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Phillies Can Solve Current Outfield Mess by Doing This One Thing

Originally posted on Philadelphia Phillies on SI
By Brad Wakai | Last updated Aug 21, 2025 8:11 PM ET

The Philadelphia Phillies have a chance to win the World Series this year.

Even without Zack Wheeler for the rest of the way, and despite the valleys they can get into at the plate that makes everyone pull their hair out in frustration, this is still a team that has superstars throughout the roster and is good enough to become champions by season's end.

But for that to happen, they need to figure out the mess that is going on in their outfield. Now with five guys in the mix for the three starting spots, the undefin ed roles has made it difficult for everyone to get into a groove.

Rob Thomson has opted to go with platoons at multiple spots across the diamond, preferring to put guys in favorable splits that will help boost the offense as a unit. However, he hasn't fully committed to that in the outfield, and that is hurting this team.

Phillies Outfielders Searching for Consistency

The Phillies went out and acquired Harrison Bader ahead of the trade deadline because they wanted another right-handed hitter who could provide consistency and strong defense, which is what he showed with the Minnesota Twins when he slashed .258/.339/.439 with an OPS+ that was 12 points above the league average of 100 as an everyday player.

But as he's become part of a platoon, his numbers have plummeted, with his slash line in Philadelphia being .200/.302/.289 for an OPS+ of 63 across 15 games, a star k difference compared to what he was doing just three weeks ago.

And according to NBC Sports Philadelphia, Bader is frustrated with his playing time since being acquired, as was told by Nick Castellanos to reporters.

When asked if Bader could find himself in an everyday role, Thomson was mum with his answer, stating, "I don't know. I have to keep the other guys going, too. I think it's probably going to be more of a rotation than anything else."

At the start of the season, Thomson was penciling Max Kepler in left field and Castellanos in right field every day, platooning Johan Rojas and Brandon Marsh in center based on if there was a lefty or righty starter on the mound.

It was clear that needed some tweaking after Kepler's play fell off a cliff, Rojas continued to struggle hitting at the big league level and Marsh got off to a slow start. But it was clear that Castellanos was the bedrock in right who provided stability.

Fast forward to the current stage of this campaign, and Castellanos has become a liability, slashing .187/.216/.318 after the All-Star break while still being one of the worst defenders in the sport at his position.

This has caused Thomson to sit the slugger on more days recently than he otherwise would have, which is a good step in the right direction when it comes to fielding the best unit. But the roles need to be more clearly defined, and only one thing is going to solve the current mess they are in.

Phillies Need To Platoon in Both Corner Outfield Spots

Center Field: Harrison Bader
Left Field: Platoon of Brandon Marsh and Weston Wilson
Right Fi eld: Platoon of Max Kepler and Nick Castellanos

Bader should be playing everyday in center. Not only will that hopefully get his bat back to where it was with the Twins when he was an above-average hitter and blasted 12 home runs in 96 games, but it also keeps his elite defense on the field at all times, with him being worth six outs above average with 14 defensive runs saved.

As for the platoons, it makes too much sense not to do it, even if Castellanos might not like being relegated to that role.

For one, Kepler has gotten red-hot since the trade deadline with a slash line of .324/.342/.568, two homers, seven RBI and a wRC+ of 149 in 11 games. But what would help him stay hot is by facing only lefties, with 12 of his 13 home runs and 35 of his 40 RBI coming in that split.

Castellanos, meanwhile, looks to be the same player when facing lefties and righties based on his slash lines, but he has a 99 wRC+ against left-handers and a 88 against right-handers with his hard hit percentage and home run rate being higher in the favorable split.

Marsh is even more of an extreme case, with his numbers being noticeably better against right-handed pitching, while Wilson is going to play against lefties even though his numbers are actually better against righties.

The Phillies have a team that can win the World Series this year, but it's going to take everyone sacrificing to make that happen. Thomson needs to play a role in initiating that by getting everyone on the same page when it comes to the right platoon splits going forward.