3 Trends to keep an eye on as the Phillies’ season progresses

CLEARWATER, FLORIDA - MARCH 28: Kyle Schwarber #12 and Nick Castellanos #8 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrate after Schwarber hit a home run in the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles during a Grapefruit League spring training game at BayCare Ballpark on March 28, 2022 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA - MARCH 28: Kyle Schwarber #12 and Nick Castellanos #8 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrate after Schwarber hit a home run in the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles during a Grapefruit League spring training game at BayCare Ballpark on March 28, 2022 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
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Phillies Bryson Stott
Apr 8, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Bryson Stott (5) gives a thumbs up before the first pitch against the Oakland Athletics on opening day at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

2. The Alec Bohm-Bryson Stott-Didi Gregorius-Johan Camargo platoon cannot continue

Didi Gregorius and Johan Camargo’s contracts are up at the end of this year, but that’s too far down the road for the Phillies to just sit around and wait. For Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott’s sakes, the Phillies need to pick a lane and drive in it for a while.

It’s one thing to move your infielders around when something hasn’t been working for a week or two, it’s another to switch up the lineup every night and never give your youngest players a chance to find their footing. Bohm made three errors in seven chances in a three-inning span during one of the Mets games, and Stott is learning to play third base on the fly because the Phillies couldn’t extract themselves from the Gregorius contract.

Bohm and Stott both need ample playing time to develop, but there isn’t room for everyone, which means one of them should probably spend some time in Triple-A. After Stott’s spring training performance, it seemed like he more than earned the roster spot over Bohm, yet they both made the cut and are now sharing.

The Phillies want to have their cake and eat it, too, but what they’re really doing by trying to have it both ways is risking spoiling everything.

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