Brewers legend makes his pick between Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber on who's less fearsome in the leadoff spot 

The Philadelphia Phillies have given mixed batting lineups to begin the 2025 season when it comes to their leadoff spot. Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber have had their turns, making for a debate on who's better equipped to lead off for the team.

This was the point of debate on MLB Network's latest segment on Wednesday, where Milwaukee Brewers legendary pitcher Dan Plesac shared his verdict on who he would rather face as a pitcher between the two in the leadoff spot.

The former three-time All-Star said he would rather face Turner than Schwarber, because of the latter's ability to take the pitcher deep.

"I would rather see Turner leading off," Plesac said. "Yeah, because most of the time, pitchers are trying to establish the strike zone early on in a game.

"You know what I mean? You're probably going to get a good pitch to hit first, I bet. It puts a lot of pressure on you as a starter when the game starts. You have to come out of the chute locked in — laser locked in — because this guy, with one swing, you could be losing 1-0," he added.

How have Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber performed in the leadoff spot this season and in the past?

Thus far in the ongoing season, Trea Turner has played three games in the leadoff spot. He is hitting .286 with four hits, an RBI and a run scored.

On the other hand, Kyle Schwarber has played eight games playing leadoff with relatively poor contact hitting numbers, but a better pop. He has batted .200 with six hits, three home runs, six RBIs and six runs scored.

When comparing the historical stats between the two, one may get a better grasp of who is better as a leadoff hitter.

Schwarber has batted .227 with 448 hits, 154 home runs, 348 RBIs and 365 runs scored in 513 games when batting leadoff in his career. Meanwhile, Turner hits .302 with 628 hits, 69 homers, 225 RBIs and 346 runs scored in 490 games when batting leadoff in his career.

While the Phillies started the season with Turner in the leadoff spot, they once again shifted to having Schwarber leading them off.

Both hitters bring contrasting patterns to their games. Turner is more of a contact hitter, who will likely do well on average, while Schwarber can give you a jump start to games with good pop off the bat. So, it largely depends on the team's need, and it seems the Phillies want Schwarber to continue.

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