The talk of the town this offseason has been the 2025 everyday lineup for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Kyle Schwarber has revolutionized the leadoff hitter position, putting almost all his emphasis on slugging instead of the usual athletic, fast, "put the ball in play" kind of hitter that usually finds himself there. But, with the disappointing end to the Phillies' playoff run the past three years, is it time for a change?
The Phillies have four or five outfielders who could bid for an Opening day spot, as well as a few bench pieces yet to be decided on. The final few spring training games will have a big impact on who earns their trip up North.
This year, the Phillies open up on the road in Washington against the Nationals on March 27. Recently, the Nationals announced lefty Mackenzie Gore as their Opening Day starting pitcher, which could affect the platoon matchups in manager Rob Thomson's lineup. Gore has nine appearances against the Phillies, pitching to a 1-4 record with a 4.96 ERA.
Constructing the ideal Phillies lineup ahead of Opening Day
While the lineup will shift on a day-to day basis, Thomson will give his players a chance to prove themselves in new spots. Here's a projection for the best lineup the Phillies can field this season:
- SS Trea Turner
- 1B Bryce Harper
- DH Kyle Schwarber
- 3B Alec Bohm
- RF Nick Castellanos
- 2B Bryson Stott
- LF Max Kepler
- C J.T. Realmuto
- CF Brandon Marsh
1. Trea Turner, SS
For the Phillies' ideal lineup in 2025, it's crucial that Trea Turner continues to produce with his line-drive mindset while focusing on getting on base. A more typical leadoff hitter, Turner can run with anyone in the league and, as Thomson has said, he can "hit 20-25 home runs just falling out of bed."
A career .296 hitter with an on-base percentage of .348 makes him an ideal candidate to reach base ahead of Harper, including likely earning him a few more pitches over the plate with the two-time MVP behind him, neutralizing the recent swing-and-miss issues that have plagued the shortstop.
2. Bryce Harper, 1B
Much like the new school power leadoff hitter, many teams are adopting the concept of batting their best hitter in the second spot. Sliding Harper from third up to two allows for more at-bats throughout the season. It also adds more protection, putting him between two of the best hitters in baseball.
The 32-year-old is poised for another elite-level campaign, hoping to capitalize off his first full, healthy offseason and season since 2020. Harper will hit wherever he is in the lineup, but for a player who has had six times more at-bats in the three-hole than any other spot, it's important to make him comfortable as quickly as possible.
3. Kyle Schwarber, DH
After three years and 380 games in the leadoff spot, it's time that slugger Kyle Schwarber takes his rightful spot in the middle of the order. While the designated hitter has been very productive during his run with the Phillies, his productivity could be better spent driving in some of the other All-Stars. Moving down will allow him to dig into the roots of his game: the long ball.
The main issue with moving the lefty is the left-handers hitting back-to-back, leaving them open to matchup problems. But with Schwarber hitting .300 with a .898 OPS against left-handed pitching last year and a multiple-time Silver Slugger ahead of him, another team will rarely have someone who matches up well against 1-3 in the order.
4. Alec Bohm, 3B
One of the Phillies' top performers in the first half of 2024, Alec Bohm started third base in the All-Star game. Even with a horrid second half, the former Wichita State standout was one of the team's most productive bats, driving in 97 runs with a 117 OPS+.
Bohm following the lefties should get him more at-bats against left-handed pitching (.808 OPS vs. LHP last season) and put him in a spot to either drive in the high on-base hitters in front of him or start off a rally following a big homer. The decision for him to bat fourth takes into account his low strikeout percentage, giving ample opportunity with the ball in play for runners to score.
5. Nick Castellanos, RF
In a star-studded lineup full of professional hitters, two-time all-star Nick Castellanos gets the opportunity to be himself. Hitting fifth puts the right fielder in a position to drive in runners at times, while also looking to put himself into scoring position.
The longtime Detroit Tiger is a free swinger, with 354 strikeouts in his three seasons with the Phillies. But his free swing is what allows the real slug to come out. In seven of his eleven full seasons, Castellanos has slugged over .475 and has eight seasons of 30-plus doubles, including seasons of 46 and 58! It's another bat with swing-and-miss but his plus-power skill is too good not to be in the thick of things.
6. Bryson Stott, 2B
Arguably the Phillies hitter with the biggest spotlight this season, Bryson Stott looks to bounce back after a nagging elbow injury derailed his 2024. One of the most technically sound hitters on the team, he got attention during his first two seasons with his high contact rate, great plate vision and absurd talent of hitting with two strikes.
With three of the last four hitters being left-handed, Stott is the best of the bunch at handling both sides of pitching, landing him higher in the lineup. If things go south early or the coaching staff doesn't like the idea of Schwarber or Turner in the leadoff spot for this season, the perennial Gold Glove candidate may get a chance. Stott is one of the rare contact-first bats in this lineup. His flexibility and professional at-bats allow him to be used almost anywhere in the order.
Ball's jumpin' today 🚀 pic.twitter.com/mbbfnVVXgB
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) March 13, 2025
7. Max Kepler, LF
The newest face in Philadelphia, the big German Max Kepler has been hitting the ball extremely hard this spring, showing why the Phillies took a shot on him. Standing at 6-foot-4, the former Minnesota Twin has tremendous power while also being athletic for his build.
With the Twins, Kepler found himself hitting more toward the heart of the lineup, but with six former All-Stars in this order, he'll surely be happy being a part of it. A better hitter last season against lefties than righties gives him the edge over the final left-handed hitter in the lineup and slides him into the seventh spot in hopes of being a spark plug down the board for this team.
8. J.T Realmuto, C
J.T. Realmuto has been one of the best catchers in baseball since he came into the league in 2014. After 11 seasons and 1,128 games behind the plate, time is starting to catch up to him. After a subpar season, with meniscectomy knee surgery, much like Harper, Realmuto is hoping the offseason of rest and a full spring can bring back the juice he had during his early years.
While he only hit .266 with a 109 OPS+ in 2024, his analytics looked very promising. He finished above the 70th percentile in MLB in xSLG, xBA, barrel rate, hard-hit rate, launch angle sweet spot rate and xwOBA. Realmuto has been clutch and productive for the Phillies during his tenor, finishing only one season below a 3.0 WAR — the 2020 shortened season. The BCIB will be crucial for the bottom half of the lineup to break up the lefties while adding a consistent, veteran bat.
9. Brandon Marsh, CF
After being acquired from the Los Angeles Angels following two and a half years of underperformance, Brandon Marsh has had stretches of great baseball for the Phillies. During his three seasons in Philadelphia, he has a 117 OPS+, including a career-high .829 OPS in 2023.
A big reason why the caveman slots in at the ninth spot is due to his lackluster career stats versus left-handed pitching. With an OPS in the .500s, it's tough to include him in the lineup at all, but his great overall hitting ability, coupled with Johan Rojas being the other center fielder, it's worth a bet on Marsh.