As hard as he worked at it, it’s a tough job as I’ve said many times. It wasn’t coming.”
Brandon Marsh, who blasted a home run and a triple against right-handed pitcher Landon Knack in Thursday’s win against the Dodgers, has struggled to hit lefties this year. In the seventh, the Dodgers intentionally walked the right-handed hitting Nick Castellanos with the lefty Ryan Yarbrough on the mound to face Marsh. He struck out on three pitches.
The Phillies have been one of the better hitting teams against left-handed pitching this season. The club’s .770 OPS against left-handed pitching ranks sixth in MLB. Their .802 OPS among left-handed hitters against lefties is first in MLB. Kyle Schwarber (.988) and Harper (.983) rank No. 1 and 2 among left-handed hitters against left-handed pitching in the league ahead of Juan Soto, Yordan Alvarez and Shohei Ohtani (min. 100 plate appearances).
On the other end, the team’s .748 OPS by right-handed hitters against lefties ranks 12th in MLB. Cristian Pache, Merrifield and Johan Rojas have combined to slash .195/.261/.295 against lefties this season.
Wilson, an infielder by trade, will get a chance to prove he can stick on the Phillies bench for the stretch run. A productive few weeks from Wilson probably won’t prevent the Phillies from shopping for a right-handed bat to platoon with Marsh in left field, but Wilson could make the Phillies think twice about pulling the trigger on a deal if the acquisition cost is high.
