Phillies open series vs. Orioles without several regulars originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
In the midst this past week of the Phillies’ worst four-game stretch at the plate since late May, manager Rob Thomson talked about the importance of the top five hitters in the lineup producing.
Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos, JT Realmuto. They account for $924.5 million in contracts, or just over $23 million per player per year.
Entering Game 100 Monday night against the Orioles, Turner was hitting .249/.302/.390 compared to .311/.361/.509 the previous four seasons. It’s pretty clear he’s not going to reach that level in 2023 — even if he hits .300 the rest of the way, he’d finish in the .268 to .270 range. The Phillies don’t need him to make up for lost time, they just need a strong second half, offensively and defensively, where he’s been just OK.
Castellanos was the Phillies’ most consistent hitter in the first half to earn an All-Star nod, but he’s gone cold the last four series, hitting .123 with one extra-base hit, one walk and 21 strikeouts.
Harper has continued to perform steadily despite not hitting for as much power in his first few months back from Tommy John surgery. He’s maintained an on-base percentage of at least .375 every day since his second game back and hit .306 since the night in Miami just before the All-Star break when he was hit on the elbow.
It’s been a strange season for Realmuto, more volatile than usual even for a streaky offensive player. He’s hitting 30 points below his career average with the highest strikeout rate of his career and lowest walk rate since 2017. But he’s also hitting for more power, with a higher clip of extra-base hits than any year of his career other than his first with the Phillies in 2019.
The Phils’ best bat since the break has been Bryson Stott, who’s been on fire since the end of June. Stott has hit .371 over his last 18 games with seven walks, five doubles, two homers and 14 runs scored.
The Phils will need the top half of their lineup even more than usual Monday night against the American League-leading Orioles with Realmuto, Alec Bohm and Brandon Marsh sitting.
Here was their lineup against Baltimore right-hander Dean Kremer:
-
Kyle Schwarber, LF
-
Trea Turner, SS
-
Bryce Harper, DH
-
Nick Castellanos, RF
-
Bryson Stott, 2B
-
Josh Harrison, 3B
-
Jake Cave, 1B
-
Garrett Stubbs, C
-
Johan Rohas, CF
Christopher Sanchez, SP
Certainly not the most fearsome bottom-of-the-order they’ve had this season. This is the first major-league start at first base for Cave, who played one game there at Triple A before being recalled last week. Harper started at first base Friday and Sunday and will be eased into everyday duty there.
Marsh sitting against the right-hander is a decision that sticks out given lefties have hit .302 with a .912 OPS off Kremer this season compared to .243 with a .698 OPS for right-handed hitters. Marsh has also had good plate appearances over the last week with four multi-hit games in his last eight to go along with a three-walk night in Cleveland.
More than anything, the rationale was likely getting Rojas into the lineup with the Phillies set to face right-handed starting pitchers for the next week in Baltimore’s Kyle Gibson and Kyle Bradish, Pittsburgh’s Mitch Keller and Quinn Priester, and Miami’s Edward Cabrera and Sandy Alcantara.