Changing A Batting Order Doesn’t Fix An Offense

Debates about batting order continue to circulate in Philadelphia Phillies conversations. Observers who appreciate the game and the fundamentals of a manager’s lineup construction have heavily scrutinized Rob Thomson.

Alec Bohm has spent most of the 2026 season hitting cleanup while Adolis Garcia hits sixth.

Should Thomson flip the two veteran right-handers? Would a switch unlock Bryce Harper and force opposing pitchers to challenge the top sluggers in the lineup more often?

The conversation consistently overemphasizes the impact of batting order and removes focus from the essential truth of the game: A hitter must perform wherever he lands in the batting order.

Modern lineup construction has shifted the emphasis away from the traditional structure with speed and contact hitters in the leadoff spot and power bats in the third and fourth positions. MLB clubs instead simply keep their best hitters toward the top of the lineup to increase their number of at-bats. They also heavily prioritize alternating right-handed and left-handed hitters.

Each spot a hitter jumps in the batting order, he gains an estimated 17 at-bats per 162 games. Shohei Ohtani leads off for the Los Angeles Dodgers while Aaron Judge hits second for the New York Yankees. It's not because of their speed, but the obvious advantage in sending a great hitter to the plate for extra at-bats.

The Phillies have shouldered intense criticism for leaning too heavily on Alec Bohm because the embattled third baseman doesn’t fit the profile of a traditional cleanup hitter with legitimate home run power. 

However, the criticism too often ignores that the lineup’s top sluggers Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber hit higher in the order without the traditional leadoff profile. Thomson prefers Bohm in the cleanup spot largely because of his strengths in situational hitting and the ability to use the opposite field with men on base.

Does the decision impact the mentality of opposing pitchers and their willingness to throw strikes to Harper when he hits third? Hitting coach Kevin Long spoke with a different tune to Todd Zolecki during the offseason.

If Thomson deems Garcia as a better hitter than Bohm, he might flip the two hitters like fans have called for. The Phillies will prioritize adding at-bats for their strongest hitters higher in the batting order, so a move isn’t out of the question.

However, Ricky Bottalico also spoke on Unfiltered about letting hitters find their comfort zone with consistent routines during a 162-game season.

Thomson’s ability to help players find their comfort zone is a cornerstone of his strong reputation around the big leagues. Dave Dombrowski has repeatedly admitted on the record – despite the unfounded suspicions of a 97.5 The Fanatic host – that Thomson constructs the everyday lineup without mandates from the front office.

Micromanagement of the batting order could potentially conflict one of Thomson’s best strengths.

Critics of the batting order have used legitimate rationale. Garcia might overtake Bohm as the right-handed slugger that more fittingly hits cleanup behind Schwarber and Harper. However, each hitter in the Phillies lineup will ultimately have to perform individually regardless of which of the nine positions he occupies in the batting order.