A note on every Phillie in Wednesday’s star-studded lineup

A note on every Phillie in Wednesday’s star-studded lineup originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

DUNEDIN, Fla. — The Phillies brought a big group of regulars down the road for the short trip from Clearwater to Dunedin Wednesday morning to face the Blue Jays.

Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and J.T. Realmuto were in the lineup for the first time this spring and joined by fellow everyday players Kyle Schwarber, Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott and Max Kepler. The Phillies had most of their big guns in the lineup Monday at BayCare Ballpark against the Pirates but the game was rained out.

Here’s a note on each player in the lineup:

Trea Turner, SS

The lineup the Phillies would have used Monday also had Turner in the leadoff spot with Schwarber batting second and Harper third. The Phillies are interested in testing this out with Turner batting in front of both lefty sluggers.

Turner has hit first or second in just under 90% of his career plate appearances, leading off in 487 games and hitting second in 470. While he’s had more plate appearances out of the leadoff spot than any other, he’s performed consistently throughout his career whether batting first, second or third.

As a leadoff man, he’s hit .302/.351/.485.

Batting second, he’s hit .292/.344/.477.

Batting third, he’s hit .315/.370/.517 (in 92 games).

He’s been far more prone to run, though, when leading off with 62 more stolen bases in just about the same sample size. He’d likely have run a lot more throughout his career if a bulk of it wasn’t spent hitting in front of Harper.

“I can run a lot more. I’ve said that a lot in my career in general, I could have run a lot more in my career but it’s more about scoring runs,” Turner said this month. “I don’t care about stolen bases, it’s more about scoring runs. I think the last few years and even when I played in Washington and L.A., there’s times when you can steal a base but I’ve got to stay there to let those guys hit. That’s part of the game. I definitely can steal more. I’m not gonna act like I can steal 70-80 bases or anything like that, but there’s a handful of times when the opportunity is there for a stolen base. It’s not always the right play.”

The Phillies just want Turner to focus on getting on base and scoring 100-plus runs, thinking everything else will work itself out if he does that. The homers will come and don’t require him selling out to the pull side.

“I’ve had really good stretches but it’s those downtrends that have been really bad,” he said of his time as a Phillie. “I feel like in the past, that’s not the case. Put the ball in play more, take your walks, I know those things, but you’re in the box and you’ve got to do it.”

Kyle Schwarber, DH

Schwarber hit .300 against left-handed pitching last season after hitting .204 the prior eight seasons.

It wasn’t a fluke, it was the result of Schwarber changing his approach to sell some power for contact. He utilized the opposite field more, showing some of the Phillies’ other veterans that adjustments can be made a decade into a career.

It’s going to be difficult for him to hit .300 again vs. lefties but the Phillies believe Schwarber can replicate his success against same-handed pitching in 2025. It will be a pretty big key if they want to bat Schwarber and Harper consecutively in the two- and three-spots.

Bryce Harper, 1B

Harper said when he arrived to camp that he wants his on-base percentage to be higher this season.

His OBPs as a Phillie have been .372, .420, .429, .364, .401 and .373 for an average of .391.

Harper’s two lowest walk rates of the last decade have come in the last three seasons, but the difference between his overall .391 OBP as a Phillie and his .373 mark last season is only about one additional time on base every two weeks. He’s not far off.

Alec Bohm, 3B

For the crowd that doesn’t think Bohm offers adequate lineup protection for Harper:

Bohm has hit .312 with runners in scoring position since debuting in 2020. Only three major-leaguers during that time — Freddie Freeman, Juan Soto and Manny Machado — have a higher batting average in at least as many plate appearances with RISP.

Bryson Stott, 2B

Stott hit just .232/.283/.319 over his final 105 games, a period which coincided with an elbow injury he finally described in detail earlier this month.

To that point, he’d hit .279/.393/.456.

He’s a major key to the Phillies’ offense as a bridge between the big guns and the bottom of the order, and in a perfect world, can be almost like a second leadoff hitter batting sixth with a .340 OBP and speed.

Stott and Brandon Marsh are both entering their age-27 seasons. They’re not kids anymore, they’re entering their prime. For this team to get where it wants to go in 2025, both have to be better.

J.T. Realmuto, C

If he stays healthy this season, Realmuto will likely move into third all-time in Phillies history for home runs by a catcher, behind only Mike Lieberthal (150) and Darren Daulton (134). Realmuto’s at 109, seven short of Stan Lopata and 14 behind Andy Seminick.

Even during a down year in 2025 that included a meniscus surgery, Realmuto was still one of baseball’s more productive offensive catchers. His baserunning value has taken a hit the last two years, which shouldn’t be a big shock for an aging catcher.

A goal of Realmuto’s in 2025 is to run more. One of his favorite aspects of the game is going to first-to-third on a single. He stole just two bases last season after swiping 50 the previous three and has had far lower rates the last two years of taking an extra base on a single or double than previously in his career.

With a healthier knee and additional time off his feet, he could be in store for a different year.

Max Kepler, LF

Kepler’s ability to hit lefties early this season could impact multiple spots in the Phillies’ lineup. They want to try to play him every day while likely platooning Marsh and Johan Rojas in center field.

If Kepler can hold his own against lefties, the Phillies won’t have to use more than one outfield platoon. If he doesn’t, they’ll be forced to turn to right-handed hitters farther down their depth chart like Oscar Mercado or Buddy Kennedy (who doesn’t have much outfield experience) or look to add one out of favor in another organization. Weston Wilson’s six-week oblique strain hurts in this regard.

Over the last three seasons, Kepler has hit .254 with an OPS just over .700 against same-handed pitching, respectable lefty-on-lefty numbers.

Gabriel Rincones Jr., RF

Rincones, a powerful left-handed hitter who turns 24 next week, blasted a two-run homer over the wall in right field at BayCare Ballpark on Sunday. Injuries have been an issue and he’s likely limited to an outfield corner but he’s done big damage against right-handed pitching when healthy the last two seasons. A name to keep in mind for the future as a potential left-handed bat with pop off the bench or platoon outfielder.

Oscar Mercado, CF

A non-roster invitee, Mercado is a right-handed hitter fighting for the final spot on the Phillies’ bench, which is now more of an open competition with Wilson’s injury.

The 30-year-old played one game with the Phillies in 2022 and has just under 1,000 plate appearances in the majors. He had a promising rookie year with Cleveland in 2019 but hasn’t hit since.

Joe Ross, RHP

Ross figures to be an interesting Swiss army knife for the Phillies. They signed him to a one-year, $4 million contract to fill a few different roles, and this spring, he’ll be stretched out as a starting pitcher. The Phils are doing so to protect themselves in case another starter is injured during camp.

Ross has started 86 games in his career but was used last year by the Brewers as a starter, long man and occasionally for late leverage. The Phillies envision using him similarly. He had a 1.57 ERA last season as a reliever.

His presence could also impact Taijuan Walker because Walker’s only path to making the team is as a long reliever, which would be more necessary if the Phillies do actually intend to use Ross as a one-inning guy early in the season.