Phillies Insider: Grading The First Half - Part 1

The Phillies are provided another opportunity to take control of the competitive NL East when they begin a three-game series with the Marlins Friday night. Clinging to a half-game lead, the Phillies travel from Florida to second-place New York to face the Mets before coming home to play the third-place Atlants Braves.

Obviously, the next nine games will prove a lot. It'll prove whether the Phillies can give themselves some breathing room or remain in a fistfight with the Marlins, Mets and potentially the Braves the rest of the way.

So, now is better than ever to assess the first half of the season. I'll provide letter grades for each player's performance, followed by my own pithy commentary.

The Regulars

Jimmy Rollins, SS, (C): The reigning MVP hasn't had much of an impact this season. Yes, he was sidelined for precisely one month due to injury, thus his production (notably, the home runs) is down significantly compared to last, when J-Roll reached career highs in just about every major offensive category. Still, Rollins has been among the many inconsistent hitters in the team's everyday lineup. For the Phillies to win their second straight division title, Rollins needs to go on a tear in the second half.

Shane Victorino, CF, (B): For the most part, Victorino has done a very good job this season. He's come through with some clutch hits and possesses one of the best outfield arms in all of baseball. He's been an upgrade in center field, in terms of running down fly balls and nailing runners at the plate. He's on track to bat around the .270-.280 range with 30-plus stolen bases. That's good enough for me.

Chase Utley, 2B, (B-): Utley was red-hot to start the season but has cooled considerably since late-May/early-June. Sure, he's on pace for season-highs in home runs and RBIs, but Utley hasn't been the Mr. Clutch Phillies fans are used to seeing. His averages with runners in scoring position and runners in scoring position with two outs are way, way down. As a result, Utley is hitting only .291, which is sub-par for him. Utley is another guy that needs to get it going in the second half.

Ryan Howard, 1B, (B): Howard will likely shatter his own record for most strikeouts in a season (199), but he's on pace to hit 50-plus home runs and to drive in 140-plus runs. I'll take the strikeouts as long as he's producing. Howard was showing signs of carrying the team before the All-Star break. The big fella just has to keep hitting bombs and raking up the RBIs. History would suggest that he'll be just fine in the second half. Howard gets a better grade than Utley because, simply put, Phillies fans expect a little more from their second baseman.

Pat Burrell, LF, (B+): Burrell is borderline "A-" material. He's having arguably the best season of his career as the 31-year-old is on pace to hit a career-high in home runs. Moreover, Burrell has been a steady overall hitter this season and is among the MLB-leaders in on-base percentage and walks. Burrell is doing his part. He's no longer considered a hindrance or liability. Actually, in some ways he's the glue that keeps the lineup together because of his power-hitting ability from the right side. Burrell has been very impressive thus far.

Jayson Werth, RF, (B-): Werth is another guy having a career year, but he's been somewhat of a disappointment. When he had the chance to become the everyday starter in right field, he proved he couldn't handle the load. However, Werth has gotten some big hits this season and his defense is very good. He'll get most of playing time in right field, but isn't quite the everyday player the Phillies were hoping he'd become.

Pedro Feliz, 3B, (B): Feliz is what he is -- a stellar defensive third baseman who'll aggravate the most common fan at the plate. Feliz has been a great upgrade over Abraham Nunez (ugh). He'll hit 20-plus home runs, but shouldn't be counted on to produce when the going gets tough.

Carlos Ruiz, C, (F): Last season, Ruiz proved to be a very good defensive catcher and an adequate offensive presence. While his defense remains solid, Ruiz has been flatout terrible at the plate. If you need a groundball double play or a harmless pop-up with two outs and runners on second and third, give Carlos a call. Ruiz is a fringe major league player. Unfortunately, he's the team's starting backstop.

The Bench

Greg Dobbs, INF/OF, (A-): There's not much to complain about here. Dobbs is one of the best pinch hitters in the game, and when he sees limited action on the diamond, he usually produces. He's a good "sixth man," so to speak. But when he starts on a normal basis (as was the case last year), he'll get exposed.

Chris Coste, C, (A-): Another guy I don't have much negative to say about. I think he's been playing way too much and, as a result, his batting average has dipped. He's hardly an average catcher, but is a proven clutch hitter. I fear he'll play too much in the second half because of Ruiz's struggles.

Geoff Jenkins, OF, (D+): Oh boy. OK, Geoff Jenkins is a true gamer and a very good baseball guy. I'm sure he's been swallowing his pride all season, which has been an absolute struggle for the 33-year-old. Jenkins is probably on his last legs. He's utterly useless against left-handed hitters and is strikeout prone. Jenkins is a solid outfielder, but his days of being a good hitter are long gone. He'll likely be relegated to playing two times a week the rest of the season.

So Taguchi, OF, (F): Taguchi was signed to be a defensive specialist. Instead, Taguchi has made multiple errors in the outfield, where he'd usually play to replace Pat Burrel in late-game situations. Taguchi was a steady contributer with the St. Louis Cardinals and last season led the league in pinch hits, which makes his 2008 campaign all the more mind-boggling. I don't imagine he'll be with the team much longer.

Eric Bruntlett, INF/OF, (B): Bruntlett did a fine job filling in for Rollins in April and May. He began the year on a bad note with some costly errors at shortstop, but for the most part, Bruntlett has been consistently average -- what you'd expect from a part-time guy. He's valuable because he can play all infield position and anywhere in the outfield.

Part 2 of Grading The First Half will assess the starting rotation and bullpen, player by player...