Not much real alliteration there, but it looks pretty.
Marc Normandin takes a look at the hottest Red (subscription). Specifically, Normandin looks at Phillips’ development (“What slowed down Phillips’ development, and why did he return to productive baseball upon his move to the Senior Circuit?”).
They never answer that question, but here’s the bottom line on Phillips:
Phillips was known for his raw tools and high ceiling, as well as his intelligence as a young ballplayer. He now finds himself heading into his peak years after adjusting for the problems in his game with some of the better numbers you will find at second base in either league. Expecting him to do more of the sameâ€â€maybe with a little less homer powerâ€â€would make sense, as Phillips always had the potential to become a star in the majors. Maybe he doesn’t get on base that often, something we stress as important here at Baseball Prospectus, but he does everything else somewhere between ‘very well’ and ‘simply great.’
I’d buy that.