What would be the Phillies’ ideal starting lineup for the upcoming season if there was no cap on their 2024 payroll?
MLB teams put a lot of effort into assembling the ideal starting lineup each year in order to maximize their chances of winning. The manager’s job is to put together the best batting order to maximize the team’s offensive potential once all the necessary pieces are in place.
In the case of the Philadelphia Phillies, their roster is already composed of various stars, including Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, and J.T. Realmuto, to name a few, along with a solid supporting cast. Throughout the 2023 season, Phillies manager Rob Thomson had the unique distinction of continuously adjusting the starting lineup until he ultimately discovered the ideal configuration that really clicked in the latter stages of the season and into the postseason. Even though the Phillies ultimately missed out on winning the World Series, they could still consider this to have been a passable season.
It’s now time for the team to put together the strongest starting lineup for the upcoming season as we approach 2024. But let’s take a moment to step back from reality and imagine that the Phillies could upgrade their roster without worrying about exceeding their payroll cap and that they had more financial constraints.
The ideal starting lineup for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2024
In this instance, what would the Phillies’ perfect 2024 starting lineup look like to make them unbeatable?
Here, we examine the possible lineup for their starting nine in this ideal situation. We will exclude any options resulting from trades and only take into account options that are available through free agency for the purposes of this article.
First up will be the largest available free agent.
In the ideal 2024 Phillies lineup, Shohei Ohtani bats first at designated DH.
The Phillies will become a consistent competitor for the upcoming 10 years as soon as they win the sweepstakes to get Japanese two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani. It’s similar like obtaining both a fantastic pitcher and batter at the same time for an incredible price. Since we are concentrating on the starting lineup for the purposes of this article, we will examine Ohtani’s hitting form.
From now on, Ohtani would undoubtedly be the Phillies’ first baseman. The team with the best chance of producing consistent offense will be the one that forces the opposition team to see one of the most feared hitters in baseball.
Apart from his crucial RBI and home runs, many might not remember that he topped the AL in on-base percentage (.412) and stole 20 bases in the previous season. Being able to reach base safely and get into scoring position to assist create scoring opportunities with speed on the basepaths are essential skills for a leadoff hitter.
Ohtani, who will replace Kyle Schwarber at DH in the lineup, will be a major improvement because of his lower strikeout total. The Phillies won’t have to worry about him at all, maybe just maintaining his health, since the Japanese wonder is nearly certain to provide MVP-caliber work every year.
The positions two and three in the lineup are occupied by two superstars.
Trea Turner at second base in the ideal 2024 Phillies lineup
Trea Turner had an incredibly long slump to start the 2023 season, but he completely recovered in the second half of the season.
During the final 51 games of the season, Turner hit.317 with an OPS of 1.000, 44 runs scored, 14 doubles, 16 home runs, and 42 RBI, making him an unstoppable force that helped the Phillies win the pennant. By doing this, he confirmed the reason behind the Phillies’ decision to sign the sensational shortstop to an enormous 11-year, $300 million contract in the 2022–2023 offseason.
Turner is a proven MLB player, so having him bat behind Ohtani will help make sure that he doesn’t always get free passes and unhittable pitches. Furthermore, keep in mind that Turner is a quick runner on the basepaths, with a career average of nearly 30 stolen bases per season. Thus, when paired with Ohtani, they might be the Phillies’ version of Shane Victorino and Jimmy Rollins, but with far more offensive potential.
Bryce Harper at first base, batting third in the ideal 2024 Phillies lineup
Following an early recovery from Tommy John surgery, Bryce Harper had a successful 2023 season with the Philadelphia Phillies. As the season progressed, he in particular heated up significantly, putting on a strong final two months where he hit.299 in the process, with 16 home runs, 41 RBI, and 41 runs scored.
Harper has been a successful third baseman for the majority of his Phillies career, so having him there is imperative. Not only that, but it will prevent opposing teams from using any kind of strategic pitching matchups by having the lineup alternate between lefties (Ohtani) and righties (Turner) and then back to lefties (Harper).
Furthermore, it is best to keep him at first base in order to protect his long-term health.
A new center fielder is acquired by the Phillies.
Cody Bellinger in CF, batting fourth in the ideal 2024 Phillies lineup
The Phillies will consider themselves fortunate to have signed former MVP Cody Bellinger, the next best free agent available, in addition to Ohtani. After having a rough three years, Bellinger had a fantastic comeback season in 2023, regaining some of his dominant form. He recorded a career-high.307 batting average, 26 home runs, 97 RBI, 20 stolen bases, and 95 runs scored during his time with the Chicago Cubs.
He deserves to bat in the cleanup position behind Harper if his return to All-Star form is genuine, as it will provide him plenty of opportunities to do what he does best—drive in runs. After all, Bellinger hit an incredible.323 with an OPS of.898 in 2023, in addition to 71 RBI, six home runs, and 12 sacrifice flies with runners in scoring position.
In such circumstances, he was even more effective with two outs, batting.333,.947 OPS, and 23 RBI. Bellinger is the kind of hitter who should be locked into the fourth spot in the Phillies’ batting order because of his natural ability to step up in big situations.
The Phillies shouldn’t be too concerned about a possible defensive decline with Johan Rojas in center field because the former 2019 Gold Glove winner will provide strong defense to go along with his domineering offense.
J.T. Realmuto at third base, batting fifth in the ideal 2024 Phillies lineup
It might seem like J.T. Realmuto had a poor season in 2023, hitting just.252 with a career-high 138 strikeouts. However, he was still roughly in line with his career averages in terms of total runs scored, doubles, triples, home runs, RBI, and stolen bases. The fact that he hit just.205 with 38 runs driven in while facing RISP probably stood out more than anything else.
