The Philadelphia Phillies should bench infielder Bryson Stott. The team should sit Stott for the next series or two. While the team has not been great since the All-Star break, Stott has been bad. Since the All-Star break, Stott has a .222/.234/.333 line with two home runs and three RBI. Stott has one stolen base since the All-Star break. In August, Stott has a .097/.097/.222 line with one home run and two RBI. Since the start of August, Stott has a -21 wRC+ and a .077 BABIP in 31 plate appearances. Since the All-Star break, Stott has a 54 wRC+ and a .226 BABIP in 64 plate appearances.
Coming into the season, Stott was a breakout candidate for the Phillies. However, Stott has had a worse season than his successful 2023. In 108 games this season, Stott has a .235/.312/.347 line with eight home runs and 45 RBI. Stott also has 23 stolen bases this season. Furthermore, Stott has an 85 wRC+ this season. FanGraphs rates Stott with a -4.1 offensive value this season. Stott has a career-low .261 BABIP this season. This season, Stott has a .664 OPS and an 84 wRC+ in 319 plate appearances against right-handed pitchers. Meanwhile, Stott has a .643 OPS and an 88 wRC+ in 98 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers this season.
Phillies Should Bench Infielder
The Player That Should Be Starting For The Time Being
For the time being Edmundo Sosa should be the Phillies second baseman. Sosa has already been starting regularly against left-handed pitchers. This season, Sosa has a .276/.329/.459 line with six home runs and 26 RBI in 67 games. Sosa has six stolen bases this season. Additionally, Sosa has a 118 wRC+ this season. FanGraphs rates Sosa with a 6.4 offensive value this season. Sosa has a career-best .345 BABIP this season. This season, Sosa has a .721 OPS and a 100 wRC+ in 118 plate appearances against right-handed pitchers. Sosa has a .871 OPS and a 140 wRC+ in 96 plate appearances against right-handed pitchers this season.
In August, Sosa has a .364/.364/.727 line with one home run and four RBI. In that span, Sosa has a 200 wRC+ and a .500 BABIP in 11 plate appearances. Since the All-Star break, Sosa has a .286/.310/.464 line with one home run and four RBI. Sosa has two stolen bases since the All-Star break. In that span, Sosa has a 113 wRC+ and a .368 BABIP in 29 plate appearances. At the same time, limited playing time in those spans may contribute to the gap between Stott and Sosa, and the overall season numbers back this up. In the major rate stat categories, Sosa has better numbers than Stott this season. Sosa is on track for multiple career bests in those categories. The Phillies should bench Stott.
What The Phillies Middle Infield Should Look Like Going Forward
The Phillies middle infield alignment should change if Sosa replaces Stott as a regular starter. This is partly because of how good Sosa is defensively and how bad Trea Turner is defensively. According to FanGraphs, Sosa has two Defensive Runs Saved and four Outs Above Average with a three Fielding Run Value at shortstop this season. According to FanGraphs, Turner has -10 Defensive Runs Saved and -4 Outs Above Average, with a -3 Fielding Run Value at shortstop this season. Among the 24 players with at least 600 innings played at shortstop this season, Turner has the fewest Defensive Runs Saved, the third worst in Outs Above Average, and the second-worst Fielding Run-Value.
Whenever both are in the lineup, Sosa should play shortstop with Turner at second base. This is the most optimal defensive middle infield alignment. While Turner has not played second base since 2021, moving positions in some situations is necessary. In his career at second base, Sosa has three defensive runs saved along with two outs above average and one fielding run value per FanGraphs. For comparison, at second base in his career, Turner has seven Defensive Runs Saved and six Outs Above Average with a five Fielding Run-Value per FanGraphs. Optimizing offense and defense with this alignment is best for the Phillies.
Main Photo Credits: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports
