Philadelphia Phillies: 7 Vital Players Who Will Determine Their Playoff Success

As the season winds down and final playoff positioning is decided, the Philadelphia Phillies are once again looking for their team to make it all the way to the 2011 World Series.

After winning in 2008, coming so close in 2009 and then falling short in 2010, the Phillies have something to prove and they have players who are willing to prove it. Although the entire team is essential to the Phillies playoff success, it is seven players in particular who will determine how the Phillies fare.

Either way the Phillies will be returning home, but how they come home—whether it is with a parade down Broad Street or with a run that fell just short—will be decided by seven of the team's most important players.

7. Catcher Carlos Ruiz: The Gamecaller

For the Phillies, the importance of catcher Carlos Ruiz cannot be overlooked. His offensive production has been strong again this year and he is still one of the best at making plays at the plate. Although Ruiz has not had as much luck with throwing out base runners this year, he has helped the Phillies a great deal with how he has fielded bunts all season long.

The value of Ruiz however does not come solely in his bat, his glove or his arm. In fact, it is really neither of those three that makes Ruiz such an important cog on this Phillies team. What separates Ruiz from other major league catchers is his ability to call games and this should not be taken lightly.

Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee and all of the other Phillies pitchers might be the ones actually throwing the nasty breaking pitches or 94 mph fastballs, but it is Ruiz who is making sure the right pitches are thrown at the right times.

It is the job of the catcher to tell the pitcher which pitch must be thrown in a situation. He also helps the pitchers choose pitch selection based on several factors, such as the opposing batter and his tendencies, the runners on base or in scoring position and the confidence the pitcher has in throwing his best pitches.

Putting his offense and defense aside, the Phillies need Ruiz in order to go far in the postseason. Halladay has said on several occasions that Ruiz is the best game caller in the business and he gave him all the praise in the world after his perfect game and no hitter last year. The pitchers on the staff work well with him and he works well with all of them. With Ruiz calling games the pitchers on the Phillies staff are their most comfortable and have the best shot of pitching quality starts and advancing in the playoffs.

Ruiz is vital to the Phillies pitchers and to the Phillies overall playoff success. 

6. Outfielder John Mayberry Jr.: The Rookie

Coming into the 2011 season John Mayberry Jr did not even have a spot on the everyday roster. If it wasn't for Dominic Brown's injury, Junior most likely would not have even made the big league club. Even when Mayberry did make the team not much was expected of him, but the rookie set out to prove people wrong.

After being bounced around between the minors and the majors for a portion of this season, Mayberry had many ups and downs. His first stint with the Phillies was not very promising but after being demoted and then brought back up again, Mayberry shined.

Mayberry seemed to have found his role with the team and given another chance he was determined not to blow it. He hit for average, power and was clutch in getting the big RBI when needed. At one point in the season, Mayberry even had a stretch where 17 of his 26 at bats were for extra base hits.

Even though Hunter Pence has filled the Phillies main void of a power hitting right handed bat, Mayberry is still a difference maker. With pitchers possibly pitching around Ryan Howard or Pence at times it will be up to Mayberry to have strong offensive numbers. He is the unknown on a team of superstars and I think this is will help him and will be very important to the Phillies playoff success.

In Charlie Manuel's playoff rotation Mayberry will most likely bat sixth or seventh, which puts him in the prime position to drive in runners. Although the platoon between Mayberry and Raul Ibanez limits his at-bats, Mayberry will still be vital to whether the Phillies go all the way.

For Mayberry it is not only his bat, however. If the Phillies want to win a World Series, the rookie outfielder needs to limit his errors in left field and not gives teams extra outs by not making plays. 

5. Antonio Bastardo and Mike Stutes: The Young Bullpen Arms

In 2008, when the Phillies won the World Series they had the best bullpen in all of baseball. Brad Lidge, the then closer, was 40-40 in saves in the regular season and added five more postseason saves. Ryan Madson was also lights outs in the set-up role helping the Phillies to a better than 80-0 record when having a lead going into the eighth inning.

