Biggest disappointment of Phillies’ 2024 season took a step back this year

The World Series is underway without the Philadelphia Phillies playing in the Fall Classic. The No. 1 seed in each league, the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers, are facing off for their 12th all-time World Series meeting. The Phillies will be watching from home.

There’s a lot of blame to go around for the Phillies’ late-season collapse and early exit in the 2024 Major League Baseball playoffs. It could be pointed at coaching or individual players but the bottom line is this team was too talented to lose in four games in the NLDS.

Bryson Stott was the biggest disappointment of Phillies’ 2024 season

Rob Thomson made poor decisions, the offense chased way too many pitches, Alec Bohm struggled mightily in the second half and postseason and the elite bullpen forgot how to pitch at the end of the season. These are all reasons why Red October was short-lived in 2024. The biggest disappointment of the Phillies’ season could be argued to be Bryson Stott.

The Phillies’ second baseman struggled all year at the plate. Stott’s best month came in March when he had a .444 batting average for the month. The Phillies played three games in March.

The Phillies had big expectations for the 27-year-old who was heading into his third major league season. Stott enjoyed a breakout year in 2023 slashing .280/.329/.419 with a .748 OPS, 32 doubles, 15 home runs and 62 RBI. He had the eighth-best average while hitting with two strikes in the majors.

Stott’s numbers plummeted in 2024. He slashed .245/.315/.356 with a .671 OPS, 19 doubles, 11 home runs and 57 RBI. His strikeout percentage rose, and he had just a .197 average when hitting with two strikes.

There were times when it looked like Stott was close to turning his season around, but he could never put it together at the plate. He failed to hit over .265 in a single month other than the three games in March.

The Phillies began to move Stott to more of a platoon role as the season progressed whether it was Edmundo Sosa, Weston Wilson, Kody Clemens or Buddy Kennedy getting an opportunity at second base.

Stott was looking forward to a fresh start in the playoffs, but it was much of the same as the regular season. He went just 2-for-11 at the plate.

Stott has proven to be a Gold Glove-caliber fielder, but he needs to show major improvements on offense. Top prospect Aidan Miller is on a fast track through the Phillies minor league system and could force Stott out of a starting spot in the lineup.

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