Phillies infield power rankings going into the 2024 season

The Philadelphia Phillies still have question marks when it comes to certain areas of the ballclub heading into 2024. Our previous power rankings of the Phillies outfield painted a picture of a team that needs a lot of things to go right as we enter the new season. Especially with the greater expectations that come with a team projected to make it back to the playoffs.

Today we look at the power rankings for the Phillies infield.

On paper, the infield is as good, if not better than most teams in Major League Baseball. The starting five of Alec Bohm, Trea Turner, Bryson Stott, Bryce Harper, and J.T. Realmuto can straight-up mash at the plate. Turner, Harper, and Realmuto are all established All-Stars, while Bohm and Stott are solid young players who many think will be well-above-average major-league contributors for years to come.

The biggest question that most Phillies fans have about the infield heading into this season is how Bryce Harper will handle a full year at first base. His successful yet small sample size at the new position last year gave the Phillies front office enough confidence to let Rhys Hoskins walk in free agency this offseason. Will there be a learning curve for the former MVP in 2024?

Trea Turner is set to enter the second year of his 11-year, $300 million contract. Will the star shortstop put together a more consistent season in 2024 and prove to Phillies fans that 2023 was nothing more than a fluke? The Phillies certainly didn't sign Turner to a long-term contract with the intent of giving him a fan-driven motivational pep rally each season.

Which Turner are fans going to see in 2024? The player that struggled offensively and defensively before the All-Star break? Or will we bear witness to the same player who found his groove in the second half of 2023 and made a big impact all over the diamond?

That's a 48-word, $300 million dollar question.

Without further ado, let's dig into the power rankings of the seven infielders most likely to break camp with the Phillies in March.

No 7: Garrett Stubbs

We'll kick off our list with backup catcher Garrett Stubbs, a role player who has become a cult favorite of Phillies fans due to his presence as a veteran leader in the clubhouse and his hilarious antics as a ringleader during the team's post-season celebrations the past two years. Stubbs can be credited with helping overalls come back as a modern fashion statement, and if a stat exists for beer-to-pocket ratio, our man is a league leader.

On the field, Stubbs does a capable job of backing up starting catcher J.T. Realmuto when rest or injury requires him to put on the mask. The proto-typical all-glove/no-bat backup receiver, Stubbs has appeared in close to 50 games in each of his two seasons in Philadelphia. Unlikely to ever put up exceptional numbers as a hitter, almost all of Stubbs' value is derived from his ability to catch at the big league level and provide leadership in the dugout.

Stubbs is expected to fill a similar role in 2024. With a career stat line of .220 with six home runs and 34 RBI, seeing Stubbs on the field every day would probably be a worst-case scenario for the Phillies this year, landing him at No. 7 in our Phillies infield power rankings.

No 6: Edmundo Sosa

Since his acquisition in a Trade Deadline deal with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2022, Edmundo Sosa has given the Phillies a ton of value and versatility at a number of positions. The 27-year-old recently avoided arbitration with the ballclub and agreed to a $1.7 million deal for 2024. The raise was well earned, as Sosa was the primary third baseman for much of last season.

His positional versatility was on full display in 2023, appearing in 104 games: 82 at third base, 18 at shortstop, four at second, and two in the outfield. At the plate, Sosa more than held his own, batting .251, with a career-high 10 home runs, 15 doubles, and 30 RBI. Utility players who can also hit are a rare commodity.

With the Phillies starting infield fully healthy as we approach spring training, expect Sosa to do a little bit of everything again in 2024. It's likely his appearances and at-bats will decline this season as a result, but injuries and rest will provide Sosa with enough at-bats to stay fresh, putting him at No. 6 in our Phillies infield power rankings.

No 4: Bryson Stott

Bryson Stott is another young Phillies player who broke out in 2023. The Phillies saw enough promise out of Stott in his 2022 rookie season that he entered the year as the team's primary second baseman. It's safe to say that was the right move, as Stott has a unique skill-set as a second baseman the team hasn't seen since the days of Chase Utley.

The 26-year-old had a breakout season offensively in 2023. In 151 games, Stott hit .280 with 15 home runs and 62 RBI, along with 31 steals in 34 chances. In a lineup that features a number of feared sluggers, Stott's excellent approach at the plate and his power-speed combination make him a player who has yet to hit his ceiling as an offensive performer.

Stott also made his mark in the field. Paired with a new double-play partner when the Phillies signed Trea Turner, Stott played well-above-average defense in his first full season as a second baseman, earning Gold Glove consideration. In 149 games last year, Stott made only five errors in 602 chances, resulting in a solid .992 fielding percentage.

Stott enters 2024 with even higher expectations after his stellar 2023 season. Recently snubbed my MLB Network's top 10 second base rankings, hopefully Stott uses his omission from the list as motivation this season. He enters this year as the team's primary second baseman, and it will be interesting to see if he spends more time at the top of the lineup. That's why Bryson Stott is No. 4 in our Phillies infield power rankings.

No 3: J.T. Realmuto

J.T. Realmuto remains one of the most important players on and off the field for the Phillies. The veteran catcher has built his reputation on being able to handle a major league pitching staff while keeping opposing runners honest on the basepaths.

