A hidden gem in the Philadelphia Phillies' phenomenal run last season was shortstop Edmundo Sosa. The St. Louis Cardinals sent the 26-year-old to the Phillies via trade in late July in exchange for pitcher JoJo Romero.
Despite arriving to the club without lofty expectations, he made an incredible impact on the team. While he wasn't a fulltime addition to the lineup, he lit a spark each time he stepped on the field. Sosa did occasionally struggle on both offense and defense. However, he was rarely struggled at both at the same time. He provided an energy similar to Brandon Marsh or Bryson Stott that could energize the entire team.
Something about Sosa was different and the impact he made on the team during the late run cannot be undersold.
With a hot start early in 2023, Sosa could be looking at a more prominent role with the Phillies for the upcoming MLB season.
Sosa impresses during camp
The utilityman has been very impressive thus far in camp, displaying a power we aren't used to seeing. He hit a home run just twice last season. Sosa has already hit two homers so far in Spring Training. Both of which he crushed over 400 feet. His first being 414 ft and his second an impressive 441 feet.
His impressive offensive performance, combined with his well-known elite defense should earn him more playing time with the ball club this season. With last year being just his third season getting real time in the majors, he will continue to improve at the higher level. If nothing else, he's a player the Phillies can put in to give their starters a rest while still being counted on to produce. That said, the Phillies have something else in mind that would enable him to see the field much more.
New position, new opportunities
Sosa made his debut in center field on Saturday. Despite having Marsh, center field is easily the weakest position on the team. With shortstop occupied by one of the best in all of baseball, playing out of position is the only way Sosa will see playing time.
Sosa's debut was a mixed bag. It wasn't a great performance, but it was a valuable learning experience. It'll take some time to adjust, but it appear Philadelphia will give Sosa more opportunities this spring in the position. If he can become competent in the new position, he could be in for a career year with the Phillies.
Publisher Kade Kistner contributed to this story.
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