Inside The Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies' Lineup Order is Hurting Them

Could a shake-up in the lineup be just what the Philadelphia Phillies need?

Lauren Amour

The Philadelphia Phillies' Lineup Order is Hurting Them
The Philadelphia Phillies' Lineup Order is Hurting Them /
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When a Major League Baseball team is performing well and finding ways to win, the last thing on one's mind is their lineup order, but it's quite the opposite when things start trending down. Sarcasm intended, the lineup order is suddenly the source of all of their problems.

That's the case for the Philadelphia Phillies right now, who are currently winless in September and were outscored 50-36 across six games on their previous road trip. While their starting pitching has been poor, even more concerning are their struggling hitters, and one may point to the starting lineup as cause for why.

On Tuesday night against the Miami Marlins, interim manager Rob Thomson trotted out this lineup against left-handed starter Jesús Luzardo:

Despite Dalton Guthrie making his Major League debut in right field in place of the injured Nick Castellanos, the first thing you may have noticed is that Bryson Stott is absent from the starting lineup. This is his third time being sat against a lefty since Aug. 17. It's a puzzling move by Thomson, as the rookie has slashed .268/.341/.439 in 91 plate appearances (PA) in 2022, in contrast with a .614 OPS against righties in 280 PA.

Moreover, it's debatable why Stott hasn't been permanently placed in the leadoff spot. When Kyle Schwarber went down with a calf injury in the beginning of August, Stott took over leadoff duties in his absence. In five starts, Stott posted a .333 batting average and .360 on-base percentage (OBP) across 25 PA. That included a three-hit game against New York Mets' ace Max Scherzer, where he reached base four times, becoming the first player to accomplish such feat during Scherzer's career.

Sure, five games is a small sample size, but over his last ten games, Schwarber has batted just .238 alongside a .289 OBP, with two home runs, six RBI, three walks, and 16 strikeouts. Those aren't the ideal numbers you look for from your leadoff hitter. Stott's OBP across his last 10 games is .333 and he's limited himself to just eight Ks, so it makes more sense to ride the hot bat in the meantime at leadoff, and move Schwarber down in the order.

Another head-scratcher regarding the lineup is Thomson's continuous placement of Bryce Harper in the cleanup spot. Since joining the Phillies in 2019, Harper has batted third in 355 games, compared to just 26 out of the four-hole. While his batting average (.323) and OBP (.447) in the nine games since his return are on par, his slugging percentage has taken a noticeable dip when batting fourth at .387. In 61 plate appearances out of the third spot in the lineup this season, he is slugging .582 with 14 home runs and 44 RBI. 

In his stead, Alec Bohm has been slated into the three-hole. Across 35 games there, Bohm has batted .299 with a .748 OPS and four home runs. He's been great, but the Phillies' third baseman has benefitted in the bottom-half of the order as well, particularly in the sixth and seventh spots. Truthfully, Bohm is needed right now in the bottom of the order due to the Phillies' countless injuries. Additionally, Bohm isn't much of a power hitter, whereas Harper is, and being back in the three-hole may be what he needs to gain his power back.

During his nearly four seasons with Philadelphia, Harper has proved that batting third is where he's the most comfortable and successful. He won an MVP out of that spot in 2021, and continued that torrid pace there in the first-half of 2022. Moving Harper to the cleanup spot now, in the midst of a playoff push, is another dubious choice by Thomson. 

Should the Phillies' offensive woes perpetuate, Thomson must maximize the lineup in order to get the most production out of them. As September closes in, Philadelphia is running out of time to lose games in either blow out or close fashion. A shake-up in the lineup might just be the jumpstart they need to keep them in postseason contention.

More From SI's Inside The Phillies:

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  2. How Mike Trout Will Join the Phillies
  3. Could Bryce Harper's Favorite MLB Player Join the Philadelphia Phillies Next Season?
  4. Why You Should Root for the Philadelphia Phillies to Lose a Few Games
  5. Phillies Release 2023 Regular Season Schedule
  6. Have the Philadelphia Phillies Found Their Centerfielder of the Future?
  7. Could The Phillies Soon Be Playing in Wawa Park?
  8. How did Philadelphia end up with Citizens Bank Park?
  9. How the Phillie Phanatic Came to be America's Favorite Sports Mascot
  10. Picking the Phillies' All-Time Single Season Lineup

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Lauren Amour
LAUREN AMOUR

Lauren Amour is Deputy Editor for FanNation's 'Inside the Phillies,' part of Sports Illustrated. Lauren formerly covered the Phillies for SB Nation's The Good Phight. Lauren is a graduate of Rider University in New Jersey.

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