Rotoprofessor

I could sit here and sing the praises of the Reds Brandon Phillips as one of the top second baseman in all of baseball and it would be justified.  He is coming off an injury-shortened season (559 AB) where he hit .262 with 21 HR, 78 RBI, 80 R and 23 SB.  The problem is that 2008 was actually a disappointment, especially considering he went 30/30 with a .288 average in 2007.

The loss of Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn could be part of the reason for his decline, as he had hit .280 with 15 HR and 19 SB prior to the All-Star Break.  The truth is that after they were dealt away, a lot more pressure was put onto him as being “the man” in the line-up.  Yes, Joey Votto and Jay Bruce were there to support him, but they were rookies.  Teams were obviously going to look to make them beat them, as opposed to giving Phillips the opportunity to be the determining factor in the game.

August was by far his worst month in 2008, hitting just .212 in 104 AB.  Yes, he had some power, but you expect a significantly better average from a player who would one of the centerpieces of your fantasy offense.

I’m not sure what the Reds are going to add this off-season, but the maturation of both Votto & Bruce will offer Phillips increased protection.  That will allow him, hitting primarily in the cleanup spot once again, to get back to the type of production that owners are expecting.  It will also allow him to get back to scoring some runs, though batting cleanup I don’t think he’ll get back to the 100 R plateau as he did in 2007.

Let’s take a look at the numbers I’d expect from him:

654 AB, .287, 28 HR, 100 RBI, 91 R, 29 SB .307 BABIP (105 K, 42 BB), .335 OBP, .480 SLG

It’s tough to project someone as a 30/30 player, but I’m coming pretty close here with Phillips.  Obviously, no matter whom the Reds bring in, I think Phillips is going to return to the form that he had in 2007.  He’s a Top 3 player at his position, right there with Chase Utley & Ian Kinsler.  He’s a great pick in all formats, to say the least.