Updating the Top 100: Brandon Phillips

26. Brandon Phillips

Here is a graphical representation of Brandon Phillips's OPS+ during his tenure with the Reds:

When third grade teachers teach story-writing and include the concept of a beginning, middle, and end, this is more or less what they have in mind.  The fact that we're nearing the end of useful Brandon Phillips should not be surprising.  Let's look at a couple graphs that are a bit scarier:

The above picture demonstrates Phillips's Isolated Power metric (SLG - Avg) by year.

And this shows the number of BP's stolen bases by year.  Any trends noticeable?

None of this is to hate on Phillips, who is enjoyable enough in the right context, but simply to suggest that the die is cast for the remaining three years of his contract.  I'm willing to suggest that Phillips will hold off sinking to sub-replacement levels of output, but it might get close.  We could pause here to complain about the contract to which Phillips was signed, but as with others, he doesn't appear to be blocking anyone of note.

From a personal standpoint, I've been foolishly and prematurely predicting the imminent demise of Brandon Phillips since before the 2011 season which was, as the top graph helpfully and pointedly depicts, his career-best.  Now that we're really, truly in the midst of it, it seems kind of passé.  I'll settle for some big smiles, eye-popping diving catches, and a handful of long blasts off anyone stupid enough to throw him a hanging curve.

Through 1,325 games with the Reds, Brandon Phillips has hit .276/.325/.434 for an OPS+ of 100.  He will secure his 1,500^th hit as a Red in the coming year, and he currently has 258 doubles, 168 HR, and 734 runs scored.  On the basis of his 2014 season, Phillips has nudged two notches up the all-time list, to #26.  He also holds steady as the 4^th best second baseman in team history.