Ranking Three Most Important Hitters for Phillies in September

The Philadelphia Phillies offense needs these three hitters to play at a high level.

Aug 22, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (28) reacts with shortstop Trea Turner (7) after scoring against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Philadelphia Phillies offense reached new heights in August, resulting in 21 victories for the team.

They have solidified their place in the National League playoff picture. With a record of 78-60, they are only four games behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL East race and are tied with the Chicago Cubs for the first Wild Card spot, five games clear of the San Diego Padres.

If the Phillies are going to continue surging in the standings, they need their lineup to keep producing at the level they are capable of. These three hitters are the most important in the Philadelphia lineup to achieving that goal.

3. Kyle Schwarber

Aug 29, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) hits a RBI double in the tenth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It feels as if whenever designated hitter Kyle Schwarber is in a slump, the Phillies lineup follows suit. Such is life as the team’s leadoff hitter and best power hitter, but when he is on, the team is hard to beat.

Schwarber enters September with an MLB-best 40 home runs. He is chasing history, within reach of a Babe Ruth record that would be quite an accomplishment to achieve. His strikeouts remain scarily high, but he has been productive with a .243/.359/.524 slash line.

As the leadoff hitter, he sets the tone for the lineup, and he needs to finish the regular season on a high note.

2. Alec Bohm

Aug 22, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (28) hits a single against the St. Louis Cardinals during the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A historically poor start to the 2026 campaign has ruined the season-long stats of Alec Bohm. But since moving from third base to first base, his bat has woken up, turning into a reliable source of offense in the second half of the season.

He has a .309/.366/.436 slash line since the All-Star break and was on fire in August with a .327/.391/.439 slash line. Bohm has helped stabilize the middle portion of the batting order, and the team needs him to keep up that performance.

Really, any of the supporting cast players could have landed in this spot. The same goes for his replacement at the hot corner, Bryson Stott, and reserve outfielders Derek Hill and Bryan De La Cruz, who have been thriving in part-time roles.

1. Trea Turner

Aug 29, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) makes a play during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If Philadelphia really wants to challenge for a World Series title this year, they need shortstop Trea Turner to figure things out on the field. Thus far this season, he has been a net negative, hurting the team at the plate and with his glove.

There isn’t a player on the team who needs a strong finish to the regular season more than Turner. With a -0.3 bWAR, this has been the least productive campaign of his career, and it isn’t particularly close. Outside of his debut in 2015, the lowest single-season bWAR he has produced is 2.8.

2026 is going to be a career low bWAR, but getting back to even should be his goal for the last month of the season to build positive momentum into the postseason. If he can’t achieve that, interim manager Don Mattingly has some difficult decisions to make.