Could bat leadoff in 2025 Manager Rob Thomson said last week that he's considering moving Kyle Schwarber down to third or fourth in the Phillies' everyday lineup this season, potentially clearing the way fo... Impact During the 2024 regular season, Schwarber started 149 of the Phillies' 162 games out of the leadoff spot, with Bryson Stott (10 starts) and Whit Merrifield (three) setting the table in the other 13 contests. Merrifield wasn't re-signed in free agency, and Stott doesn't appear to be an ideal candidate to slot in atop the lineup when the Phillies are at full strength since it would create an imbalance atop the batting order with three lefties (Stott, Schwarber and Bryce Harper) in the first four spots. With Thomson having acknowledged after the past season, during Winter Meetings and last week that he feels Schwarber's power production would be better served in the No. 3 or 4 spot behind Bryce Harper, Turner represents the most logical candidate to fill the void atop the lineup. Turner batted exclusively out of the two hole in 2024, but he made 15 starts out of the leadoff spot in 2023 and saw plenty of usage atop the order during his stints with the Nationals and Dodgers earlier in his career. A move to the leadoff spot could open up increased running opportunities for Turner, whose 19 steals in 2024 were his fewest in a season since the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.
FEBRUARY 18 • ROTOWIRE