Once Shane Victorino hit the DL, everyone knew it would finally be time to call up the minor league phenom, Domonic Brown. But what no one knew is just how ready he actually was to make an impact in the majors.
Brown, who seemingly did most of his damage in the minors with his long ball, is making his presence felt for the Phillies by doing all the little things. His fielding has been very good and his knack for getting a hit in a clutch situation has been outstanding.
Whether it’s a hard single or a fly ball just deep enough for the sac fly, or his beautiful throw from right field to nail Gaby Sanchez at home on Wednesday night, Brown has been very impressive during his short time with the Phillies.
In fact, if Brown can keep this up, the Phils might have to find a way to keep him on the major league roster, even once Victorino is ready to come back.
It’s going to be tough with the activation of Victorino, Ryan Howard, and the recently-acquired Mike Sweeney, but it might be worth the roster shuffle to keep the kid in the bigs.
With Jayson Werth likely jumping ship in the offseason, Brown is going to see regular time in Philadelphia sooner rather than later, so getting him the experience this year could pay off in years to come.
But even if Brown is able to stay on the hot streak he’s on, I still don’t see him as a viable replacement for Werth next season because he’s left-handed. However, he would be a perfect replacement for Raul Ibanez…in the lineup, and in the field.
If I have noticed that, and some of the fans have noticed that, then it’s likely the Phillies have noticed that and could make such a transition possible this offseason.
Either way, it looks like this kid belongs as a starter in the near future. He can read pitchers, he can run the bases, he can hit in the clutch, he can make plays in the field, and he can do everything else that a starter needs to do.
The one thing we’re not sure of (yet) is whether he can do it consistently. But, they’ll never know unless they give him a shot.
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