Kyle Schwarber has been Rob Thomson's go-to leadoff hitter since the slugger signed with the Philadelphia Phillies prior to the 2022 season. The team has been successful during the regular season with Schwarber hitting in the top spot, but the offense has fizzled out in the club's past two postseason appearances.
There has been quite a bit of dialogue about moving the power-hitting left-hander to a more favorable run-producing place in the Phillies' lineup over the last few seasons. For the first time, a more permanent lineup change could be on the table for Thomson's squad.
Earlier this spring, the Phillies' skipper indicated that he is not opposed to switching up the top and middle of his order to start the 2025 campaign. If that is the case, it sounds like Trea Turner may be the leadoff hitter going forward.
Phillies’ new lineup plan looks like it might work after all with Trea Turner starting to lock in
The plan to start the new season with Turner leading off would only work if the shortstop was getting on base at a consistent clip. To begin the spring, the 31-year-old struggled from an offensive standpoint. He went hitless in his first 15 at-bats to begin his Grapefruit League season.
Turner, however, has turned things around since March 8, notching five hits over 13 at-bats with one home run and five RBI. He has six walks to one strikeout over that span.
Trea Turner keeps this one fair ☄️ #SpringTraining pic.twitter.com/wpyQNgzJRl
— MLB (@MLB) March 13, 2025
The Phillies' $300 million man feels like his approach is getting better and the hits will keep coming. According to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki, Turner is beginning to feel comfortable at the plate.
“I feel like, in two weeks, one of those pitches I fouled off in the first at-bat, I’ll hit hard somewhere,” Turner said, per Zolecki. “He struck me out, but I liked the first six pitches. That last one was up, but the battle was there. The approach is coming. It’s getting there.”
Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long is in agreement with his speedy All-Star.
“I think Trea’s moving in the right direction right now,” Long said, per Zolecki. “I think he’s starting to feel more comfortable with his decision-making, and then being aggressive as well. Probably caught in between, just a little bit, because he came [to camp] trying to back the ball up, trying to use the other field. And I think he got to the point where it was almost too much. Now, he’s starting to get the feel again.
"He said, 'You know, three or four days before we start [the season], if I’m feeling good, I’m happy with it.' He’s not really concerned about his Spring Training average or [number of] hits. He just wants to start feeling more comfortable in the box with what he’s doing.”
If the shortstop is comfortable and can settle in atop the club's lineup, the rest of the order will have to shuffle around a bit. Turner would be a great table setter by getting on base and swiping bags. Bryce Harper would likely hit second to split up right-handed and left-handed bats.
Rounding out the top four in the order could be Alec Bohm in the third spot, who batted in the cleanup spot for much of the 2024 season and has proven that he can drive in runs. Schwarber could hit fourth now and offer Harper some much-needed protection with his powerful bat lurking behind him in the order.
Batting orders can always change as players go through hot and cold streaks. It's worth trying to shake things up in this Phillies' lineup to see if the organization can tap into some more consistency throughout the batting order. It's almost certain that fans will see an array of lineups in 2025, but this is one possibility to set up a strong top-of-the-order.