Philadelphia Phillies Utilityman Lands Just Outside of Top 25 Shortstops

The Philadelphia Phillies have an immense amount of depth, and their backup shortstop performed well enough to earn an honorable mention in the positional power rankings.

Sep 4, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Edmundo Sosa (33) throws a ball to first for the out against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fourth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images / Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

For most, making the playoffs is something to be proud of, even if they get knocked out of them in the first round as the Philadelphia Phillies did.

For the Phillies, however, making the playoffs and being knocked out in the first round can only be viewed as a disappointment with how well the team has been constructed.

On paper, Philadelphia entered the 2024 season with the best roster in Major League Baseball, from the lineup to the starting rotation to the bullpen.

They unquestionably had the most depth of any other team, but a late-season team-wide slump down the stretch and in the playoffs saw them make an early exit.

A big part of that depth for the last couple of years has been veteran utilityman Edmundo Sosa, who has seen his best production at the plate since joining the Phillies in 2022.

This year, Sosa's role proved to be so major for Philadelphia as he filled in for the injured Trea Turner, that he landed an honorable mention nod in Bleacher Report's latest positional power rankings put forth by Joel Reuter.

The veteran batted .257/.313/.422 on the season with seven home runs, 31 RBI, and a 104 OPS+ across 274 plate appearances in 90 games.

From May 1 through June 16, Sosa served as the club's starting shortstop while Turner was on the injured list, and he did so in spectacular fashion.

Sosa batted .272/.331/.491 in that stretch with four home runs and 17 RBI across 125 plate appearances in 34 games.

The Phillies played to a 23-11 record during that period, a .676 win percentage which extrapolates out to a 109-53 record over a full 162 games.

A big part of the team's success during that time came on the defensive side of the ball, too, as Sosa is a vastly superior defender to Turner at shortstop.

For the year, Sosa accrued four Outs Above Average at the position per Baseball Savant, ranking as the 15th most by a shortstop this season, behind guys that started at the position for the entire campaign, and much higher than Turner whose -3 Outs Above Average ranked 33rd.

Sosa proved he is capable of being in a starting role throughout his tenure with Philadelphia, and while his offense may not be as flashy or he may not hit as many home runs as Turner, the Phillies would be much more solid defensively if they started Sosa at short.