Philadelphia Phillies Super Utility Player Off to a Roaring Start This Season

The Philadelphia Phillies have had a somewhat tumultuous start to the 2025 season, despite currently sitting second in the National League East, they have a near .500 record of 17-14. Recently they have been able to get back on track somewhat with two series wins in a row over the Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals, but overall they have not been able to maintain consistency in their production both at the plate and on the mound.

When it comes to efficiency, the Phillies have managed to produce, with a .251 team batting average, and .335 team on-base percentage, but their home run numbers have somewhat stunted their growth, ranking No. 19 in the league with 27. Overall the team has had multiple players hitting well, and one player in particular has been more consistent than all the others when given a chance.

That player is utilityman Edmundo Sosa, who in 15 games played has led the team in batting average, while having the lowest number of strikeouts on the team from a player with 10+ games played. In 39 at-bats, he is slashing .359/.381/.462 with eight RBI, five runs, and nine strikeouts to two walks. His speed has also been killer this year, with 98th percentile sprint speed according to Baseball Savant, he has been able to turn four doubles so far.

Philadelphia decided to move Sosa to the outfield this offseason, getting him playing time there to prepare him for as many roles as they could. This would give him a substantial amount of playing time regardless of who was healthy or injured, as he has the ability to play six or more positions currently.

The most intriguing part of this is despite him having played five different positions so far through 2025, he has no errors on 28 chances, which is impressive given the mix of positions is not particularly cohesive either. He has had chances in left and center field, as well as at second base, shortstop, and third base, alongside a game at designated hitter.

Having a player who can come onto the field each day and produce at various positions is a gift, and that player producing at an extremely high rate offensively is even more impressive. This gives the team the ability to mix-and-match lineups and know they have a player who can do whatever is asked of him on any given day.

While Sosa has always been right around league average offensively, this season has been different for him so far, and it will be truly intriguing to see if he gets more playing time as the season goes on. With Alec Bohm not hitting the ball as well as many had hoped at third base, there may be more playing time opening there as he tries to build back up to his normal production levels.