The Philadelphia Phillies are slated to open their 2023 slate in Arlington against the Texas Rangers on Thursday, March 30. Here’s our first projection of what Rob Thomson’s lineup — without the rehabbing Bryce Harper — will look like against Jacob deGrom and the Rangers.
No. 1: Trea Turner, Shortstop
It’s possible that when Harper returns, Turner will shift to the No. 2 spot. But as Phillies Nation‘s Destiny Lugardo noted earlier this month, it sure seems that the plan without the two-time National League MVP in the lineup is to have Turner hit at the top of the order, and to utilize Kyle Schwarber’s thump elsewhere.
No. 2: Rhys Hoskins, First Base
Hoskins can hit at just about any spot of the lineup, but this is where he saw the bulk of his at-bats in 2022. Hoskins is entering a contract year, and his agent, Scott Boras, has already made the case for the Phillies signing him to a long-term deal.
No. 3: Kyle Schwarber, Left Field
As noted above, Schwarber may very well end up leading off when Harper is ready to return to the lineup. For the time being, though, it makes more sense to shift him to the middle of the order. He could hit cleanup, but given how many left-handed hitters may be in the bottom of the lineup for the Phillies, having him hit third makes more sense.
No. 4: J.T. Realmuto, Catcher
Given the tremendous workload that Realmuto had behind the plate in 2022 — and that he’s playing in the World Baseball Classic before the start of the MLB season — it may make some sense to get him off his feet more than usual early in 2023. That could mean he DHs, or that he shifts to first base some days and Hoskins becomes the DH. Both options will be harder to pull off once Harper returns. In any event, Realmuto figures to be behind the plate for the Phillies for the fifth consecutive Opening Day, and hitting in the cleanup spot against one of the most talented pitchers the game has ever seen.
No. 5: Nick Castellanos, Right Field
Based off of his disappointing first season in Philadelphia, Castellanos shouldn’t be hitting this high. But he continued to hit fifth all throughout the postseason, and there’s no reason to think that won’t be the case to open what the Phillies hope will be a bounce-back season.
No. 6: Darick Hall, DH
The Phillies could still sign someone to be the DH in Harper’s absence. Certainly, when the Phillies are facing left-handed pitchers, it’s much more likely that Matt Vierling will play in the outfield and push Castellanos to DH. But while Hall may not be without his flaws, he homered nine times and posted an .865 OPS in 130 plate appearances against right-handed pitchers in 2022. If deGrom is healthy and gets the ball for the Rangers on Opening Day, Hall is the best bet to be the DH.
No. 7: Alec Bohm, Third Base
We know, Bohm should probably be hitting sixth. But unless you want to finish the lineup with three consecutive left-handed hitters, either Bohm or Castellanos will likely have to hit seventh. He showed flashes of it in 2022, but this feels like the year where Bohm needs to pull the ball and drive it into the gaps (and potentially, out of the park) more consistently.
No. 8: Bryson Stott, Second Base
Stott only slashed .234/.295/.358 in his rookie season, but flashed an ability to work the count and deliver clutch hits. With the signing of Turner, Stott will shift to second base, replacing Jean Segura. He’ll also take over the No. 8 spot, where Segura hit for much of the postseason run.
No. 9: Brandon Marsh, Center Field
Marsh slashed .288/.319/.455 with a .773 OPS in 41 games after being acquired from the Los Angeles Angels prior to the trade deadline. The Phillies hope that as he continues to work with hitting coach Kevin Long, Marsh earns a bump up in the lineup. But if he’s going to play great defense and deliver the type of offensive production that he did after being acquired by the Phillies, you’ll take that.
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