Why Bryson Stott is no longer Phillies' primary infield worry

No one has ever questioned Bryson Stott’s ability to pick it defensively or run the bases. He is about as fundamental as it gets in both areas.

After he tallied 164 hits and slashed .280/.329/.419 in 2023, while handling both right-handers and left-handers, there was no question whether he was an “everyday player.”

But in the two seasons entering 2026, Stott struggled badly against southpaws.

Among left-handed hitters with at least 250 plate appearances against lefties in that span, Stott had the seventh-lowest batting average (.224), the fewest extra-base hits (9) and the third-lowest OPS (.585) out of the 41 qualifiers.

During that time, Edmundo Sosa emerged as the Phillies’ preferred answer against left-handed pitching. Over that same span, Sosa hit .318/.362/.533 in 116 plate appearances against lefties, often spelling Stott at second base.

Stott then began 2026 slowly, hitting .207 through his first 25 games. But the Phillies’ second baseman is starting to heat up, and he has been getting more playing time under interim manager Don Mattingly.

Stott has slugged three homers to begin May while limiting his strikeouts and posting a 1.041 OPS. Even looking at the whole season, in a small sample, there has been one clear positive: he has hit lefties when given the chance.

Stott is 4-for-13 (.308) with a homer against left-handed pitching. That did not come out of nowhere. He was 6-for-9 against lefties in Spring Training, staying on the ball, not pulling off and driving it to all fields.

After he stayed hot Tuesday night, fellow Las Vegas native Bryce Harper made it clear the Phillies’ second baseman needs to be out there consistently.

“When you play every day,” Harper said when asked why Stott has shown improvement offensively lately. “He’s an everyday player, and when you have a guy that needs to play every day, whether it’s a lefty or righty, it doesn’t matter. He’s gonna keep having good at-bats.”

Harper kept going.

“He’s an everyday guy. He always has been,” Harper said. “When you take an everyday guy out of the lineup, it’s tougher to get it going each day. You guys have seen that over the past couple of days. I hope he [continues to get] that chance.”

The Phillies’ superstar has a point. As a fellow left-handed hitter, Harper understands the value of rhythm, especially in same-sided matchups. Stott does, too.

“Obviously, it’s something I want to do,” Stott said. “It’s been a career thing for me. The more I play, the more rhythm I can get in. We’ve faced a few righties in a row now, and I feel that rhythm of the game and the season.

“That’s not up to me, as much as I would want it to be. But we’re just here to win and win a bunch of games.”

That rhythm has not always been there.

In 2023, Stott made 34 starts against left-handers. That number dipped to 30 in 2024 and was nearly cut in half to 18 last season. In 2024, he had 10 gaps of at least a week between starts against lefties. Last year, he had seven.

It is hard to find a groove with those lulls in playing time, especially when elbow injuries also plagued him over those two seasons.

Now Stott is fully healthy, and the early signs against lefties stand out. Mattingly, a former left-handed hitter himself, has echoed that he wants to give more opportunities to players who are having better at-bats, especially in those matchups. Playing the hot hand, essentially.

Right now, Stott is that hot hand.

A BROADER LOOK

The Phillies have an interesting roster breakdown as they try to push toward their fifth straight postseason appearance.

The outfield feels mostly set. They may still try to spell Brandon Marsh against tough lefties, but he enters Wednesday with the sixth-highest batting average in the National League at .322. Harper, Trea Turner and J.T. Realmuto are set at first base, shortstop and catcher. The rotation and bullpen are mostly set, too.

Second and third base are the more interesting spots.

Stott is earning the “everyday player” tag. Alec Bohm, meanwhile, continues to struggle. Both players raked in spring camp.

Now, Bohm is hitting .161 through his first 34 games. That would be the lowest batting average in a player’s first 34 games of a season for the Phillies since infielder Roy Sievers hit .152 in 1962, and the fourth-lowest mark in franchise history. His .440 OPS is also the fourth-lowest by a Phillie through 34 games since 1901.

Mattingly trusts Bohm, though, who has been a solid major league hitter since breaking into the big leagues in 2020. But at what point do the Phillies need to consider a larger change?

When the club fired Rob Thomson, it showed it was not afraid to make a major move. That does not mean a lineup shakeup is automatic, but the 9-19 start created urgency.

Stott has shown improvement. He continues to rank near the top of the league in squared-up rate, strikeout rate and swing-and-miss rate. Bohm has not found that same traction yet. Sosa, who is hitting .294 against righties in a small sample this season, could factor more heavily at third if the Phillies decide they need a different look.

The Phillies could also look outside the organization. A struggling team like Houston could make someone like Isaac Paredes worth monitoring. Paredes has three straight seasons with at least 19 homers and owns a .790 OPS since the start of 2023, with a club option for next season. Texas’ Josh Jung, who is under team control through 2029, would be a bigger swing if the Rangers listened.

But the more immediate point is this: the left-handed-hitting Stott should not be the focal point of the Phillies’ infield questions right now.

The more pressing question is third base.

The Phillies do not have top-ranked prospect Aidan Miller to lean on at the moment. He has yet to swing a bat since the first few weeks of Spring Training. He would have been an intriguing option, especially as the club has leaned into an infusion of young talent and energy during this uphill climb.

It would not surprise anyone if Bohm eventually figures it out. He has enough track record for that. It is also worth noting that he is dealing with off-field issues, having filed a lawsuit against his parents alleging financial mismanagement.

But the Phillies, at 16-20, are trying to win games now. They need to put the players on the field who give them the best chance to do that.

Stott should play more, and Mattingly appears willing to give him those opportunities. He also has another year of team control. Bohm is in his final year.

The leash at third base can be shorter.