Who Makes More Sense To Play Right Field For Philadelphia Phillies, Marlon Byrd Or Darin Ruf?

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At the end of last season, it seemed as if the Philadelphia Phillies had their outfield set. They had Domonic Brown, Ben Revere and Darin Ruf. Then injuries occurred, and it got all scrambled up with Revere out and Ruf getting time at first base. Now in 2014, Brown is still on the team, Revere seems like he will be ready to go and Ruf wants to play. However, the front office decided to make a move that pushes Ruf out of the mix.

During this offseason, outfielder Marlon Byrd was signed. He is a former member of the Phillies who played on the team in 2002. He has moved around from team to team. Last season, he was with the New York Mets and Pittsburg Pirates. Is he a better option to have in right field than Ruf?

I would have to say no. Sure, Byrd is the veteran player and has the experience, but he is 36-years old. Is he still going to have the speed to run down a ball or slide to catch it? Ruf is 27-years old. He is still in his prime where he can most likely bounce back quickly from an injury.

Byrd hit .285 with the Mets last season, which is strong. He had 71 RBIs along with 21 home runs. With the Pirates, his strong hitting continued as he had 17 RBIs in 30 games. This could be one reason why he should start, but who says that the hot hitting is going to continue? It could have been just a lucky season.

Ruf finished the season with a .247 average, which is a big difference from Byrd, but he did only have a chance to play in 73 games. In those games, he hit 30 RBIs and 14 home runs, which isn’t bad considering it was his only second year playing in the major leagues. If the Phillies gave him a chance to be an everyday player, then maybe he would produce better numbers. This could be the year.

Byrd will most likely get the starting spot in right field while Ruf is a fill in as well as a pinch-hitter. The Phillies should still consider the option though as Ruf deserves to show his talent.

Rebekah is a Philadelphia Phillies writer for www.Rantsports.com. Follow her on Twitter and Google+

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  • Phil Naegely

    Ruf will be taking over for Howard at first mid-season. So Bryd will have to play RF.