For those who have missed the Philadelphia Phillies' spring training games due to the World Baseball Classic, you really are not missing much over in Clearwater. While there is one interesting new face -Phillies right fielder Adolis GarcÃa - the biggest names remaining at camp are the ones who have burned the Philly Faithful time and time again.
Brandon Marsh, Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, Trea Turner, and J.T. Realmuto,who almost wasn't going to wear pinstripes this spring, have all been working on taking regular at-bats while the other stars of the Phillies lineup represent their home countries in the 2026 WBC.
While some on the list have shown signs of improvement going into 2026, only one of those five players has demonstrated to the coaching staff and fans that he used the offseason to focus on maintaining the adjustments that benefited his game last year.
Bryson Stott is on a mission to try to boost his offensive production heading into a season with a lot to prove.
How the changes Bryson Stott made have elevated his offense for Phillies
It's been a few years since the Phillies' second baseman produced a season offensively that was more than just "a-okay." While the potential for Stott to become a Gold Glove second baseman has always been there, it took him a while to get into his big league swing while manning the Phillies infield alongside long-time teammate and best friend, Bryce Harper, especially since Harper has made the switch to first base.
However, towards the end of the 2025 season, as the Phillies looked to do the impossible and stop the reigning World Series champions in the National League Division Series, it was Stott who seemed to continue to deliver with clutch at-bats, despite the Phillies falling short of their goal: holding the World Series trophy at the end of October.
Were the moments Stott had as big as his grand slam in Game 2 of the 2023 NL Wild Card Series? No, but they were consistent and always provided the bottom of the lineup with a spark to ignite the power-heavy top of the lineup. The change started before the postseason did, as it was noted that the tweak to his hand placement began right around the All-Star break. Stott moved to the lower, tighter position he's maintained successfully ever since.
Trying to reduce the use of his upper body through his swing, Stott lowered his hands, which in turn allowed him to stay behind the baseball better as well. That resulted in a .294 average and .855 OPS in the second half of 2025, where during the last 50 games of the season, Stott batted .310 with an .880 OPS. He also saw a career-high number of pitches per plate apperance with a chase rate of 23 percent.
According to MLB's Todd Zolecki, Stott is "picking up where he left off" after those second-half successes back at camp. When the Phillies' matinee against the Boston Red Sox arrived on March 9, Stott was slashing .583/.667/.1.167 this spring training, as he hopes to finally have a consistently good season both offensively and defensively. Consistency is a necessary marker of his veteran status.
Stott also posted five walks in his first 17 plate appearances this spring, along with just two strikeouts. His OPS (on-base plus slugging) is a ridiculously high 1.619, showing that the changes Stott made to his hands have remained impactful as the new season dawns.