Phillies' Record-Breaking Minor Leaguer Could Get Extended Time in Bigs
The Philadelphia Phillies don't appear to have many weaknesses heading into the 2024 season.
But one area where they can improve is their bench depth.
That's why president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski added Whit Merrifield on a one-year, $8 million deal.
The Phillies could still benefit from more depth. And they don't necessarily need to go outside of the organization.
Enter Weston Wilson.
Last season, Wilson hit 31 home runs for Triple-A Lehigh Valley to break Rhys Hoskins' previous record. Wilson also stole 32 bases and wound up with three separate call-ups to Philadelphia.
He reached base in 11 of 22 plate appearances with one home run in his brief tenure with the Phillies. Defensively, he played first base, second base, third base and the outfield.
The potential was clear.
“I'm just coming to the field every day to be a good teammate and provide value to this team, which I think I do being able to play all over the field," Wilson told Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia.
"Have consistent, quality at-bats in spring training and a lot of that other stuff is out of my control. It's tough. I've got to put that to the side, all the outside stuff. But I feel like I have a good shot to make this team and provide some value."
Wilson has Minor League options remaining which makes him valuable. If Johan Rojas struggles and Brandon Marsh takes longer than expected to recover from surgery, there could be a spot for him.
"Honestly, I’ve always felt like I could play in the big leagues,"” Wilson said. "You've got to play with a chip on your shoulder. I'm a late-round guy. Not that the 17th round is the end of the world, but I had to overcome a lot of adversity in my career. I think some of that has built me for the moment."
Last season's Major League experience will help immensely.
If the situation arises, don't be surprised to see Wilson playing in Citizens Bank sooner rather than later.