This year's bullpen is not perfect. In fact it is far from perfect. The Phillies have cycled through using four different closers and as a result none of the guys have really been able to settle into a defined role.

In 2008, if it was the eighth inning Madson was in no matter what. If a long reliever was needed, Kyle Kendrick stepped up to the plate. If a lefty specialist was needed, the call went to Scott Eyre. It was this consistency that helped the bullpen be so perfect and it is what the Phillies need from their young arms this year to succeed in the playoffs.

For this reason, both Antonio Bastardo and Mike Stutes are the most vital pieces of the Phillies bullpen. Both of these rookies had phenomenal early season success. Bastardo won the closer's role and was perfect in save opportunities. Stutes had pretty much secured the eighth inning role and was nearly as good as Bastardo.

As many predicted, however, because of youth and inexperience these guys both started to burn out as the season came to a close. This became problematic for the Phillies as they scrambled to put pitchers in the game with no defined roles established. With Stutes and Bastardo both struggling, the Phillies had to replace two of the most important bullpen roles—the eighth and ninth inning duties—with a variety of guys, none of whom were ever so reliable that the Phillies felt comfortable with meager leads in late innings.

In order for the Phillies to be successful in the postseason, both Bastardo and Stutes need to get back into these roles or at the very least acclimate to their new roles. These two pitchers were so important to the Phillies early season success that without them, the Phillies will have a hard time making it to and winning the World Series.  

4. Shortstop Jimmy Rollins: The Leader

Jimmy Rollins is probably the most important player on this Phillies team. Not only can he hit, steal bases and drive in runs, but he also provides one of the key elements that defines the character of this Phillies team: their swagger.

Ever since Rollins first claimed the Phillies were the team to beat, the proverbial target has been on their back. Not only has Rollins accepted being the favorites, but he embraced it and his Phillies team has backed up his comments through their play.

Rollins is the Phillies leader in more aspects than one. In the line-up he is the lead off man. He typically bats first in an explosive line-up, bringing speed and baseball intelligence to the top of the order. When Rollins goes, the Phillies go. They are a much better team when he scores a run than when he doesn't and when Rollins gets a lead-off hit to start the inning, the Phillies more often than not will find a way to get him home.

On the field he is the leader. Rollins is part of one of the best double play combos in the league. Without him on the field not only does his double play partner Chase Utley suffer, but so does the rest of the defense. Rollins is vocal when making plays and despite what some consider to be the closing years of his career, can still pivot and throw to first as good as any shortstop in the league.

Off the field, Rollins is the big talker. He is always making predictions about the Phillies potential success. Just this year in February for example he declared that the Phillies would win 100 games.

This may not have been his boldest of predictions, but it was still something only Rollins could say. He has been booed and cheered more times while wearing the pinstripes than most, but no one ever questions his heart for playing the game.

The Phillies need Jimmy Rollins to not only play big, but to act big in order for the team to succeed. A Phillies playoff run would not be complete if it didn't feature Rollins shooting his mouth off at least once. He brings a confidence and competitive attitude to the team that only he can and that is vital in determining how long the Phillies plan to play into October.

3. First Baseman Ryan Howard: The Power

There is a reason the Phillies refer to Ryan Howard as the Big Piece and it has nothing to do with his size.

For many it is easy to look at Howard and consider him as just another first baseman who hits for power. For those who have seen the Phillies play, however, they know that Ryan Howard is the most important part to the line-up. He is in fact the biggest piece and the gel that holds the line-up together.

Just like how Rollins provides the swagger, Howard also adds something uniquely his to the line-up. Howard has on more than one occasion rallied his team back from a deficit. "Just get me to the plate" is his motto and when he is at the plate, pitcher beware. He brings a sense of perseverance to the order that is unrivaled.

When Howard tells his guys to just get him to the plate, you best be certain that they will do everything in their power to make that happen. They believe him when he says they will win and are quick to get behind him.

