Philadelphia Phillies infielder Edmundo Sosa is excelling in a fill-in role at shortstop while Trea Turner is out. Sosa has done an excellent job filling in for Turner, both at the plate and in the field. While Whit Merrifield and Kody Clemens have occasionally been at second base with Bryson Stott moving over to play shortstop, it has been Sosa who has played the position the most in Turner’s absence. In the last 15 days, Sosa has made 10 appearances at shortstop. Stott has made seven appearances at shortstop during those 15 days. Meanwhile, Merrifield has made three appearances at second base during that span, with Clemens making six.
Even with the injury to Turner, the Phillies continue to win games and currently have a major league-best 34-14 record. They currently lead the Atlanta Braves by five games in the NL East. Heading into a series against the Texas Rangers, the Phillies carry a three-game win streak. Overall, they are 12-3 since Turner was placed on the injured list. The impact Sosa and Clemens have had in the absence of Turner has helped the Phillies continue to win games. The 34 wins have the 2024 Phillies tied with the 1976 and 1993 teams for the most wins in the first 48 games of a season in franchise history.
Edmundo Sosa Excelling In Fill-In Role
Success At The Plate
In his last 10 games, Sosa has a .320/.485/.560 line with no home runs and four RBI. He also has one stolen base and six walks during that span. That 10-game stretch further includes a .454 wOBA and a 197 wRC+, as well as 10 runs scored. Sosa has a .471 BABIP during his last 10 games along with an 18.2% walk rate and a 24.2% strikeout rate. Sosa has an average exit velocity of 91.7 and an average launch angle of 25.7 during his last 10 games. He has one barrel and nine hard-hit balls in that time, according to FanGraphs. That comes out to a 5.9% barrel rate and a 52.9% hard-hit ball rate.
So far in 21 games this season, Sosa has a .296/.406/.481 line with one home run and eight RBI. He also has two stolen bases along with seven walks. Sosa has a 155 OPS+ and a 156 wRC+ this season. In addition, he has an overall .392 wOBA and a .417 BABIP, along with a 10.8% walk rate and a 26.2% strikeout rate. To add to that, Sosa has a 86.8 average exit velocity along with an average launch angle of 19.2 this season, indicating he’s been a line-drive hitter. Sosa has four barrels and 14 hard-hit balls this season according to FanGraphs. This comes out to a 10.5% barrel rate and a 36.8% hard-hit ball rate. Sosa has an above-average 73.2% bat speed this season, per Baseball Savant.
Success In The Field
Going beyond being successful at the plate recently, Sosa is one of the best defenders on the Phillies. In 14 appearances at shortstop this season, Sosa has a .984 fielding percentage and has two Defensive Runs Saved. Meanwhile, he’s been strong at the hot corner too. In four appearances at third base this season, Sosa has a .900 fielding percentage albeit with zero Defensive Runs Saved there. In three appearances at second base this season Sosa has a .929 fielding percentage and one Defensive Run Saved. Across those positions, Sosa has three Defensive Runs Saved which ranks second on the Phillies behind Brandon Marsh, who has seven Defensive Runs Saved, as of May 18.
Among NL players who have played a minimum of 100 innings at shortstop this season, Sosa currently is tied for fourth in DRS. When including AL players who have played at least 100 innings at shortstop this season, Sosa is tied for ninth in DRS. He also has the most Defensive Runs Saved at second base and shortstop for the Phillies this season. Among NL players who have played a minimum of 25 innings at second base this season, Sosa is tied for seventh in Defensive Runs Saved. When including AL players who have played at least 25 innings at second base this season, Sosa is tied for 19th in Defensive Runs Saved.
Sosa’s bat and glove continue to shine in Trea Turner’s absence. Although the team hopes for Turner’s speedy return, Sosa is a major reason why the Phillies remain red hot early on this season.
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