Phillies’ Simon Muzziotti Keeps Producing While Waiting For A Spot
If he were in a different organization, 24-year-old outfielder Simon Muzziotti might already be on the major league roster.
Through 87 games for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Muzziotti hit .328/.389/.443 with a career-high .831 OPS. But there is one problem: Muzziotti is lefthanded.
With Jake Cave, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Brandon Marsh and Bryson Stott, the Phillies have no room for another lefthanded bat. It took months for the Phillies to call up the 30-year-old veteran Cave, who had produced a 1.113 OPS with Lehigh Valley at the time of his promotion.
It’s a tough situation but not an indictment of his play. A big part of Muzziotti’s success was tied to getting consistent playing time—which sounds obvious, but he has had some bad luck in that regard.
“If you go back to 2020, he didn’t play,” Phillies farm director Preston Mattingly said. “2021 he had visa issues and couldn’t get into the country. Last year, he was injured.”
Muzziotti appeared in a total of 66 official games between 2020 and 2022. Getting back on the field has helped him regain his feel for the game.
“He’s really dived into what he’s done well,” Mattingly said. “He’s always had great bat-to-ball skills. He didn’t lift a ton of balls, but he’s sprayed the ball gap to gap, line drives. He’s really doubled down on that.
“He’s a guy who’s made solid contact throughout the year. And he’s gotten a lot of hits doing it.”
Muzziotti, who made his brief MLB debut last year, ranked among the International League leaders with 109 hits.
“He’s always hit the ball hard, and on the barrel,” Mattingly said. “He’s doing that rather than worrying about tapping into more power.”
Muzziotti is a versatile defender. He can play all three outfield spots. He doesn’t have elite speed, but he gets good jumps. Mattingly said he is “very instinctual.”
Regardless of whether it’s with the Phillies or a different club, he’s shown talent worthy of the another big league callup.
