The Philadelphia Phillies are slated to open their 2023 slate in Arlington against the Texas Rangers on Thursday, March 30. Here’s our fourth projection of what Rob Thomson’s lineup — without Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins — will look like against Jacob deGrom and the Rangers.
No. 1: Trea Turner, Shortstop
Given how he performed during the spring — both for Team USA and in Grapefruit League play — would it really be a surprise if Turner hits a home run in his first at-bat as a Phillie?
No. 2: Kyle Schwarber, Left Field
With both Harper and Hoskins out, there has to be a temptation to move Schwarber down to the middle of the order. Perhaps if Bohm gets off to a hot start, he’ll move up the No. 2 spot and Schwarber will hit cleanup. For the time being, we think the reigning NL home run champ will hit right behind Turner.
No. 3: J.T. Realmuto, Catcher
The .949 OPS Realmuto posted after the All-Star Break in 2022 meant he was one of the best overall players in the sport a year ago, let alone the best catcher in baseball. Hopefully for his sake, the Phillies won’t have Randy Rosenberg behind home plate umpiring any time soon.
No. 4: Darick Hall, First Base
While Hall wasn’t a factor during the postseason run, the Phillies may not have gotten to the playoffs a year ago if not for his success during Harper’s absence in the summer. We’ll see how frequently he plays against left-handed pitching, but against deGrom on Opening Day Hall is a no-brainer: he homered nine times and posted an .865 OPS in 124 at-bats against right-handed pitchers in 2022.
No. 5: Nick Castellanos, DH
Castellanos’ bounce back in 2023 is no longer a luxury for the Phillies with Hoskins slated to miss the season. Between 2014 and 2021, Castellanos led baseball with 278 doubles. The Phillies need that version of Castellanos to re-emerge in the second season of a five-year/$100 million pact.
No. 6: Jake Cave, Right Field
Cave could be in left or right field on Opening Day. He could be out of the lineup altogether if Bohm DHs and Edmundo Sosa plays third base. But with a righty on the mound in deGrom and Cave having put together a monster Spring Training — 1.327 OPS in 18 games — our bet is that the 30-year-old is in one of the two corner outfield spots to begin the season.
No. 7: Alec Bohm, Third Base
After a disastrous sophomore season, Bohm rebounded with a .713 OPS and 72 RBIs in 2022. Bohm has just 24 home runs in 1,126 MLB at-bats, but added 15 pounds of muscle in the offseason. Is this the year he consistently taps into his power potential?
No. 8: Bryson Stott, Second Base
As much as it will hurt to lose Jean Segura’s arm at second base, Stott is a natural shortstop with a strong arm himself that posted a defensive run saved and three outs above average in 372 innings at second base a year ago. The real question is whether he’ll be able to outperform what Segura does in Miami offensively.
No. 9: Brandon Marsh, Center Field
Between the Los Angeles Angels and Phillies a year ago, Marsh posted a .735 OPS against righties, perhaps making him an overqualified No. 9 hitter. However, against lefties, Marsh finished with an unsightly .486 OPS, making him a liability when a southpaw is on the mound. With the trade of Matt Vierling, the Phillies would benefit greatly from Marsh becoming playable against lefties.
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