But with a new lineup that includes a plethora of elite hitters surrounding him, the Phillies should put less pressure on him to perform, which might rekindle his offensive potential. The thing that scares opposing teams the most about this dream setup for the Phillies is that, with Realmuto in the fifth spot, they will have five players in the top half of their lineup who can all punish the opposition with both speed and power.
An additional powerful hitter has joined the outfield.
Jorge Soler in RF, batting sixth in the ideal 2024 Phillies lineup
The Phillies have essentially reworked their outfield and added some extra power to their starting lineup with Jorge Soler hitting sixth, making one more big free agent signing this offseason.
As you may remember, Soler played a key role in the Miami Marlins’ success this past season, as they made it to the postseason for the first time in three years. With an.853 OPS, 36 home runs, 75 RBI, and 77 runs scored in 2023, Soler had a.250 batting average. The fact that he accomplished this with fewer lights shining behind him in a lineup that offered him little to no protection was even more impressive. In light of this, it would be best to bat sixth for the Phillies. Regardless of how the Phillies’ younger hitters perform behind him, Soler should still be able to produce.
Soler may not be the best in right field when it comes to defense. However, Nick Castellanos hasn’t exactly performed any better, having a career -62 DRS in 761 right field games. Soler seems to be a slight upgrade at the position when compared to his -18 DRS in 385 games played in the same position.
Alec Bohm at third base, batting seventh in the ideal 2024 Phillies lineup
Alec Bohm had a breakout season in 2023, setting career highs in doubles, home runs, and RBI; therefore, it seems inhumane to start him in the bottom third of the Phillies’ batting order in 2024. However, the Phillies will now have the luxury of having a potential 100-RBI hitter hitting in the seventh spot in the lineup thanks to the massive influx of star talent into the organization.
Nevertheless, it would also keep Bohm from possibly ending rallies with the top six in flight, as he grounded into an NL-high 23 double plays in the previous season.
Bohm hitting lower in the order increases the likelihood that the Phillies will experience multiple-run rallies more frequently in 2024. Additionally, Bohm may have an advantageous pitcher letdown in the seven hole if the opposition feels like they’re trying to run a gauntlet through the first six batters in the Phillies’ batting order.
However, Bohm earns the right to start as the team’s everyday third baseman when he joins in 2024.
Bryson Stott at second base, batting eighth in the ideal 2024 Phillies lineup
Setting up the powerful hitters at the top of the lineup will be the primary responsibility of the Phillies’ eighth and ninth batters in the batting order. Consequently, Bryson Stott, who starts at position eight in the starting lineup, suits the bill.
Not only does he have the ability to cash in runners left on base from the upper part of the batting order, with his .In 2023, he had a batting average of 280, 62 RBI, and a 31-for-34 stolen base record. Consequently, he can set the stage for the upper portion of the order once he arrives at base.
In 2023, Stott also made significant progress in his defensive work. His remarkable.992 fielding percentage in 602 chances, coupled with 6 DRS, made him a finalist for the Gold Glove Award. His overall growth has been so significant that Harper, who called him the league’s best second baseman this postseason, even endorsed him.
This past season, he was also recognized as one of MLB’s top breakout players. Thus, if the Phillies really have “the best second baseman” in baseball, batting eighth, it clearly speaks to the potential impact of this formidable Phillies lineup in 2024.
Brandon Marsh in left field, batting ninth in the ideal 2024 Phillies lineup
Brandon Marsh, a fan favorite and typically dependable player, completes the starting lineup. After spending the last two seasons primarily playing center field for the Phillies, Marsh will switch to left field in 2024 to make room for Bellinger and Soler.
Marsh has played left field before, so that shouldn’t be an issue. In fact, he has been most effective defensively at this position, recording 9 DRS in just 106 games and 166 opportunities throughout his career.
This past season, Marsh set career highs in runs scored (58), doubles (25), triples (6), home runs (12), RBI (60), and walks (59). He also posted a career-best.372 on-base percentage. When Ohtani and company take over at the top of the order, the ballclub may benefit greatly from having a player who can reach base easily batting in the ninth spot.
Concluding thoughts on the ideal Phillies lineup for 2024.
Concluding remarks regarding the ideal 2024 Phillies lineup
Starting with the 2024 season, this formidable ideal Phillies starting lineup will cause havoc for opposing teams. Pitchers facing the Phillies should always fear for their lives because of the abundance of talented players in the top half of the order.
Every player on the Phillies has the ability to hit for a respectable batting average and post double-digit home runs and more than 60 RBI, so there won’t be any easy outs in the lineup. The fact that seven of the nine players can torment the opposition on the basepaths once they get on base makes things even more terrifying.
But in order for this ideal starting lineup to succeed, Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber need to be cut from the team. When these players are taken out of the lineup, their high whiff rates and free-swinging ability make the Phillies even more potent when more balls are played. In addition, the team will have a little bit more defensive dependability with the three-headed monster of Bellinger, Soler, and Marsh in the outfield rather than Schwarber and Castellanos, who combined for -30 DRS in 2023.
More significantly, the Phillies will save $39 million in annual payroll by not having to pay Schwarber and Castellanos, which could be utilized to sign new star players. Nevertheless, there’s little doubt that the Phillies’ payroll will rise far above their wildest expectations.
However, who knows? Maybe, just maybe, this ideal lineup will come to pass if they don’t mind paying the luxury tax. For now, all of us Phillies fans out there have to do is wait and pray.