It is no question that Howard's consistently great numbers have helped the Phillies in the postseason before. He powered through the NLDS, CS and World Series in 2008, helping the Phillies to their second world championship in franchise history. In 2009 and 2010, his postseason numbers were not as good and as a result the Phillies struggled and made unexpected playoff exits.

As the clean-up hitter, Howard sits in the middle of one of baseball's most potent offenses. When there are guys who get on base before him he is expected to bring them home. He expects to be walked intentionally a fair amount of times and is expected to hit at least 30 HR and 120 RBI a season.

If the Phillies want to win another World Series, Howard not only has to be healthy but he has to be powerful. On offense he needs to be the guy the Phillies can look to for a quick three-run HR and when the team is down, he has to be the one to pick them up and carry them on his back.  

2. Second Baseman Chase Utley: The Every Man

He can hit for power, he can field cleanly, he can steal bases, he can hit for average, he can get clutch hits, he can run the bases and he has one of the best baseball IQs by any player. Is there anything Utley can't do? No.

Chase Utley can be all of these things and when he is, he is dynamite and unstoppable. 

Utley is what we like to call "silent but deadly." Sure, he is mostly quiet when it comes to talking the media about anything but when he does speak up he has good reason. Utley is the guy who almost never argues calls, never complains and never yells. He seals his lips to the press and the media. Simply put, Utley speaks up when need be and only then.

Utley is respected by his teammates because of his dedication to the game and absolute resolve. He puts everything he has into playing baseball and you can tell just by watching him grind it out day in and day out that he is one of those guys that would play for free if he had to. He plays every game as if it was game seven of the World Series and it is rare if he goes even one game without getting some amount of dirt on his uniform.

He also brings a level of production to the line-up which has him perfectly placed behind Howard. Utley takes walks, doesn't strike-out in large numbers and can make something happen on the base paths. He may not be the fastest guy out there but he still has the green light to go, because he always knows when is a good time based on the hours of film he watches before games.

Utley's gritty style of play only adds to how his teammates, coaches and fans view him. Even when he is struggling there is rarely a bad word to said about him.

In order for the Phillies to once again win the World Series, Chase Utley needs to play like Chase Utley. As a result of his injuries, Utley has struggled this year but if he can regain his form in time for postseason play, the rest of the playoff teams should look out. 

1. Pitcher Cole Hamels: The Fighter

Cole Hamels should be considered the Phillies most important pitcher as the postseason begins. Although Halladay and Lee may have had better regular seasons, it is Hamels who will be the one who determines if the Phillies once again parade down Broad or if they go home before getting a chance to play deep into October.

Halladay and Lee as the top two aces will be expected to get the Phillies off to 2-0 starts in the NLDS. It is probable, however, that both of these guys will be facing quality arms from the opposing teams. Each team that the Phillies could possibly face has two pitchers who could go toe to toe with Halladay and Lee.

What most teams do not have, however, is a third ace or even a third quality pitcher who could compare to Cole Hamels.

On most other teams, Hamels is not only an ace like he is in Philly but he would be the one getting the ball for game one of the NLDS, CS and World Series. This was the role he had in 2008 and he excelled at it.

Hamels was a perfect 4-0 in the 2008 postseason and won both the NLCS and World Series MVP. On a pitching staff that included Jamie Moyer and Brett Myers, Hamels was the clear ace and through his dominant performance led the Phillies to ultimate victory.

This year Hamels is likely to find himself pitching game three of the NLDS, CS and World Series, behind both Halladay and Lee. Because the Phillies top two arms will face off against the opposing team's top arms, the Phillies might not win every postseason start that Halladay and Lee make. For this reason, Hamels' starts will likely prove to be the most important.

If Halladay and Lee were to lose then Hamels would be looked to as a way to get the Phillies back on track. Facing off against other team's number three's gives the advantage to Hamels and in order for the Phillies to win the World Series, he needs to take this advantage and make the most of his starts.