This Phillies Lineup Is DANGEROUS
I’m not sure if you caught the news yesterday, but TREA TURNER IS A PHILADELPHIA PHILLIE!!!! Just a few hours before being named to the 1st Team All-MLB at shortstop, Turner agreed to a brand new 11 year, $300 million contract with the Phillies, with a full no-trade clause that ties him to Philly until 2034. At 29 years old, the length of the contract might seem interesting, but you can throw that out the window with a talent like Turner. He’s the best shortstop in the game right now, or at least he was this past season, and does EVERYTHING well. He hits. He hits for power (for his position). He fields. He throws. He runs. Boy, does he run. He is a nightmare for opposing teams, and he’s now all ours.
Now, we’ll have plenty of time to talk about what his impact in the field will be, especially with the new banning of the shift across baseball, but his bigger impact will be at the plate. This lineup just went from high ceiling, to really high floor, and they’re as dangerous as anyone in baseball with the addition of Turner. There are a lot of potential lineups floating around already that would maximize Turner’s addition, but here’s my ideal one with a healthy Bryce Harper included, and I’ll tell you why.
- Turner – SS
- Hoskins – 1B
- Harper – DH
- Realmuto – C
- Schwarber – LF
- Castellanos – RF
- Bohm – 3B
- Stott – 2B
- Marsh – CF
That’s it. That’s the ideal lineup. I know there is a strong argument to keep Kyle Schwarber at leadoff because of his production out of that spot last year, but to me, Trea Turner is the leadoff hitter that has been promised for years of Phillies baseball. Not since Jimmy Rollins have the Phillies had such a talent capable of batting leadoff, and when you get one of those guys, you have to utilize them. Turner is a career .302 hitter with elite speed and incredible base running instincts. He’s your leadoff hitter. Rhys Hoskins fits well in the 2 hole for me behind Turner because of the number of pitches he sees. Harper, when healthy, should be back in his usual 3 hole spot; don’t overthink that. I like JT Realmuto batting cleanup despite him not being your typical 4 spot guy, partially because of his overall production, partially because he is right handed to protect Harper from bullpen moves. Schwarber slots in at 5th, one of the RBI producing spots in the lineup and where hopefully his strikeouts will be less impactful. Nick Castellanos hitting at 6 is an attempt to jump start his bounce back season in 2023. Alec Bohm is the best hitter of the younger 3 guys, so he bats 7th, Stott 8th, Marsh 9th, because that just feels right.
I mean, come on with that lineup. Turner – All-MLB talent. Hoskins – All-Star level hitter when he’s hot. Harper – All-MLB talent. Realmuto – All-MLB talent. Schwarber – All-MLB hitter. Castellanos – All-Star level hitter at his peak. Bohm – All-Star level hitter at his peak. Stott and Marsh – two young lefties that see pitches, have a good approach, and have already developed a bit of flair for dramatic moments. I know it’s only December of 2022, but can you say Red October 2023? Nothing’s guaranteed in baseball, but the Phillies certainly have High Hopes.
