It may be hard to believe for a team that is 33 games under .500, but the Phillies’ offense is the best it’s been in years. (Well, it’s all relative as they say.)
Starting last offseason, members of the Phillies’ front office and coaching staff preached the importance of expanding the strike zone. When Matt Stairs replaced Steve Henderson as the hitting coach, it became his job to get the Phils’ young hitters to be more disciplined at the plate.
Last season, the team ranked last or second-to-last in virtually every offensive category. They batted .240/.301/.385 and walked just 424 times (29th in baseball) and struck out 1,376 times (7th highest in baseball).