Phillies' Odubel Herrera is putting up Mickey Mantle numbers
By Joe Giglio
NJ.com
If you're not paying attention to the 2016 Phillies, now might be the time to start.
While a negative run differential may eventually derail the team's surprising 26-21 start, this franchise is on the upswing, far removed from hitting rock bottom one year ago and sporting a collection of young, emerging starts. Among them: Center fielder Odubel Herrera.
Last year's Rule 5 draft gem had a solid rookie year (109 OPS+), but has taken his game to a new level in 2016. After drawing a walk and crushing a three-run home run in Wednesday's 8-5 win over the Detroit Tigers, Herrera is now hitting .320/.440/.461 on the season.
If that stat line looks, well, unusual, it's for good reason. Not many center fielders have ever had seasons with numbers that impressive across the board. In fact, we're talking about numbers only posted by two in the history of the game: Yankees legend Mickey Mantle and Cleveland's Larry Doby.
Mantle's 1962 season is the last time a center fielder had a season–in all three categories–like Herrera is having now. While other center fielders have had seasons with better than a .320 average or .440 on-base percentage or .460 slugging average, no one has done all three since Mantle posted three separate campaigns with those numbers. If we look at all outfielders, only Nationals MVP Bryce Harper has had a year like it since Barry Bonds retired.
The Phillies are relevant again, and an eye-opening year from their 24-year-old star is a big reason why.
Odubel Herrera is putting up Mickey Mantle numbers
Moderator: Angels
