Sure! Here’s a paraphrased version of the passage with the same structure and detail, but written in fresh language:
3 Surprising Phillies Players Off to Slow Starts and Impacting the Team’s Momentum
Inconsistent showings from a few experienced players have put a damper on the Phillies’ early season progress.
Despite a promising opening month to the 2025 regular season, the Philadelphia Phillies aren’t without issues. Even with some players getting off to hot starts, others have dragged down the team’s overall performance. Given the choice, it’s better to deal with these struggles now rather than during the critical late-summer stretch. Last season serves as a reminder—after a strong June and a first division title since 2011, Philly faded down the stretch and made an early postseason exit.
Now, just a few weeks into a long 162-game season, there are a few individual performances that raise red flags. Several players have shown inconsistency, with their flaws outweighing any early flashes of promise. If they can’t steady themselves soon, the damage to their stats—and the team—could grow worse.
Max Kepler, Outfielder
The Phillies brought in Max Kepler during the offseason to take over as the everyday left fielder. The 32-year-old stood out in spring training, posting a 1.175 OPS across 17 games, looking primed to carry that momentum into the regular season.
Kepler got off to a promising start, going 3-for-4 in the home opener against Colorado, including a double, a homer, and an RBI. But things quickly went south. Over the next six games, he managed just one hit in 18 at-bats, causing his OPS to plummet from 1.318 to .678, while his batting average dipped from .364 to .172.
While he briefly rebounded with a pair of multi-hit performances, Kepler again fell into a slump, going hitless over seven at-bats in his next two outings. He had a modest bounce-back against the Giants, notching doubles and RBIs in back-to-back games, and entered the April 17 contest with a slash line of .245/.333/.377 and a .710 OPS.
But the inconsistency remained. During the final four games of the homestand, he went just 2-for-16 with a double, an RBI, and five strikeouts. In his first 19 games, Kepler showed he can get on base when he makes contact, but extra-base hits, home runs, and RBIs have been few and far between. A two-hit outing against the Mets on April 21 bumped his OPS up slightly to .673.
After the Phillies’ 5-1 defeat to New York, Kepler’s numbers sat at .240/.337/.360 with just one home run, four RBIs, and 10 runs scored in 86 plate appearances. His 10 walks and 17 strikeouts align closely with his career norms, as do his 9.8% walk rate and 19.5% strikeout rate.
Statcast data suggests Kepler may have fallen victim to some bad luck—his 89.1 mph average exit velocity and 7.0% barrel rate are in line with his career, but his 50.9% hard-hit rate is a personal best. Advanced metrics like a .275 expected batting average (xBA) and .390 expected slugging (xSLG) also point to better results than his actual stats.
Unless injuries shake up the lineup, Kepler won’t be hitting above the fifth or sixth spot. For a lineup that has struggled at the bottom, he needs to find more consistency. Once again, the Phillies’ outfield depth is a question mark, and their newest addition has yet to solidify that group offensively.
Would you like me to paraphrase the other two players as well?
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