Ex-Phillies GM makes sense of Bryson Stott as a leadoff hitter over Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Trea Turner

Kyle Schwarber in the leadoff hitter role for the Philadelphia Phillies was a unique experiement that paid off well for the franchise. His relative lack of getting-on-base abilities was balanced out by him hitting 38 home runs in the season and setting a record for a leadoff hitter in the MLB. However, the management has indicated that they will look for other hitters to replace Schwarber's unconventional leadoff hitting.

On the Phillies Show, former general manager Ruben Amaro said that Bryston Stott would be best suited to take on the leadoff hitter role over other options like Bryce Harper and Trea Turner.

As per Amaro, Stott's base-stealing skills would come in handy for the leadoff spot when looking to get on base. Moreover his left-handed prowess would complement the rest of the lineup. Amaro said (27:50):

"Let me just say this: in my opinion, we have not seen the best version of Bryson Stott, or not even close, in my opinion. I think this guy's a much better hitter than we've seen. I think he can contribute and do a lot of things that, frankly, a leadoff guy can do, and I think he'd be perfectly set up for that. That said, he's got to perform. ...

"People forget that Bryson Stott can steal 30 bags, and you’ve got another guy behind him who could steal another 30 or 40 bags. I mean, you’re talking about — and then if you flip the lineup and have Johan Rojas hitting in the nine-hole, holy smokes, you’ve got some real speed back to back to back. And so that creates a lot of action on the field that I think adds a dimension the Phillies sort of need, and not just the power that they will provide."

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Taking a look at Bryson Stott, Bryce Harper and Trea Turner's history as Phillies leadoff hitters

Bryson Stott was initially given the nod at the top of the lineup last year. He had a dismal performance in 10 games, hitting .205 with an OPS of .504 during 39 at-bats. He also has a career walk-rate of 7.6%, which is significantly lower than what should be expected of a leadoff hitter.

Bryce Harper has played 37 games as the leadoff hitter. But his last appearance came in the 2022 season. He has a batting average of .271 from the #1 position and also has a strong walk rate of 14.6% in his career.

Trea Turner has the most experience in the Phillies lineup, having alternated between #1 and #2 in his career. However, he's needed in the middle of the lineup as a right-handed hitter in a lineup filled with lefties.