One of the best-hitting backstops in the game. Realmuto has a skill not typical of your average major league catcher. A three-time All-Star and Silver Slugger, in addition to being a two-time Gold Glove winner, Realmuto is simply one of the best in the business.

As an offensive player, Realmuto had an up-and-down 2023 at the plate. But by season's end, the 33-year-old catcher had reached most of his expected totals in many offensive categories. Despite batting a career-low .252, Realmuto hit 20 home runs and drove in 63 runs in 540 plate appearances. Add in 16 stolen bases and five triples, and you begin to see why Realmuto's speed is a rare commodity for a major league catcher.

Realmuto also had another outstanding year behind the plate as a game-caller. In combination with backup catcher Garrett Stubbs, the Phillies team ERA of 4.03 was ranked sixth-best in the majors last season. In 133 games, Realmuto only made two errors and recorded a solid fielding percentage of .998.

One area where he regressed was in controlling the running game. With the addition of the pitch clock and larger bases in 2023, opposing runners had more incentive to steal bases. Realmuto caught 23 base stealers last season, but posted a career-worst 22 percent caught stealing rate.

Realmuto will once again play a vital role as a leader and core veteran for the Phillies this season. As long as injuries aren't part of the equation in 2024, expect him to catch upwards of 130 games again this year. While health is never a given, the Phillies look forward to Realmuto bouncing back in a few offensive and defensive categories in 2024 and earning his No. 3 spot in our Phillies infield power rankings.

No 2: Trea Turner

Trea Turner was the Phillies' big splash last offseason when they signed the three-time All-Star shortstop to an 11-year, $300 million deal. Adding Turner to an already fearsome lineup pushed Phillies fans' expectations through the roof to begin 2023. While Turner ultimately had a good first season in Philadelphia, the first half was certainly a mixed bag.

In a move straight out of the classic WWE narrative playbook, Phillies fans gave the then-scuffling Trea Turner a standing ovation in an attempt to rally his spirits on Aug. 4. From that point forward, Turner found comfort at the plate and simply raked his way through the rest of the season.

In 153 games, Turner batted .266 with 26 home runs, 76 RBI, 30 steals, and 170 hits in 691 plate appearances. The .266 average was the second lowest of his career, and a strikeout rate of 21.7 percent is the highest Turner had recorded since his rookie season in 2015. Turner was scorching hot at the plate from August and into September, so whatever adjustments he made seemed to pay off.

In the field, Turner played 153 games at short, rarely taking a night off. Defense was another area of the game where Turner was inconsistent at times throughout the season. In 568 chances, Turner made 23 errors and recorded a .960 fielding percentage, his worst since a .956 showing during the shortened 2020 season.

Heading into his second full season in a Phillies uniform, Turner will be expected to carry his weight for an entire season. The notoriously tough Phillies fan base did Turner the rare courtesy of trying to make him comfortable in 2023, but 2024 will be a different story. Phillies fans expect Turner to hit the ground running and be the elite talent the Phillies brass felt comfortable giving $300 million last offseason. He'll have to answer the bell to prove he deserves the No. 2 spot in our Phillies infield power rankings.

No 1: Bryce Harper

At the top of our power rankings is Bryce Harper. While no player is above the other 25 men on any roster, Harper is the heart and soul of the Phillies. A two-time National League MVP, seven-time All-Star, and 2012 Rookie of the Year, the man the Phillies signed to a 13-year, $330 million contract in 2019 is missing only one career-defining achievement: being a World Series champion.

The past two seasons have been tough for Harper in the health department. After undergoing Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow following the 2022 World Series, Harper was expected to miss significant time in 2023 as he rehabbed the injury, and was initially expected back in June. It was a fortunate development in early May when Harper returned ahead of schedule and took over as the team's primary DH.

Despite missing the first month of the season, Harper had another solid year at the plate. It took a while for Harper to hit the ball for power, but by the end of the year, his numbers were only a tick below what we have come to expect. In 126 games, Harper batted .293 with 21 home runs and 72 RBI, with 134 hits and 11 steals. Harper's return helped ignite an offense still reeling from Hoskins' season-ending injury.

In the field is where Harper made his biggest contribution in 2023. Relegated to DH duties while still recovering from surgery, Harper put in the effort to learn how to play first base in pre-game drills for most of the season.

With a Phillies outfield struggling defensively with Kyle Schwarber playing left, Harper took the field on July 21 at first base, allowing Schwarber to slide back to DH. In 279 chances over 36 starts at the new position, Harper only made one error and ended the year with a .996 fielding percentage. The Phillies had found their everyday first baseman.

Harper enters the 2024 season as the Phillies' primary first baseman. The team saw enough out of Harper in a small sample size that they declined to re-sign Hoskins this offseason. While his instincts and footwork showed room for improvement, the only question on fan's minds is how Harper will handle the position once the 162-game schedule gets underway.

Offensively, we all know what to expect from Harper when he's healthy. Coming into spring training without health concerns or restrictions for the first time in two years, it's not unreasonable to believe that Harper will once again put up MVP-like numbers in 2024. That's why he's No. 1 in our Phillies infield power rankings.