MLB rumors: Bryce Harper, Trea Turner could change spots in Phillies' batting order
18/02/2025 03:42
For most of the 2024 MLB season, Trea Turner occupied the second spot in the batting order of the Philadelphia Phillies while Bryce Harper hit mostly behind him. Turner had 121 games batting second and Harper had 145 outings at third.
Following the 2024 campaign, Phillies manager Rob Thomson hinted at the possibility of a change in the team’s batting order, with Turner potentially hitting lead-off and Harper sliding up to the second spot. That scenario means that Kyle Schwarber would move as well, as he almost exclusively batted first in 2024.
Bryce Harper sounds off on Phillies batting order talk
Harper recently shared his thoughts on him possibly moving up a notch from his regular spot and said that it all depends on what Thomson’s decision will be.
“I’m glad I’m not the manager,” Harper said over the weekend (h/t Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia). “He’s gonna do what he needs to do to make our team win and help us win.”
As a third-hole hitter in 2024, Harper slashed .285/.373/.525 with 30 home runs and 87 RBIs to go with a .331 BABIP.
“I haven’t been talked to yet. Obviously, I’m a 3-hole hitter or I have been but whenever they tell me to hit two or four, I’ve done that in the past. I want to win so I don’t care what that takes,” Harper added.
“I’ve hit three a lot in my career, I feel comfortable there. I’ve hit two a lot early in my career so I’m comfortable there. And then obviously in the postseason in ’22, I hit four a lot. Like I said, I just want to win.”
As for Turner, he hit .295/.338/.469 with 21 home runs, 88 RBIs and a .331 BABIP batting second in 2024. He also posted a 124 wRC+ in that role for the Phillies, who made the MLB postseason with a 95-67 record before getting eliminated from the playoffs by the New York Mets in the National League Divisional Series.
In any case, there is still plenty of time for the Phillies to figure out what kind of batting order they want to have to open the 2025 season. Philadelphia’s first assignment in the 2025 campaign is a three-game series against Harper’s former team, the Washington Nationals that starts on Mar. 27. at Nationals Park.
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