3 Phillies players most likely to have a breakout season in 2023
By Tim Boyle
Which member of the Philadelphia Phillies roster is ready to become a household name all over the Delaware Valley? Who is ready to have such a big year that the city forgets about the Eagles for even a week?
Having a breakout season might not push Jalen Hurts and company to the side. These three Phillies prepared to take the next leap forward can still help establish themselves as fan favorites in the city. We should count on these three to be the ones most likely to take the biggest steps forward.
1) Phillies infielder Bryson Stott is ready to have a breakout season
Some may fear the dreaded sophomore slump with Bryson Stott. Others know better. The sophomore slump isn’t a rite of passage for all players. In fact, when they spent much of their rookie season slumping, they may have gotten it out of the way already.
Stott didn’t have a fantastic first season in the big leagues. He slashed .234/.295/.358 with 10 home runs. Working primarily as a shortstop for the club throughout the 2022 season, he has the benefit of sliding over one spot and starting at second base this year.
Stott’s minor league numbers suggest what we saw from him last year is nothing close to his ceiling. His one full year on the farm, the 2021 campaign, included a .299/.390/.486 slash line. It’s not what we should expect from him this year. What we can anticipate is a rise in at least his average and OBP.
A favorable number from Stott’s first season many may overlook are the 89 strikeouts in 466 plate appearances. He struck out in 19.1% of his plate appearances in a league with an average of 22.4%. Stott is making contact. The next step is turning them into hits, maybe even a jolt in his power.