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Dalton Guthrie was selected by the Phillies in the sixth round of the 2017 amateur draft. Despite not being considered a top prospect, his versatility helped him rise through the system.
Guthrie’s strength was his versatility, as he’s able to play every position besides catcher. But prior to 2022, he hadn’t shown enough hitting ability to be considered a top prospect. That changed in 2022 when he put up an OPS of .839 in 92 games at Lehigh Valley. As a result, when Nick Castellanos went on the Injured List in September, Guthrie was called up to replace him.
The good
In limited playing time, Guthrie impressed both at the plate and in the field. He went 7-21 with six walks in 28 plate appearances and hit his first home run.
Dalton Guthrie with his first-ever MLB dinger pic.twitter.com/t5NB1ANImj
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) September 21, 2022
Most of his playing time came in right field, and he looked good there. As a result, he was worth 0.4 WAR in just 14 games.
Dalton Guthrie's sliding grab in foul territory had a 55% catch probability and had an opportunity time of 6.1 seconds. He covered 124 feet to make the play. pic.twitter.com/eY4DZ38I49
— Ethan Sands (@EjElite1) September 17, 2022
The bad
There wasn’t much bad about Guthrie’s season. He started out as a fringe prospect and ended up appearing in a playoff game.
The future
Guthrie will likely be competing for one of the final spots on the Opening Day roster in Spring Training. With Bryce Harper unavailable in the early part of the season, there may be an opportunity for Guthrie to earn additional playing time.
Final grade: A
Part of the reason the Phillies returned to the playoffs is because they got contributions from unheralded young players like Guthrie. He made huge strides in 2022, and if he can take another step in 2023, he could be a valuable bench piece.
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