Phillies: Projected 2020 Starting Lineup, Nos. 1-3 Spots
By Matthew C
2: J.T. Realmuto
2019 Stats: .275/.328/.493, 25 HR, 83 RBI, 538 ABs
Batting second is All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto. Realmuto being in the No. 2 hole is a different sight. This could be a good fit for Realmuto, batting right after McCutchen. Baseball-Reference has the All-Star is projected to put 29 RBIs up, so if McCutchen can get on base, this should be a no-brainer for the team.
Realmuto is projected to flaunt a .277/.330/.489 slash line this upcoming season, and him batting second could be seen as beneficial for himself and the team.
https://twitter.com/SportsRadioWIP/status/1280941772043059203
Coming off the heels of a season where Realmuto produced pretty decent numbers both offensively and defensively, it’s no wonder that he should continue to produce those numbers even batting second after Andrew McCutchen. It’d be certainly interesting to see what Realmuto can produce batting second, after McCutchen and before superstar Bryce Harper. If McCutchen and Realmuto can get on base to start the game, it’d be all up to Harper and players batting beyond to drive in the runs.
Even in a shortened season, the 29-year old catcher is still projected to put up some pretty big numbers with that .277 batting average and seems to be a pretty good fit batting second.
Realmuto and the Phillies are in the midst of a contract extension negotiation. It was recently reported that the two sides aren’t close to getting a signature on the dotted line, with Realmuto being locked-up with the team long-term. It’d be interesting to see the type of season Realmuto will have with Philadelphia, and whether or not it will have an impact on the contract extension negotiations.