Kansas City Royals: Brett Phillips has tremendous upside
The Kansas City Royals acquired Brett Phillips in a trade with the Brewers in July and the new Royal has the ability to be pretty special for the boys in blue.
Losing Lorenzo Cain in the offseason was rough, but what hurt even more was the fact that the Kansas City Royals didn’t have a replacement to put in center field. The Royals probably hoped that Bubba Starling would be Major League ready by the time Cain left, but we all know that didn’t end up being the case.
Jon Jay was signed in the offseason, but he was barely with the team this year, getting dealt to the Diamondbacks several months ago. That once again opened things up in center field and the Royals might have found their answer there.
Kansas City traded Mike Moustakas to Milwaukee near the end of the trade deadline and Brett Phillips was one of three prospects they got in return. Phillips instantly came to Kansas City rather than play in the minors and has been fun to watch in the outfield.
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Phillips has mostly played in center field, but he has had five appearances in right field as well. More than likely, center field will be Phillips’ permanent spot, as the Royals have Alex Gordon in left field (for one more year) and both Jorge Bonifacio and Jorge Soler spending time in right field.
While Phillips has flashed the leather often during his short time in Kansas City, his offensive numbers haven’t been anything to write home about. As of Friday, he’s slashing .202/.265/.360 with two home runs and seven RBI in 89 at bats.
Those aren’t great numbers, but Phillips hasn’t had much seasoning at the plate during his two years of Major League action. He had just 98 plate appearances last year in Milwaukee and a total of 122 plate appearances this year between the Brewers and Royals plus he’s only 24, so there’s time for him to figure things out there.
When it comes to the future of the Kansas City Royals, Brett Phillips has the opportunity to be a star for this franchise. He’s a likable guy, great in the outfield, and even better… He won’t be a free agent until 2024. That gives the Royals five more seasons of Phillips in center field.
Even though his .202 batting average is an eye sore, Phillips is still taking his lumps at the plate. Once he gets things going offensively, he could become a fan favorite amongst Kansas City Royals fans.