Phillips too good to be true?

Hey guys,
Do you think Brandon Philips will keep on playing like he has this year? Can we expect a downturn like last year, or can we expect more consistency?

- Joel from Manhattan

Joel,

Expecting Phillips to continue homering at his current rate is unrealistic, but expecting him to produce like an upper tier fantasy second baseman is fairly reasonable. The “downturn” last year was mostly in September, when Phillips hit .149 with just five extra base hits in 87 at bats. And despite the .243 second half batting average, he still managed to hit 10 home runs and swipe 9 bags during that span. In the end, the numbers (.276 AVG, 17 HR, 75 RBI, 25 SB) were solid. I see little reason to believe Phillips can’t have a more consistent season this year. But even if he remains the “inconsistent 20-20 second baseman,” it should be good enough, especially in a rotisserie format where players aren’t penalized for being streaky.

Zach Steinhorn, MLB.com