Brandon Phillips

[osuceltic]

.274 .348 .487 .835

6 HR, team-leading 26 RBIs

Great defense. Great baserunning. Two-out hits. Delivering with runners in scoring position.

He took a lot of crap early in the season. Deserves some credit right now.

[Homer Bailey]

I was especially hard on him early in the season. I'm glad to see he's starting to use all fields. Gotta give him credit for what he's done the last few weeks.

[Razor Shines]

.283 .324 .514 - .839 6 HRs through 34 games in '08.

He's been really good lately, I really hope he finishes stronger this year than last.

[fearofpopvol1]

He was the offensive MVP for the DBacks series...by a longshot. He's playing great ball right now. I think Mark Grace had a mancrush on him the way he was praising him.

[BRM]

.802 OPS vs RHP so far. Much better than his career numbers. Very nice to see from him.

[forfreelin04]

.274 .348 .487 .835

6 HR, team-leading 26 RBIs

Great defense. Great baserunning. Two-out hits. Delivering with runners in scoring position.

He took a lot of crap early in the season. Deserves some credit right now.

Agreed, his swagger his back. The Dbacks will not soon forget him.

Amazing how pretty the sky looks when its not falling. It always amazes me how there are so many threads when the team is struggling compared to when it is winning. I can never figure out if Redszoners just don't know how to put winning into words or if most of us are just gluttons for punishment. After 8 years of plenty of threads, I welcome the absence.

[Cyclone792]

Phillips' plate discipline is better, and his walk rate is up. So far he's walking once every nine plate appearances, which is much better than the 17.7 PA/BB ratio he gave the Reds from 2006-08.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: if Phillips could significantly spike his walk rate, he'd become a beast. His walk rate is already better this season, and he's now posting the highest on-base percentage of his career. If he maintains his current walk rate for the remainder of the season, he'll deserve to hit cleanup and that .835 OPS will just be the beginning.

But if his walk rate drops back down again ...

[bucksfan2]

Maybe the light has gone of in Phillips head. Its almost like he has changed his approach to let the game come to him instead of forcing the issue. He has quite pressing, has hit the ball where it has been pitched, and has been a force in the 4 hole. Its almost like Phillips has gotten it through his head that this team is pretty good and I don't have to carry the team. I also wonder how much Hernandez's bat has helped Phillips. He no longer has to be "the" RH bat in the lineup.

[PuffyPig]

I also wonder how much Hernandez's bat has helped Phillips. He no longer has to be "the" RH bat in the lineup.

While I expect it to improve, Hernandez's .685 OPS doesn't exactly scream "another RH bat".

[bucksfan2]

While I expect it to improve, Hernandez's .685 OPS doesn't exactly scream "another RH bat".

He has started to hit better. The HR's and doubles will come with time but he has improved his average quite a bit since his slow start.

[Kc61]

I maintain Phillips' biggest weakness is his tendency to beat the ball into the ground. He'll never be a big walker. He'll always have some problems with righties.

But he consisently hits the ball hard. When he hits them into the ground, we get all the double plays. When he gets some elevation we get the current hot streak.

[CTA513]

.274 .348 .487 .835

6 HR, team-leading 26 RBIs

Great defense. Great baserunning. Two-out hits. Delivering with runners in scoring position.

He took a lot of crap early in the season. Deserves some credit right now.

and deserved it, just like the other players who sucked when Votto was the only one hitting.

[osuceltic]

and deserved it, just like the other players who sucked when Votto was the only one hitting.

Let me be clear. He took more crap than he deserved. There is a lot of anti-Phillips sentiment around here. Whether it's his plate discipline, what he says to the media, or that he's not Adam Dunn, I don't know. But he became Whipping Boy No. 1 during his slow start.

[CTA513]

Let me be clear. He took more crap than he deserved. There is a lot of anti-Phillips sentiment around here. Whether it's his plate discipline, what he says to the media, or that he's not Adam Dunn, I don't know. But he became Whipping Boy No. 1 during his slow start.

That was Encarnacion

[nate]

Let me be clear. He took more crap than he deserved. There is a lot of anti-Phillips sentiment around here. Whether it's his plate discipline, what he says to the media, or that he's not Adam Dunn, I don't know. But he became Whipping Boy No. 1 during his slow start.

He earned every bit of it; he was horrible to start the year. More than he deserved? I don't know what the "proper" amount of crap one should take comeasurate with their performance but I'd have to say his start was bad enough to take what he got.

Now he's turned it around and he's playing great. Let's enjoy that. Let's enjoy that his plate discipline is up, that he's hitting RHP better and, as always, his nice glove.