Odubel Herrera’s transformation

July 8th, 2016 by Kyle Lutz | Filed under Baseball, MLB, Phillies.

Since being undrafted less than a decade ago, Phillies’ 24-year-old centerfielder Odubel Herrera has made some improvements and impressive strides within the past year.

Eight-years-ago, Herrera was signed by Texas as an amateur free agent, and after spending six years in the minors, was drafted as a Rule 5 pick in 2014 by the Phillies.

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The next year, his rookie season, he posted a line of .297/.344/.418/.762, with 30 doubles and 147 hits. Considering his long wait from the minors to the majors, it was a very solid season for him.

Defensively, he ranked second in the league in putouts for center fielders, with 341.

This season, he’s strengthened his game even more, batting .305, with a .390 on-base-percentage. Defensively, although his fielding percentage has decreased from last season (.964 to .986), among center fielders, he ranks first in the league in range factor per game (2.92). Plus, with time and experience, his defense could improve.

He’s not only been able to stay healthy, but he’s been productive, too.

And while he hasn’t been overly aggressive on the base paths so far in his career, on average he’s still had success. Per 162 games, he averages 28 stolen bases, and a stolen base success rate of 66.6%.

And next Tuesday night in San Diego, he’ll make his first All-Star Game appearance, and will represent the Phillies as their lone all-star. With the honor, Herrera becomes the first Phillies’ center fielder since Shane Victorino in 2011 to make the NL All-Star team.

Even though the Phillies most likely won’t be playoff contenders by the end of this year, regardless, hopefully Herrera can continue his strong play. It’s great that he could bounce back from originally being undrafted, with no team having any faith in him, to an All-Star in such short time.

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