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What to Expect from the Phillies' Camargo, Gregorius Platoon
On July 2, 2010, Johan Camargo was a 16-year-old kid out of Panama looking for an opportunity to play professional baseball. The Atlanta Braves inked the versatile infielder to a deal worth just $42,000.
Flash forward to Dec. 1, 2021, now 27-years-old, Camargo signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, one of the Braves' division rivals, to be a bench contributor.
Camargo did appear in the 2021 postseason with Atlanta, absent the World Series, but became a free agent shortly after the Braves won their first championship since 1995. Around 2017, Camargo was thought to play alongside Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson in the Braves' infield, but those plans quickly changed as he failed to meet expectations.
Now, the Panamanian has a new opportunity with the Phillies, one that has him platooning with an established Major League shortstop in Didi Gregorius. Following Gregorius' hand injury that he suffered on April 19 in Colorado, Camargo has been subsequently filling in for the 32-year-old, and has done so with ease.
Camargo hit his first home run of the 2022 season on April 20, a three-run shot to left field that spiked his OPS up to .946 for the year. It was his first major league home run since Aug. 29, 2020, which came against none other than the Phillies.
After making his debut in April 2017, Camargo struggled to stay in the bigs, but became Atlanta's starting third baseman in 2018. In 134 games that season, he slashed .272/.349/.457 with 19 home runs and 76 RBI, but was replaced by Josh Donaldson the following year. He only reappeared with the Braves when an injury to one of their starters forced the club's hand.
While Camargo's current offensive production is probably not sustainable, he still provides the Phillies with a plus-glove, which is invaluable on a team not known for their defensive prowess. It's no secret that Gregorius has struggled mightily defensively over the last few seasons, exemplified by his -13 defensive runs saved since arriving in Philadelphia, while Camargo has already flashed some leather in 2022. Camargo currently ranks in the 90th percentile in Outs Above Average according to Baseball Savant, while Gregorius is in the 6th for 2022. Quite a difference between the platoon pairing.
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Camargo is also a switch-hitter, one of only two on the team along with Roman Quinn, who was called up on Monday, and has solid career numbers against left-handed pitching. In 349 plate appearances, Camargo has batted .283 with a .834 OPS, 25 doubles, 14 home runs, and 48 RBI against lefties. While his platoon partner Gregorius is currently sporting a .669 OPS vs. left-handers for his career.
None of this isn't to say that Gregorius isn't capable of still contributing to this team. Either way, he's going to receive starts upon returning from injury because manager Joe Girardi is loyal to him, but he's also grown increasingly fond of Camargo. This platoon pairing wasn't the Phillies' plan coming into the regular season, but it could prove worthwhile, as Camargo compensates for Gregorius' weaknesses.
When Camargo inevitably goes cold, Gregorius can fill in, and when the Phillies face a lefty, Camargo will most likely get the start, and so on and so forth. Top prospect Bryson Stott was sent down to Triple-A on Monday, which by all accounts confirmed that the Didi Gregorius/Johan Camargo platoon is their plan at shortstop moving forward. Let's hope it benefits the Phillies in the long-term.
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